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$350 in taxes on an award stay??

 
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Old Apr 8, 2017, 12:52 pm
  #1  
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Thumbs down $350 in taxes on an award stay??

I just made a free nights booking at the LM Bora Bora using points. The platinum concierge said there would be about $350 in city taxes that I would have to pay (There was also about $160 in boat transfers, which is annoying but not the main point). Has anybody else had experience with this? I thought taxes were supposed to be included in award night stays?

Tangentially, does anybody know if the property takes you back to the mainland as many times as you want as part of the boat transfer fee, or do they charge for each ride?
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Old Apr 8, 2017, 1:31 pm
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I came to this forum to post a similar thing that just happened, except mine was P+C.

Paid 5k+$75 a night for two nights at ITC Maurya. Got the bill and was charged $278.90 in fees and taxes in addition to the $150 I paid for the P+C cash portion, so 10,000+$428.90 for two nights. Going rate is normally about $170/nt on the nights of the week I stayed, I believe.

I feel like Starpoints just cost me money instead of saving any...
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Old Apr 8, 2017, 2:00 pm
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Originally Posted by FlyTheFriendlyMonkey
I thought taxes were supposed to be included in award night stays?
I think for the most part they are, but there are certain locations where a property is required to collect/turn it over to the city. I've seen some threads in the last couple of years where that's happened, or started on a certain date when prior to that there wasn't any collection.

Cheers.
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Old Apr 8, 2017, 3:17 pm
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Originally Posted by SkiAdcock
I think for the most part they are, but there are certain locations where a property is required to collect/turn it over to the city.
That's true in India, certainly. The exception has been discussed by Lurker.
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Old Apr 8, 2017, 9:02 pm
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In my experience, % taxes are generally included in an award, while flat-rate taxes/fees are not.
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Old Apr 8, 2017, 9:55 pm
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Originally Posted by rev
I came to this forum to post a similar thing that just happened, except mine was P+C.

Paid 5k+$75 a night for two nights at ITC Maurya. Got the bill and was charged $278.90 in fees and taxes in addition to the $150 I paid for the P+C cash portion, so 10,000+$428.90 for two nights. Going rate is normally about $170/nt on the nights of the week I stayed, I believe.

I feel like Starpoints just cost me money instead of saving any...
did you get an upgrade by any chance????if you did then the hotel is supposed to charge 15% luxury tax on the rack rate for that upgraded room....even if you didn't get an upgrade, the property would have still charged you the 15% on the rack rate for the room you stayed in....this is a stupid tax imposed by the government & is not the fault of the property....
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Old Apr 8, 2017, 9:56 pm
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Originally Posted by 3Cforme
That's true in India, certainly. The exception has been discussed by Lurker.
not all over india....there are certain states that have imposed the 15% on rack rate luxury tax on hotel stays....

Last edited by Keyser; Apr 10, 2017 at 2:03 am
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Old Apr 9, 2017, 6:09 am
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Originally Posted by FlyTheFriendlyMonkey
....Tangentially, does anybody know if the property takes you back to the mainland as many times as you want as part of the boat transfer fee, or do they charge for each ride?
Boat transfer is for each trip. No free rides.

Bora Bora is not a budget travel destination.
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Old Apr 9, 2017, 7:47 am
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Originally Posted by Keyser
not all over india....there are certain sates that have imposed the 15% on rack rate luxury tax on hotel stays....
+1. And keep in mind taxes are on rack rate. And if you get upgraded to a suite, the taxes are rather high. Its been a while since I did an award stay in Delhi, but asked for a downgrade from a suite for a 1-night stay to avoid egregious taxes.
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Old Apr 10, 2017, 1:25 pm
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Originally Posted by Keyser
did you get an upgrade by any chance????if you did then the hotel is supposed to charge 15% luxury tax on the rack rate for that upgraded room....even if you didn't get an upgrade, the property would have still charged you the 15% on the rack rate for the room you stayed in....this is a stupid tax imposed by the government & is not the fault of the property....
I haven't stayed at the property yet. This was just the quote for the plat reservations agent. In what jurisdictions is this supposed to happen?
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:05 am
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Originally Posted by FlyTheFriendlyMonkey
I haven't stayed at the property yet. This was just the quote for the plat reservations agent. In what jurisdictions is this supposed to happen?
this is applicable in a number of states in india....delhi, tamil naidu, goa, rajasthan & karnataka have this the last time i checked....
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:13 am
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Originally Posted by Keyser
this is applicable in a number of states in india....delhi, tamil naidu, goa, rajasthan & karnataka have this the last time i checked....
But not French Polynesia, correct? This didn't' happen when I stayed at the Hilton Moorea on points several years ago. I wonder if it's new or incorrect policy?
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:16 am
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Originally Posted by FlyTheFriendlyMonkey
But not French Polynesia, correct? This didn't' happen when I stayed at the Hilton Moorea on points several years ago. I wonder if it's new or incorrect policy?
i have no clue about french polynesia....i was responding to a post made by rev regarding a stay in india....
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 2:38 am
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Originally Posted by 3Cforme
That's true in India, certainly. The exception has been discussed by Lurker.
Actually, that is NOT true in India. I stayed in Delhi where supposedly every place collects a luxury tax (which seems to be defined by having a table, or AC, or random things we take for granted). I stayed in a 5 star hotel that on an award that collected nothing, nada, zilch.
As in India, YMMV

Oh yeah, and I got upgraded =P (and still paid nothing)
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Old Apr 11, 2017, 3:07 am
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Originally Posted by s0ssos
Actually, that is NOT true in India. I stayed in Delhi where supposedly every place collects a luxury tax (which seems to be defined by having a table, or AC, or random things we take for granted). I stayed in a 5 star hotel that on an award that collected nothing, nada, zilch.
As in India, YMMV

Oh yeah, and I got upgraded =P (and still paid nothing)
that's because on an award stay you pay nothing....you only pay on a c&p or revenue stay....

your rate has to be over a certain amount to attract the luxury tax (i believe its inr 750)....because you pay the property nothing during an award stay, they don't charge you the tax....
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