Booking AA Hotels racket?
 

Anybody book a hotel through AA Hotels and get charged more than double what the taxes should have been? Seems like a scam. I’m just buying miles at that point. I called customer service and they can’t give me a break out of what the extra taxes are for.

A screenshot or some numbers would help.

Taxes are determined by the government. If the taxes are double what they should be, what was said when you called them?
What is the hotel rate. Where is the location? Date? How much are the taxes? How much do you think they should be? It would be helpful to have the details, or nobody can help you. I have never had an issue with taxes for hotels booked thru AA

What are these taxes of which you speak?

In the US, taxes are added on top of the quoted rate. In many locations, in addition to standard sales taxes, there can be such things as tourism taxes, or taxes to pay for stadiums, etc.

In the USA, most hotel taxes are a percentage of the room rate, but some (such as fees to support a local tourism agency) can be a fixed amount per room (or per person) per night. Sometimes the latter are optional, so be sure to check.

The taxes should have been about $30 on a $300 room rate. I was charged $70 via the AA hotels website. I was charged for the room at time of booking since the room was for the same night. I called and they can’t provide a breakdown of the charges.

Did you see totals before you confirmed the booking?
Is the issue reproduceable? That is, if you start another booking with the same hotel, does it show a similar tax issue? Can you give the name of the hotel and location?
Before booking the rate and taxes are shown (example below). Did you see something like this on your display before buying? This is what I see when I start to book. So, it seems the taxes are visible before confirmation.
Did it match what you have paid?
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...aba0c3420f.png

We need details!

Where is this for example? HAve you looked on the hotels website to see what they actually are not what you think they should be?

Why did you expext them to be about $30? What is the detailed breakdown of the $70?

The hotel invoice should provide that detail.

Was this a place like Vegas where there’s an additional resort fee?

This is not what we consider "details" here and is just wasting everyone's time. Can you provide a screenshot or summary of the receipt or the booking confirmation? Whom did you call? Who are "they"? Which "AA hotels website" (there are a number of them)?

This. Places like Vegas and Puerto Rico charge an additional resort fee, mandated by local government. There is nothing a TA such as Booking AA Hotels can do about it.

Resort fees are most definitely not mandated by local governments...

This is a common occurrence on both bookAAhotels and Rocketmiles, especially when a lower tier/quality property offers an awesome amount of miles for a low price.
When you go to book, please note that it says "Taxes and Fees" not just taxes, and then realize that the "fees" are the upcharge for all those extra miles.

Vegas hotels add the caveat of "resort fee paid upon check in of $XXX " as another line item that is NOT included in the total cost they will quote you.

Example: I thought I'd found a Golden Goose lower tier motel in the middle of nowhere offering 10,000 miles a night for around $120. Clicked thru and a 10 day stay had.... $2000 in "taxes and fees" . $3,500 for or $350 a night for 10,000 miles/LPs a night. Ur, yeah, no thanks, not for a "Quality Inn" in bum**** nowhere.

Be very careful out there folks. Ctrl + (zoom in) and view all the lines is your friend.