writerguyfl

Correct. I messed up the grammar there.

Keep in mind, unless you're in direct contact with the hotel General Manager, you're not privy to exactly what's happening behind the scenes. How do you know that the hotel hasn't contacted Hilton in writing about this issue?

flyerCO

I'm in contact with him. Considering how much i stay here have regular contact. (Over 10 months of nights in last year when I last checked)

hfly

Srisarin. Do you travel outside of Malaysia much? The exact same types of taxes are levied in many cities and states in the US, much of Italy, Colombia, and countless other places. Guess what? They are covered by Hilton (and its franchisees) when on an award stay, this is not unique, it is not anything about national or any other law, although you very much want to make it so.

The only other time that I have even heard about this was several years ago in a certain city in Italy when they wanted to hit me with some incredibly insignificant mandatory city tax of 1.5 Euros per night or something. I pointed out that I was not responsible for it and would not be paying it, quite frankly because they were insisting that I paid it in cash, not with a credit card and I had no cash and I found it RIDICULOUS that for whatever Italian reason they did not want to add it to my folio - using much the same language that Srisn is using in fact, about the rights of the Italian government, etc.

After showing the manager my phone and e-mail address, and asking, "So when I write to this person at Hilton corporate.......that you out of every other property in the World, have made your own rules, would you like me to refer to you by your first or last name?" I was then immediately told that it was all as mistake, as "OH, it's an AWARD STAY" and was on my way.

TomMM

If my boss told me to do something that was potentially illegal, I'd want it in writing.

Guy Betsy

You must produce a Malaysian ID (MYKad) or PR ID (MYPRKad) card at check in upon which a copy is taken and submitted to the government. If you do not hold such ID, (even for residents of MM2H) you will be charged the tax. If you do not pay, you do not stay. Period.

Payment of the tax is pretty straight forward as quoted here :

Point 14 - In other words, an award stay is subjected to the TTx and as per Point 12, collected upon check-out.

The only way to avoid the tax is to get the room booked and registered under someone who holds one of those resident cards.

I had some friends visit me in Malaysia from overseas on a couple of occasions. I made the room reservation under my name... Upon check-in, I produced the MYKad ID and the reception took a photocopy of it. But used my friend's creditcard for guarantee. The hotel said this is ok and may add their names on the booking if they want - as long as I am the principal guest registered in the room. It doesn't have to involve me actually staying there**.My friends paid their respective bills upon check out without me having to be there. And I got the points! Yay!

I asked the hotel at check-in what if my friend wanted the points and asked to change my name to their name (and hotel loyalty number) upon check out? They will need to pay the tax as the name at check-in no longer matches that at check-out.

Some other interesting facts of this...

** Note - . This is based upon a case by case situation as highlighted by Q88, it is essentially skirting a tax that is required by government order. This particular hotel knows me well so they let me do the above and I did go round every day and joined my friend at breakfast.

For those of you who feel like perusing through all 47 pages of this government order, feel free to read it HERE.

ozztraveller

I feel some people are arguing over who has to pay and reading some responses it is like they take it literally. The hotel is liable for the charge just like any other tax and if they do not charge it they still have to pay it.

These are two examples from the tourist tax guide on who is liable for the tax in the end.

It is the duty of the operator who provides accommodation to a tourist in an accommodation premise to collect tourism tax from the tourist upon check-out and pay the tourism tax collected or liable to be collected to RMCD.

Who is responsible to account for TTx if the guest refuses to pay? A91: The operator is responsible to account for the TTx .

flyerCO

There's nothing illegal here. No one is saying not to pay the government the tax.

flyerCO

Hilton agent contacted me. (The Hilton FT rep got her in contact with me) Apologized and said they would get issue fixed and a refund issued.

flyerCO

Final verdict - full point awards DO include all taxes and the hotel has admitted to me they were wrong to not cover it and bill me for it.

Delectatio

I recently had to pay city taxes on a reward stay at the DoubleTree Bratislava. I found it odd but didn't make a fuss. Now seriously thinking about contacting the hotel about this.

Srisarin

Based upon the unambiguous language of what is, and what is not, included in Hilton rewards and similar language also cited above as to the clear requirement of who is liable to pay the new MY tourist tax, only time will tell what will happen after either/both an internal Hilton and/or Malaysian government audit which obviously will not become public record.

flyerCO

Absolutely nothing. Hotel is paying the tax as it admits now it should've done. MY gets it tax. Nothing to have an audit issue on.

hfly

Srisarin, so what, you win no matter what, when you obviously have not? You created a bunch of issues, which did not exist, and seem to want to create some more. Malaysia gets the tax, paid by Hilton, per their rules. Cheap franchisee chastised by Hilton and publicly embarrassed over their tight ways that were in violation of their Hilton agreement(s).Done, Over.

ashkale

I am sure the decision to absorb this would have been in consultation with Malaysian authorities and certainly Hilton isnt the only chain which would have asked the question. So its settled now.

Srisarin

BTW, I have written advice directly from the hotel in question that refutes literally everything flyerCO has stated so this issue is far from being cast in concrete