erik123

Pricing should be all in and all other charges optional. The EU has strong legislation in place that prohibits not showing all-in pricing but that is unlikely to happen in the US because the "consumer" is not the person paying for the service.

clarkef

In fairness, even in Europe the original quoted price is not the final out-the-door price although the difference is substantially smaller than in the US, often by only a few euro each day.

GrayAnderson

This is not unlike an infamous issue back in the 60s and 70s where the Penn Central railroad was rating workers doing tie replacement based on how many ties they replaced...

...and then wondering why ties under switches (which take more time to replace) weren't getting replaced to the point that it was making crossing them "exciting".

Counsellor

Earlier this year I made reservations at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk hotel for nights in September. Reviewing my reservations on-line at the Marriott site recently, I discovered that effective in May (after I made the reservations) they have added a "destination fee" of $20 per night plus tax.

What is this? I searched the Marriott Bonvoy site and could find no reference to any such thing. Finally, I called the Marriott customer service number, and the CSR also had never heard of such a "fee".

Further, the reservations are award reservations (one a CC free night, and the others "points paid") I had understood that "free" nights were indeed supposed to be "free" -- unless you ordered something like a crib or other "bespoke" changes to the basic room. And also supposed to be tax-free.

Can anyone give me a link to where these "destination fees" are set out or explained by Marriott? Why are they imposing this charge on award rooms, and what (if anything) does one get for this? It isn't like this hotel is a resort or anything.

Out of my Element

it is the "non-resort" version of a Resort Fee. In general it is a ...... way to boost revenue without showing the price in the initial search.

If you'll check the Grand Sheraton thread, we stayed there last month and actually felt we got our money's worth out of that fee (or nearly so). It includes food credits that weren't bad. It also includes a worthless gift at the gift shop.

PES_B1

I don't really understand why they calculate the base rate, sure, they can get VAT more or less completed refunded if they can charge the same amount of VAT in their products with the official receipt of the expenditure, but other than that, destination fee, resort fee, tourism fee, can't be refunded or reimbursed in any way, doesn't it? The same set of companies that don't have a problem with employees flying full-price economy but have a problem with employees flying discounted premium cabin(J,F), although the latter is sometimes even cheaper, therefore, god invented premium economy, with Thai once attempted to offer fully lie-flat PE on their 77W.

Don't forget insurance companies, there are two things that insurance policies don't cover, "this" and "that", overall, when laws aren't imposed, agreements signed tended to be extremely one-sided, such as the Marriott Bonvoy T&C, yet many hotels still attempt to violate the T&C without providing the necessary reimbursement.





In the same way, I decided not to give tips during my trip to Thailand eating in hotel-owned restaurants, your hotel already charges service charges for food, and expect me to pay additional tips as an expression to thank you for your service? Well, unless you did something phenomenal, I won't be paying a cent of additional tips.

UA-NYC

If you want a truly free experience on an award stay, Marriott is not the chain for you

Counsellor

Well, it used to be. And for many locations it still is. I've had award stays in great properties, upgraded room, and free breakfast and had to pay not a penny. Happened as recently as this month at the Westin Grand in Munich. And late last year at the Warsaw Marriott.

GrayAnderson

No, that would be Hyatt you're thinking of...

UA-NYC

Even Hilton on award stays I believe...

Eujeanie

That is true.

rasheed

Wanted to add another property to this nonsense Destination Access Fee. SpringHill Suites Oceanside is now applying this fee including points bookings.

Now, I have stayed at this property when it first opened (as well as almost every free breakfast property in San Diego in the Marriott chain using certs over the years), and it has a great design with a rooftop pool. However, it is not a premium property and self parking is shared with the beach goers.

I also believe there should be all-in pricing in the room rate, but I suspect the lobbying will not make this happen.

It would take enough guests not booking these properties to maybe stop it, but many people book these regardless.

I agree that Vegas is the worst for this, but at least there is enough pressure and competition on room prices to make total cost deals possible even in prime locations.

ohmark

CSR must have just started his/her Marriott job that day. This scam has been going on for a while.

Counsellor

If it's a legitimate fee, you'd think Marriott would mention it on its site. So far as I can tell, it doesn't.

Tanic

Looks like they put it there now.