Originally Posted by
uclacolumbiaunc
I've tried dummy bookings for properties in Japan, China, Taiwan... and the charge breakdown always includes a 10-15% service charge (depending on the property).... however, if the property has a non-marriott website, it doesn't have a service charge, so it seems like service charges goes to marriott corporate, not the property itself.......
No that's a faulty assumption. If another booking channel (e.g., OTA) is not showing the mandatory service charge, the pricing is deceptive, because you will be assessed a service charge by the property.
This is not a Marriott issue. Rather, it's an erroneous user assumption based on a lack of knowledge about the very standard practice in Asia of assessing service charges calculated as a percentage of the room rate.