Marriott shoots self in foot re: resort fee disclosure
Aug 11, 2019, 8:23 pm
#31
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: SLC/HEL/Anywhere with a Beach
Programs: Marriott Ambassador; AA EXP 3MM; AS MVP, Hilton Gold, CH-47/UH-60/C-23/C-130 VET
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No, the issue is resort fees not being disclosed at price discovery, not booking. In this case Marriott is demonstrating that in addition to being used as a way to hide costs, it’s also quite difficult to find out what you’re actually buying - which makes sense because nobody ever pays a resort fee because they’d like to pay $40 a night for waterpolo lessons.
TBH, I'm not sure why you'd call. As a general rule, destination fees don't cover anything you want. If they were covering something you might otherwise buy, it wouldn't generate any revenue for them. For example, it's nice to know I can get a bike when I'm in NYC, lol.
Aug 11, 2019, 8:26 pm
#32
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
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Any Elites staying at these resorts that impose these bogus 'fees' should also be claiming their replacement benefit as per the Marriott T&Cs. All this crap about internet being included, when it would be complimentary for everyone anyway really ticks me off, and then being able to find out what else is included in the fee is like pulling teeth.
The main point here though is that finding the details of the resort fee requires significant navigation/effort. Additionally, when you search for rooms, the base price of the room is shown and you don't find out about the surprise junk fee until you select the property and then the room. So it is impossible to get a clear comparison between properties of a total price that shows the room fee and other garbage fees together.
Also, does Marriott even give point credit for the resort fees? Or is it counted like parking/taxes and we get nothing for it?
The main point here though is that finding the details of the resort fee requires significant navigation/effort. Additionally, when you search for rooms, the base price of the room is shown and you don't find out about the surprise junk fee until you select the property and then the room. So it is impossible to get a clear comparison between properties of a total price that shows the room fee and other garbage fees together.
Also, does Marriott even give point credit for the resort fees? Or is it counted like parking/taxes and we get nothing for it?
Aug 11, 2019, 8:27 pm
#33
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BKK
Programs: World of Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy LTP; IHG Plat
Posts: 2,234
Those ridiculous resort/destination fee are only the U.S. thing.
why don’t they learn from country like Japan? Great service with no extra cost.
don't spread it out to the rest of the world.
why don’t they learn from country like Japan? Great service with no extra cost.
don't spread it out to the rest of the world.
Aug 11, 2019, 8:27 pm
#34
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: UA S, Marriott P
Posts: 1,154
After checking-in at Residence Inn Myrtle Beach Oceanfront, I think I finally collected all the pieces of the $15 daily destination fee, described on the rates page as:
USD 15 daily destination amenity fee will be added to room rate-incl bike and locker rental/concierge/parking and more.
I received a printed piece of paper that lists "Guest Amenities":
Two bottles of water daily
luxury beach towels
Parking
pool side locker rentals
Bicycle rental
Ask your front desk for details
So the "more" are beach towels ( while they are fine there is nothing luxury about them) and two 3c water bottles.
Parking listed on the main hotel page as "complimentary" and concierge turned to front desk.
I don't need a pool locker I have a whole damn room just 30seconds away... And can't use the bike - not toddler friendly.
USD 15 daily destination amenity fee will be added to room rate-incl bike and locker rental/concierge/parking and more.
I received a printed piece of paper that lists "Guest Amenities":
Two bottles of water daily
luxury beach towels
Parking
pool side locker rentals
Bicycle rental
Ask your front desk for details
So the "more" are beach towels ( while they are fine there is nothing luxury about them) and two 3c water bottles.
Parking listed on the main hotel page as "complimentary" and concierge turned to front desk.
I don't need a pool locker I have a whole damn room just 30seconds away... And can't use the bike - not toddler friendly.
Aug 11, 2019, 8:30 pm
#35
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: La Jolla, CA
Programs: Marriott Ambassador, Lifetime Titanium, Delta Plat, Hilton Diamond , Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,615
Right. It's all disclosed at booking but not when you are sorting through the initial hotel selection/price discovery. I see hotels listed at various prices but they're not actually available at that price. Once I click to the hotel, it will be disclosed somewhere.
TBH, I'm not sure why you'd call. As a general rule, destination fees don't cover anything you want. If they were covering something you might otherwise buy, it wouldn't generate any revenue for them. For example, it's nice to know I can get a bike when I'm in NYC, lol.
TBH, I'm not sure why you'd call. As a general rule, destination fees don't cover anything you want. If they were covering something you might otherwise buy, it wouldn't generate any revenue for them. For example, it's nice to know I can get a bike when I'm in NYC, lol.
NYC is a bad example since the StR NYC is one of the few hotels in the world whose destination fee actually includes things I do want.
Daily benefits include:
$50 fee
- 50 USD Food and Beverage Credit (available in all outlets)
- 50 USD Laundry/Dry Cleaning Credit
- 25 USD Fodera Hair Salon Credit
- Free HSIA, Local, Long Distance and International calls (unlimited)
- 2 Museum (MOMA or Met) tickets per day
Aug 11, 2019, 8:33 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: nyc
Posts: 13
The question is my mind is, why stop at $30 or $45? Make the room rate $1, and simply charge a $300 resort fee. The hotel gains a favorable listing on all the search engines, and they then only have to pay referral fees on $1. Win-win.
Aug 11, 2019, 8:44 pm
#37
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: WN F9 HA UA AA IHG HH MR
Posts: 3,305
A large number of hotel rooms are booked on OTAs. If you book a bonvOY property on an OTA such as Chase LHRC, you will NEVER know how much the added "resort fee" is until receiving the final bill. This is after you have paid up front.
Aug 11, 2019, 8:45 pm
#38
Join Date: May 2002
Programs: AAdvantage Platinum, United Silver, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 2,276
And the hotel only has to provide Marriott Bonvoy points on $1.
Aug 11, 2019, 9:02 pm
#40
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Aug 11, 2019, 9:21 pm
#41
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NYC is a bad example since the StR NYC is one of the few hotels in the world whose destination fee actually includes things I do want.
Daily benefits include:
$50 fee
Daily benefits include:
$50 fee
- 50 USD Food and Beverage Credit (available in all outlets)
- 50 USD Laundry/Dry Cleaning Credit
- 25 USD Fodera Hair Salon Credit
- Free HSIA, Local, Long Distance and International calls (unlimited)
- 2 Museum (MOMA or Met) tickets per day
Aug 11, 2019, 9:29 pm
#42
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: SFO
Posts: 4,916
I think everyone (whether you are a defender or a complainer of Marriott) that resort fees industry-wide are bogus for the most part.
the thread started out as a tweet that was spun into big bad Marriott is going to eat it. If you trace the tweet to the original quotes, it wasn’t a question of where to find the resort fee. If anything, Marriott social media didn’t answer the tweeter’s question, and instead told them where to find the inclusions, which is different then where to find the resort fee.
Btw, since we are all talking about presentation of resort fees, Hilton doesn’t show it on the first search page either. Not until you click into the specific property rate page where it will show. And OMG could it be that good ole Hyatt be any better. Nope. Same thing. Resort fee presentation is an issue but it is a industry wide issue, and the tweet doesn’t even pass the exhibit A test.
the thread started out as a tweet that was spun into big bad Marriott is going to eat it. If you trace the tweet to the original quotes, it wasn’t a question of where to find the resort fee. If anything, Marriott social media didn’t answer the tweeter’s question, and instead told them where to find the inclusions, which is different then where to find the resort fee.
Btw, since we are all talking about presentation of resort fees, Hilton doesn’t show it on the first search page either. Not until you click into the specific property rate page where it will show. And OMG could it be that good ole Hyatt be any better. Nope. Same thing. Resort fee presentation is an issue but it is a industry wide issue, and the tweet doesn’t even pass the exhibit A test.
Aug 11, 2019, 9:44 pm
#43
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: PHL
Programs: AA ExP, Marriott Amb, National EAE, Hilton Diamond, SPG Plat (RIP), US CP (RIP)
Posts: 2,379
Aug 11, 2019, 9:47 pm
#44
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
Vegas is a completely different market. Resort fees are static, room rates are dynamic. It is supply & demand. The same room that demands $25 during low occupancy can also be $500 during conventions and $800 over New Years. As such, basically, your claim is true for a small number of days throughout the year. Please don't put a blanket over it.
Aug 11, 2019, 10:16 pm
#45
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: British Columbia
Programs: AS MVPG100K, Marriott Marriott Titanium Elite, Hilton Gold
Posts: 7,263
This. I think the resort fees are fairly obvious when booking direct, but even then the fees don’t show up in the search results, so it’s harder to price compare across properties without clicking through to a specific property.The bigger issue is that there is very limited visibility into resort fees when booking through third-party channels like OTAs. You could book a room on Expedia and then have no notification of resort fees until you check in. This is deceptive since there’s no reasonable justification for carving out these fees from the nightly rate when they’re mandatory.
Booking.com even tells you how much the total charges are on the seach screen. If you add the rate and the taxes & fees listed below it the total is your final price including the resort fee. Those taxes & fees are futher broken down with the resort fee as an additional line item before you confirm.
I am not in favour of Resort Fees but I don't get how someone can book a room and not know there is a resort fee until check-in.
Booking.com also calculates Resort fees that are based on a percentage of the room rate such as the 19% Resort Fee at The San Juan Marriott and Stellaris Casino.
James