spearsba

I stayed recently at the LAX Hilton for an late morning departure to NRT. It was a Tuesday night and I could not believe how crowded the hotel was. The bar was packed. The shuttle the next morning was not issue, went early enough to hit the *A at lounge at the TBIT. Then walked to the UA terminal,

JohnnyColombia

Mainly out of curiosity, what is the additional 50¢ added to all rooms at the Hilton LAX

Is it something that cannot be bundled into the room rate because it would still be payable on top of the new room rate?

Baze

The "free" newspaper? I have heard that if you decline the newspaper at your door some hotels lower your rate by 50 cents.

JohnnyColombia

A mandatory 50¢ fee for a free newspaper? So why can that not be added to the room rate?

RogerD408

Normally you see fees like this for local jurisdictions that impose a Tourism Tax, Area Development Tax, or some sort of junk fee. It should be labeled accordingly on the folio, as it should here, but someone got lazy. I do believe all these fees should be bundled with the room rate, but it's a way to low-ball the rate hoping you won't see the ultimate uplift pricing them out of the market. Similar to car rentals assessing a fee for battery/tire disposal and rental center rent and the such. All part of doing business but a way to deceive their customers.

Sisosig

A Hilton app/web search for LAX now shows two additional properties (coming soon) on Century Blvd, that I haven't seen before.

The H Hotel Los Angeles - Curio Collection by Hilton
http://curiocollection3.hilton.com/e...AQQ/index.html
Homewood Suites by Hilton at Los Angeles International Airport
http://homewoodsuites3.hilton.com/en...WHW/index.html

Looks like they are going to take residency in a former office building. If you are familiar with the area: the one with the "Subway" logo on front, at the entrance to the airport, just after the Sheraton but before the Hyatt Regency (former Radisson).

hi55us

Going to be in LA at the end of September, need to be at LAX for an early 7 AM flight and trying to find something with an Ocean view (I'll be driving from Phoenix, so trying to take in some of the West Coast scenery before flying TATL).

Even though LAX is near the water, it looks like all the hotels are inland without water views, is there anything closer to the water that people would recommend?

jerry a. laska

HGI Marina del Rey
DT MdR, not waterfront but a couple of blocks away.
The Santa Monica properties are a few blocks from the beach.
Further south, Hotel Maya, the Waterfront Beach Resort, Hampton Inn San Clemente, DT Dana Point.

izzik

Just completed a one night stay here.
Looks like a relatively new property.

+Airport Shuttle available, although I didn't use it
+Beds are comfortable, bathrooms have a spacious shower
+LOTS of places to charge electronics with AC & USB plugs. Big plus!
+Breakfast is standard Hampton Inn, decent service
+Coffee / tea always available in the lobby

-Internet speed sucks. Period. Even the premium Gold/Diamond option was slow or nonexistent at times.
-Despite the door being very solid, you can easily hear noise in the hallway.

Tip: Parking costs $15 in the garage but you can park on side streets overnight. READ the signs for parking restrictions -- some ban overnight parking but other streets may allow it. Sycamore Ave is a good option. No need to park in the hotel garage unless you are uncomfortable with crossing Sepulveda Blvd without a crosswalk.

DELee

Or walk a block to either light at Walnut or Maple (tree streets all!) and then back to car/HI. And still not pay $15/night for parking.

David

storewanderer

That Hampton didn't charge for parking when it first opened.

Mike Rivers

It's a "We do it because everyone else does" thing. Gotta keep up with the competition!

Even the dumpy Travelodge across the street charges for parking, and I'm sure the new Fairfield and Aloft down the block do, too. It's At least as of April when I was there last, the Hilton Garden around the corner on Mariposa didn't charge for parking. They have tightened it up since it's right at a Metro station, and started giving guests a parking permit. Parking is also free at the Extended Stay along that street.

I haven't checked the Courtyard, but charging for parking at Marriotts anywhere near civilization has become the norm. When I'm staying over the night before an early flight, I used to like the Springhill and Towne Place a couple of miles away near Aviation and Rosecrans Boulevards, but quit when they started charging for parking. And they aren't eve that close to the airport or the Metro.

It's the "fee" epidemic. If they really need more money, they should just raise their rates by $5. But then people would complain that they raised the rates.

Miesque

I am glad I looked at this thread because I was unaware of the Curio back when I made LAX reservations earlier this year for an evening arrival in late October. I might just have to give it a spin.

AlwaysAisle

I am not trying to defend such practice by hotels. Yes, I do think this is one way for hotels to make their room rates look lower. However, taxes (federal, state, city) and other local jurisdiction imposed taxes are based on a room rate. Keeping newspaper fee and other fees separate from a room rate, not bundle together, will keep taxes low for guests. Newspaper fees may be very small, but when start to include parking fees, meals, etc. into a room rate then taxes paid can start to increase also.

RogerD408

They can still make the break out of the different fees and all, but the booking engines can work off the bottom line just like the airlines have to do. I don't think any guest is going to care how the funds get split up, but how much they are expected to pay when checking out.

Figures can be worked to do many things. I remember booking a breakfast included rate and when I checked out the folio showed the room rate, less the cost of breakfast and then they added the sales tax for the breakfast. It was a tax scam to not pay the occupancy tax for the rate I booked. I'm sure a tax auditor would have a field day trying to balance those books.

Just like some people look at gas prices and one will see $2.399 as 2.39 because the last 9 is half size and others will see it as 2.40.