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Advice Negotiating Resort Fee

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Old Aug 12, 2019, 11:08 am
  #46  
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Originally Posted by RedSun
To me Marriott is more de-centralized than other chains, say Hyatt. A lot hotels are only loosely connected to Marriott. A good example is Bahamas Atlantis. They do not offer or accept any Marriott perks, not even Marriott gift card. They charge their own set of fees. It is going to take Marriott a lot of efforts to control those hotels.
NGL, Marriott is probably big enough that an aggressive de-flagging program for loosely-affiliated hotels (or "bad actors" within the system) probably wouldn't hurt them...losing a few hotel rooms wouldn't be the end of the world. The St. Sleazis in Aspen comes to mind.
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Old Aug 12, 2019, 10:38 pm
  #47  
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Originally Posted by cfabar1
The destination fee is truly absurd. I cancelled a stay at the Penny Lane (I think that’s the name) in Savannah because of their absurd “destination” fee. I have no idea what that even includes, since there were no obvious amenities beyond a typical hotel. Ridiculous!

I hope the lawsuit is successful and this ridiculous practice is curtailed.
When I stayed there last year (Perry Lane) the destination fee included a daily appetizer in the restaurant (mini lobster rolls!), bike rentals, hotel car around downtown, and free cookies in the room. It was one of the few times I felt somewhat okay with the fee, though I would have preferred to not use those amenities and not pay the fee
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Old Aug 13, 2019, 12:06 am
  #48  
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Just find some problem on property, especially related to the services attached to the scam fees and request them to be taken off.
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Old Aug 13, 2019, 9:50 am
  #49  
 
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Originally Posted by WillBarrett_68
considering that youdon't really have an option as to whether to pay the resort fee, it's not really purchased separately. It's more like they're just itemizing the bill (and obfuscating it)
In that case resort fees should also include: "utilities, employee wages and benefits, structural improvements, business taxes, depreciation" etc...
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Old Aug 13, 2019, 11:12 am
  #50  
 
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You guys are missing the point. Getting hung up on how the fee is overtly explained is a losing cause. They could just as easily itemize shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. and say that you have to pay for it even if you bring your own. The money is fungible.

The issue is the fact that the fee isn't properly disclosed and that the quoted prices are misleading, not what it (supposedly) does or does not include.
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Old Aug 13, 2019, 4:20 pm
  #51  
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Originally Posted by WillBarrett_68
You guys are missing the point. Getting hung up on how the fee is overtly explained is a losing cause. They could just as easily itemize shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. and say that you have to pay for it even if you bring your own. The money is fungible.

The issue is the fact that the fee isn't properly disclosed and that the quoted prices are misleading, not what it (supposedly) does or does not include.
I agree with your point; in fact, there are several other current threads about resort fees in general.

That have been said, the op in this thread is about specific line items.

I must admit that raising a stink over a $5 wifi charge initially struck me as petty, but the more I thought about it, I see value in the annoyance factor if the disputes become more common. If nothing else, they force owners/managers to think about the implications of Marriott's policy. And, maybe some properties will consider changing the amenity buckets so that they actually are of some value.
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Old Aug 13, 2019, 5:07 pm
  #52  
 
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Originally Posted by moondog
I agree with your point; in fact, there are several other current threads about resort fees in general.

That have been said, the op in this thread is about specific line items.

I must admit that raising a stink over a $5 wifi charge initially struck me as petty, but the more I thought about it, I see value in the annoyance factor if the disputes become more common. If nothing else, they force owners/managers to think about the implications of Marriott's policy. And, maybe some properties will consider changing the amenity buckets so that they actually are of some value.
More likely, you waste your own time and they give you ... 125 points. Then they change the wording to give you some other amenity that you can't haggle over. It's a losing battle.
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Old Aug 13, 2019, 7:07 pm
  #53  
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Originally Posted by WillBarrett_68
More likely, you waste your own time and they give you ... 125 points. Then they change the wording to give you some other amenity that you can't haggle over. It's a losing battle.
1. I don't care about my own time when there is principle at stake
2. Them scrambling around in order to provide 125 points makes me laugh
3. You can bet your bottom dollar that 1 in 10 people will ensure significant pain is inflicted
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Old Aug 13, 2019, 9:45 pm
  #54  
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Originally Posted by moondog
I must admit that raising a stink over a $5 wifi charge initially struck me as petty....
Not at all IMO. It's the slippery slope problem. Resort fees area a ripoff, whether for $5 or $50. Resort fee includes parking but I arrive in a taxi? Come on.
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Old Aug 14, 2019, 6:13 am
  #55  
 
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Originally Posted by skywalkerLAX
Just find some problem on property, especially related to the services attached to the scam fees and request them to be taken off.
I stayed at a Marriott in Hawaii that was supposed to include a local car service in the fee...some times it wasn't available, once it took over an hour and I had to walk back...

I called and ask they remove 1 night's fee and they were so embarrassed (I called after the 1 hour / walk back incident) they ended up removing it for all 6 nights. A nice $200 saved of scam $$
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Old Aug 14, 2019, 9:42 am
  #56  
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Originally Posted by eyeball1
Redsun you are bringing back bad memories of the 36$ nightly mandatory maid gratuity I was forced to pay at the Reef Atlantis last month! Perhaps the most egregrious hotel fee I have yet encountered.
So, I have to wonder...if one declined the maid service/didn't receive the service on a given day (e.g. "My flight arrived at Stupid O'Clock* and the first day of my trip was a total loss") could one dispute the $36? I've had this happen more than once (including a few times when I was out of the room at a relatively early hour, in one case where I was out by 0900 at a Fairmont, and the room still wasn't made up when I got back that evening). This would be redoubled if the hotel is doing the "Green Choice" stuff.

The applicability of the charge on a hypothetical one-night stay would also be interesting to argue (since I would think having a properly-prepared room would qualify as a basic provision).

Mind, I'm specifically thinking of disputing with one's CC, not with the hotel. Fighting Marriott seems like a lost cause, but I think one could argue with some CCs.

*One six-hour delay on JetBlue comes to mind. Not necessarily relevant to the hotel in question but still a relevant thought overall.
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Old Aug 14, 2019, 9:49 am
  #57  
 
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Originally Posted by moondog
3. You can bet your bottom dollar that 1 in 10 people will ensure significant pain is inflicted
will it? They're still raking in the fees from 90% of the people (and let's be real, it's less than 10% who will actually complain) and they bought you off with 125 points. I mean if I'm them this seems like a great deal.
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Old Aug 14, 2019, 9:50 am
  #58  
 
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Originally Posted by GrayAnderson

Mind, I'm specifically thinking of disputing with one's CC, not with the hotel. Fighting Marriott seems like a lost cause, but I think one could argue with some CCs.
You might talk your card issuer into doing a chargeback. Good luck maintaining your bonvoy status after that.
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Old Aug 14, 2019, 9:53 am
  #59  
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Originally Posted by WillBarrett_68
You might talk your card issuer into doing a chargeback. Good luck maintaining your bonvoy status after that.
None of us give a rat's ... about the card issuer. We are focused on Marriott and its rogue owners/managers.
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Old Aug 14, 2019, 9:59 am
  #60  
 
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Originally Posted by moondog
None of us give a rat's ... about the card issuer. We are focused on Marriott and its rogue owners/managers.
the post I quoted was specifically talking about talking to the card issuer, but thanks.
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