RobotsRock

I stayed at the Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter hotel a few weeks ago on business. At time of booking, a "Daily local fee" of $25/night was clearly specified on the Marriott website and on my reservation - as still is the case: "Please note - Daily local fee-US25 plus tax-may apply"

I thought about this as a local tax that all hotels must charge in the area given the wording, and believed it complied with my company's policy to stay within a certain threshold with all hotel fees, excluding taxes. I didn't think much else of it until check-in - when I was introduced to what was 'included' with the fee - most of which I already had included with my Titanium Elite Status and was otherwise useless for a business traveler.

At check out, my folio showed a $25/night "DESTINATION AMENITY FEE" and "DESTINATION AMENITY FEE TAX" at $3.19/night. When I challenged that I never agreed to a resort fee or destination amenity fee of any kind, and requested the property to change it to the 'local fee' as advertised, this was refused. Despite my complaint, including in writing afterwards, the property still has not revised their wording of the fee to indicate it's a HOTEL-imposed fee and not locally imposed.

Luckily my company didn't make a fuss when I tried to get reimbursed, but I can't help but feel scammed by this property and to try do something about this. Resort and hotel fees are bad as they are, but masquerading under a local tax to get away with it feels fraudulent to me. Any similar bait-and-switches on fees at other properties? Is this common? Debating whether to report this to the AG, but wonder if anyone will really care (and weary of retaliation given my lifetime status and point balance...)