City Taxes on Award Stays (Discussion from Pointbreak Thread)
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 76
City Taxes on Award Stays (Discussion from Pointbreak Thread)
Just checked out of the HIX Union City. Had a 3 night stay for point breaks. I was charged "occupancy tax" which was $22 a day. What is this? I've never been charged occupancy tax on a point breaks room.
Also, last week I stayed across the street at the Crowne Plaza on point breaks - no "occupancy tax".
Also, last week I stayed across the street at the Crowne Plaza on point breaks - no "occupancy tax".
#2
Join Date: May 2011
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Just checked out of the HIX Union City. Had a 3 night stay for point breaks. I was charged "occupancy tax" which was $22 a day. What is this? I've never been charged occupancy tax on a point breaks room.
Also, last week I stayed across the street at the Crowne Plaza on point breaks - no "occupancy tax".
Also, last week I stayed across the street at the Crowne Plaza on point breaks - no "occupancy tax".
Have been charged tax on stay. Was charged like 3 Euro the other day. But rare and never that much. BS.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 11,377
It sounds like a mistake. Perhaps you were billed what IHG should have been billed.
#4
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,984
I have paid a few euro on stays before, but always wondered whether the rules of the program don't meant that I should refuse and IHG should cover it.
#5
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Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
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Just checked out of the HIX Union City. Had a 3 night stay for point breaks. I was charged "occupancy tax" which was $22 a day. What is this? I've never been charged occupancy tax on a point breaks room.
Also, last week I stayed across the street at the Crowne Plaza on point breaks - no "occupancy tax".
Also, last week I stayed across the street at the Crowne Plaza on point breaks - no "occupancy tax".
I think most hotels try to pas it on, even on otherwise free stays.
Not sure what Union City has to offer, but $22 seems excessive....
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,760
Paid the city taxes in Italy whenever it is applicable, on all IHG properties we ever stayed at with points.
#8
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: GGG, DFW, IAH
Posts: 284
I have never stayed on an award stay in Rome, but on my paid stay I can confirm that the tax was expressed in fixed currency (EUR2 if I recall correctly).
#9
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Canada
Programs: Marriott LT Gold, IHG Club, Hertz Gold, Aeroplan, Avios, SkyMiles, Thrifty, AMEX
Posts: 985
And I can confirm that, on both my points and BRG stays in Rome I was charged the per person occupancy tax. As I was getting a 500-euro room for free (BRG at IC), I didn't mind that much...
#13
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My understanding is that PC ruled that the hotel should absorb the tax, not pass it on to the client, as "free" should mean, well, "free".
That's a laudable position, but its inevitable that bean counters will try to get you to pay. I was billed for Brussels City Tax, but the hotel agreed to remove the amount after a mini conference behind the desk.
#14
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It always (legally) depends whether the tax is a liabilty of the hotel for having you as a guest or whether it is a liability of you, the guest for staying in the city limits.