Urban Destination Charge
Dec 14, 2019, 4:56 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2018
Programs: Delta PL, Hilton Diamond, Marriott LT PL
Posts: 5
Urban Destination Charge
Booking a mileage run to NYC to hit DL PL and figured I would use up some HH points. The first couple of hotels I checked out around Times Square had an "Urban Destination" charge. I was like .... The Resort Fees are anoying enough. Whats next a Suburban Property Benefit Fee?
Dec 14, 2019, 6:20 pm
#2
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
It's the same fee with a different name. Essentially, that name is designed to stop guests from pestering the Front Desk with this complaint: This isn't a resort. Why are you charging a resort fee?
Of course, it's not really the name that's the issue. A bogus fee by any name is still a bogus fee.
Of course, it's not really the name that's the issue. A bogus fee by any name is still a bogus fee.
Dec 14, 2019, 6:26 pm
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
It's a fee. Forget what it's called.
1. For cash paid rooms it forces the property to show up earlier in a list as most people order the selection by cost.
2. For redemptions, it amounts to a cash + points system.
There are a slew of threads on this. In and around NYC hard to avoid. Elsewhere, it may be if you look hard and are willing to stay out of the way.
1. For cash paid rooms it forces the property to show up earlier in a list as most people order the selection by cost.
2. For redemptions, it amounts to a cash + points system.
There are a slew of threads on this. In and around NYC hard to avoid. Elsewhere, it may be if you look hard and are willing to stay out of the way.
Dec 14, 2019, 7:12 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: TOA
Programs: HH Diamond, Marriott LTPP/Platinum Premier, Hyatt Lame-ist, UA !K
Posts: 20,061
Booking a mileage run to NYC to hit DL PL and figured I would use up some HH points. The first couple of hotels I checked out around Times Square had an "Urban Destination" charge. I was like .... The Resort Fees are anoying enough. Whats next a Suburban Property Benefit Fee?
David
Dec 14, 2019, 9:41 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: IAD
Programs: DL-Silver; BA-Bronze
Posts: 1,162
It's a fee. Forget what it's called.
1. For cash paid rooms it forces the property to show up earlier in a list as most people order the selection by cost.
2. For redemptions, it amounts to a cash + points system.
There are a slew of threads on this. In and around NYC hard to avoid. Elsewhere, it may be if you look hard and are willing to stay out of the way.
1. For cash paid rooms it forces the property to show up earlier in a list as most people order the selection by cost.
2. For redemptions, it amounts to a cash + points system.
There are a slew of threads on this. In and around NYC hard to avoid. Elsewhere, it may be if you look hard and are willing to stay out of the way.
Dec 15, 2019, 6:22 am
#8
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Vienna, Austria
Programs: united, delta, british
Posts: 135
Unless they are. Hilton Times Square said wouldn't charge, and then they did, and it took three phone calls with hanging up and calling again on the first two to get an agent who didn't argue that I still owed the money. Are they trained to try to slip it by you until you persist?
Dec 15, 2019, 8:18 am
#9
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Programs: MP, Marriott, HHonors
Posts: 231
I just did 4 days with 5th night free at the HGI in Chelsea all in points and I did't have to pay any extra fees.
OP, do you have enought points to do it that way? It would still count as a stay/night towards status qualification.
OP, do you have enought points to do it that way? It would still count as a stay/night towards status qualification.
Dec 15, 2019, 9:39 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
"Reward Redemption
18. At hotels with resort fees, members on reward stays booked using all Points, or using a Promotional free night reward (e.g., issued by credit card partners, etc.) will not pay resort fees."
Source: https://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/...ard_redemption
If a hotel uses a very strict reading of the Terms and Conditions, they might try to charge an Urban Destination fee because it's not the same title as a resort fee. Doing that would be really sleazy. But, any hotel that charges these types of fee are already going down the path to sleazy, in my opinion.
Dec 18, 2019, 7:56 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,066
The Curio Collection Martinique at 32nd and Broadway is a unique historic property with nicely appointed rooms. And they don't charge a fee (yet). Enjoy it while it lasts.
Dec 19, 2019, 10:12 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,843
I think Hilton’s confirmations and apps don’t understand that full award stays don’t incur the charge, but it doesn’t mean that it will get charged.