Originally Posted by
transportprof
I just booked a seven night travel package at the Essex House. The $25 daily destination fee was included in the booking, along with about $50 in taxes (I'm assuming city occupancy tax or something similar).
Any reports of downward adjustment in this gouging would be quite appreciated in the months ahead. My stay isn't until December.
My wife and I stayed at the EH, for five nights over Memorial Day weekend on points. We booked the reservation on January 31, '18, and at that time there was no indication that the hotel would be tacking on the $25 daily fee. About a month before our arrival, I checked the reservation on the Marriott website, and saw a notice about a $25 fee. I elected not to address the matter at that point, but a few days before arrival I called the hotel asking about this charge, and learned that the fee has been added to all reservations made on or after February 1 ,'18. I was advised that since our booking was made prior to that date we would not be charged, and we weren't.
However, after staying at the hotel I concluded that while the imposition of these fees could be a simple matter of "gouging", as you suggest, there might be value for the payment. A case in point would be that the $14 charge for a glass of wine in the Executive Lounge, might be offset by the fee, with the $11 balance being credited to the cost of a second glass for your wife.
I have LT Plat status with MR, and found the lounge to be one of the best that I have visited in the US. The breakfast buffet offering is marvelous, and is the same offered to guests in the hotel's dining room. The only distinction is that a guest in the lounge is not able to order items not on the buffet, such as eggs cooked to order. We had our evening meal in the lounge on two of the five nights that we were at the hotel, and the offerings were what you might expect, i.e. an assortment of vegetables and cheeses, etc., plus a hot entree. One night the hot dish was roast turkey breast with mashed potatoes and gravy and on the second evening it was a lamb stew with egg noodles. While these dishes might not be gourmet items, on both occasions they were well prepared and solid comfort food.
Also, although our confirmation did state that we would be charged a nominal amount for taxes and fees, none of these items ever made it to our final bill.
I also neglected to mention previously, that in accordance with my request to the FD, The NY Times was delivered to our room every morning during our stay.