Hawaii Starwood Hotels and more add "Resort Fee" as of 15 Aug 2010 on new bookings
 

Just learned today about this. It began about a week ago. Starwood hotels on Oahu are tacking on $12.57 per night as a resort fee. This may have already been happening on the outer islands, but I'm surprised and disappointed that Starwood Hawaii is hiding a price increase under this crooked fee.

For $12.57, the Princess Kaiulani is giving free local calls (who cares? we either have mobile phones, or we don't know anybody locally to call anyway!), free internet (Plats get that free already), oh, and this is the best - a special area on Waikiki Beach and they will bring out fruit, I was told.(Can't wait to see how THAT is executed). What a bogus excuse for a rate increase.

Aloha, or not.

/mod

SC flier has assembled a list of resort fees that can be found here.

/mod

DAMN.

That's just the Princess Kaiulani. The Sheraton Waikiki, Royal Hawaiian, and Moana Surfrider all show a resort fee of $20.94. I sure hope they don't try to charge this on reservations made before the fee was added.

:td::td::td::td::td:

These are resorts? They are urban hotels with a beach, save the PK, which has no beach.

I've got a friggin $40 a night resort fee at the Westin St. John. Suxxxxx

Starwood is making money any way they can;
:D

.

"STARWOOD IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE NEW HAWAII SALE!"

All rooms, all properties, going for just $5 per night, up to 4 adults.
Yep, you read that right, all of our superior and deluxe rooms are all on sale for stays through April 30, 2012, for just $5 per night! Grab 'em while they're hot, folks -- these rooms won't last long! *

* Please note that each room carries a resort fee of $440 per night, plus other ancillary fees and state and federal taxes. Hawaii tourism tax is additional. Guests parking in our garages will have a $50 per night charge.

Glad to see support here. Let the hotels know. I am planning on letting them know by booking elsewhere, and following up with a letter and copies of my receipts from competing properties.

Aloha

It really is a bunch of BS. What possible legitimate excuse is there for not including this fee in the room rate? When will this nonsense end? "Want a television in your room?...We can add the entertainment package for only $19.95/night...it comes with a free movie!"

I can hear morgan freeman narrating it now:

"The March... of the Consultants."

thanks, mckinsey, bain, whoever the hell you are. and go f*#$ yourself. :td::td::td:

They probably figured that if airlines can get away with it, they should try as well. Want an extra pillow and blankets? That'll be $7/night. You want bed linens changed every day during your stay? Pony up $10 to save the planet.
That's effectively what they're doing, only they lump those "services" into a "resort fee".

yeah i think unfortunately this seems to be the way a lot of businesses are going. advertise a lower price to get you in....and have tons of add on fees afterwards......

sad really

For the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani...
"Resort Charge
Some of the hotel’s most sought-after amenities are bundled into a daily Resort Charge of $12 plus taxes. The Resort Charge includes free high-speed internet access in guest room, self parking for one vehicle, unlimited local and 1-800 telephone calls, up to 60 minutes of long distance telephone calls per day, two bottles of water in room per day, children 12 and under eat free from children's menu in designated dining outlets with paying adult, Beach Experience (use of sand chair and fresh towels; whole fruit and water service provided twice daily between 10am & 2pm when seated in designated area on Waikiki Beach), two princess punch drinks per stay."

Q: Why two drinks per stay when the Resort Charge is charged nightly?

For the Westin Moana Surfrider...
"Resort Charge Policy
Some of the hotel’s most sought-after amenities are bundled into a daily Resort Charge of $20 plus taxes. The Resort Charge includes free high-speed internet access in guest room, unlimited high speed internet access in select public areas, self parking for one vehicle, unlimited local and 1-800 telephone calls, up to 60 minutes of long distance telephone calls per day, two bottles of water in room per day, children 12 and under eat free from children's menu in designated dining outlets with paying adult, mini surfing lesson, yoga class (all days except Monday and Tuesday)"

For the Sheraton Waikiki...
"Resort Charge Policy
The daily resort charge includes High-Speed internet access, self parking for one (1) vehicle ($15 per day for Valet Parking), unlimited local and 1-800 telephone calls, up to 60 minutes of long distance and international calls per day, 1 liter of bottled water replenished daily (based on usage), adult pool floats, fresh fruit served twice daily by Pool Staff at the Infinity Pool, use of MP3 player featuring Hawaiian music, Portable DVD player with 8'' screen and selected newly-released movies, fitness classes and free dining from the Children's Menu in Kai Market (breakfast/dinner) and RumFire (lunch/dinner) for children 12 and under. The charge will be billed directly to all guests, at a Daily Rate of $20.94, tax inclusive, per room per day."

For the Royal Hawaiian...
"Resort Charge Policy
Some of the hotel’s most sought-after amenities are bundled into a daily resort charge. The daily resort charge includes High-Speed internet access in guest room, self parking for one (1) vehicle, unlimited local and 1-800 telephone calls, up to 60 minutes of long distance telephone calls per day, two (2) bottles of water in room per day, children 12 and under eat free from Children’s menu in designated dining outlets with paying adult, non-alcoholic Blue Hawaii (two drink coupons per three nights stay) available at the Mai Tai Bar only. The charge will be billed directly to all guests, at a daily rate of $20.94, tax inclusive, per room per day."

Are we absolutely sure these charges did not exist before last week? I can't find any mention about it in my older reservations, but I'd like to have as much ammo as possible if they try to force the issue.

:D^