8 Sneaky Fees Hotels Might Gouge You For

Great hotel amenities come at a price, one that often reveals itself in the form of hidden fees during checkout.

Gym usage, breakfast, Internet, valet… The world of hotel surcharges seems to grow every year. But even the fine print can’t help some guests who never expect to be charged for the simplest things, such as using the hotel’s business center or a robe hung up in their closet. FlyerTalk wants to help keep expert travelers’ costs down, so here’s the inside scoop on some of the sneakiest surcharges to show up on hotel bills.

1. Self-Parking
   Obviously, using the valet costs money. Drivers do need to be paid, after all. But the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel in Oslo, guests must pay to park their own cars—because the hotel doesn’t have a parking lot at all.
2. Microwave or Mini-Fridge
   In the days of extra charges for every tiny bottle in a hotel room’s mini-fridge, guests at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort may feel relieved to find a tiny padlock on their refrigerator… at least until they discover just using the fridge (and the microwave!) will incur a $10 daily fee.
3. Water
   It may be a fundamental need for human life to survive, but water does not come cheap at the Mercure Bristol Holland House Hotel and Spa. Guests have to reserve rooms from the hotel’s upper echelon of accommodations to receive complimentary bottles.
4. Beach Towels
   Crown Resorts in Cyprus may not mention this on its website, but based on many public reviews, guests at this hotel must pay around $3 to use a beach towel.
5. Pool Loungers
   Charging guests to use an exceptional fitness facility is one thing, but to relax by the pool? The Royal Barriere in Deauville, France, requires that guests pay for use of the pool lounge chairs, which are only available by reservation.
6. Safe
   Home alarm systems cost a pretty penny, so why not hotel room security measures as well? Charging for use of the in-room safe is a growing trend. Some hotels even charge a fee every time the safe is opened, like at the Hotel Esplanade in Prague.
7. In-Room Coffee & Tea
   Morning beverages are, at this point, a standard offering in most hotels around the world. This can’t be said for the Kissos Hotel in Cyprus, where guests who wish to have coffee or tea in the morning must pay about $3.15 per day to rent a kettle.
8. Boat Transfer
   In the world of luxury island resorts, most travelers look for an easy way to get back and forth between the island and the mainland. The Naka Island Resort and Spa, although offering complimentary speedboat service upon arrival and departure, charges for any other trips off the island. On top of that, guests must pay extra to use the resort’s shuttle service from the airport to the speedboat dock.

[Photo: iStock]