Rate for the HI Celebration is 42% higher than advertised
Jan 31, 2019, 4:13 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 96
Rate for the HI Celebration is 42% higher than advertised
The Holiday Inn Celebration, FL has a AAA rate for tonight of $67.49 for a king. However, the total price is $107.37 due to a service fee and some unknown fee. The rate details don't state what the additional 17% is for. The taxes are 13.5% and there is a $17.00 service fee plus tax. Of course, I won't be using any of the amenities provided with the mandatory service fee. I know resort and service fees have been discussed before but is this not beyond ridiculous?
Additional Charges: 17% per night and 19.30 USD not included in rate effective 31 January, 2019 thru 1 February, 2019 Taxes: 13.5% per night not included in rate effective 31 January, 2019 thru 1 February, 2019 6PCT LODGING TAX AND 7.5PCT STATE TAX A service fee of $17.00 plus tax will be added to your guest room account per night. This service fee entitles our guests to use of all the hotels amenities which include In room safe access, unlimited local and 800 phone calls, 24 hour business center access, fitness center, and our scheduled transportation
Jan 31, 2019, 11:57 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: UK
Programs: Mucci Chevalier de Actes Bénéfiques pour les Autres, BAEC Gold.
Posts: 1,478
I think it is because the room rate is relatively low, that the 'mandatory service fee & taxes' percentage is so high. The fact that there is a fixed $17 service fee on the $67 rate certainly doesn't help in this respect.
If the room rate was $200 per night, the percentage for the 'add ons' is a fair bit lower.
It is your choice as to whether or not you use any of the facilities covered by the 'mandatory service fee'. I suppose if you made maximum use of them, the $17 dosen't seem too bad (bearing in mind an awful lot of US hotels, regardless of chain, now seem to be charging these 'mandatory' fees and some are a lot higher).
BM
If the room rate was $200 per night, the percentage for the 'add ons' is a fair bit lower.
It is your choice as to whether or not you use any of the facilities covered by the 'mandatory service fee'. I suppose if you made maximum use of them, the $17 dosen't seem too bad (bearing in mind an awful lot of US hotels, regardless of chain, now seem to be charging these 'mandatory' fees and some are a lot higher).
BM
Feb 1, 2019, 4:07 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,031
It is your choice as to whether or not you use any of the facilities covered by the 'mandatory service fee'. I suppose if you made maximum use of them, the $17 dosen't seem too bad (bearing in mind an awful lot of US hotels, regardless of chain, now seem to be charging these 'mandatory' fees and some are a lot higher).
BM
In the absence of any government intervention to ban such junk fees, consumers really must avoid such hotels as much as possible, so that hotels get the message...
Feb 1, 2019, 4:39 am
#4
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 3,360
There is absolutely no way that "In room safe access, unlimited local and 800 phone calls, 24 hour business center access, fitness center, and our scheduled transportation" is anywhere close to being worth $2, much less $17. And unfortunately it isn't your choice to not pay the $17 and not use any of the mentioned facilities.
I'd bet that most of that hotel's clientele is people going to Disney theme parks. Thus, the resort fee here might not be quite as horrible as it seems...at least for the people that use the transportation.
For the record, I'm not trying to justify resort/service fees. I think they shouldn't exist.
Feb 1, 2019, 8:04 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: United 1K, Frontier 100K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond/ Ambassador/ Milestoner
Posts: 568
A $17 resort fee for that area is low. And some places charge $20/night parking. You add the two together plus the huge tax rate, and the base room rate is really a 'fake rate'.
At least the 'resort fee' is pretty easy to spot. Parking costs often require going to the individual hotel's website and searching.
At least the 'resort fee' is pretty easy to spot. Parking costs often require going to the individual hotel's website and searching.
Feb 1, 2019, 8:12 am
#6
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Cleveland, OH USA
Posts: 454
If you use points to stay they waive the "resort fee", or at least they did when I stayed last fall. In addition the parking at the Mouse is $25/day so if they still provide the transportation to the park it works out to a savings
Feb 1, 2019, 9:04 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 96
In case I wasn't clear in the OP, this hotel has 2 fees -- the $17 service fee (which is $19.30 after tax) and an additional charge of 17% and it doesn't state what it's for. Combined, these 2 charges add $30.77 to the base rate of $67.49. And while many hotels in the Disney area have resort fees, there are also many that do not, but I don't know of any other hotel that has a resort fee and an additional 17% unknown charge. By the way, there is nothing special about this Holiday Inn except for the fact they have one scheduled departure each day to Disney and one return time.