Do I pay taxes on top of cash and points?
 

If I use a cash + points redemption (I'm currently looking at Tambo del Inka in Peru which is 4000 points + $60/night), do I pay taxes and service taxes on top of the $60?

For the revenue rates ($208+tax AP), the taxes+service charges (it's a resort) are $58/night, so obviously avoiding paying them would be good...

If I don't have to pay them, the 4K+60 seems like a reasonable redemption, right?

Thanks for the info :)

yes, you also pay any relevant taxes and service charges

Are you sure? I thought taxes were included (or calculated in the rate), but resort fees were extra. Here's how the taxes for $150 C&P award for St. Regis Princeville broke down:

132.26 in US DOLLARS per night


Taxes
Hawaii State Tx 4.16 Percent Per Room Per Night Not In The Rate
Occupancy Tax 9.25 Percent Per Room Per Night Not In The Rate

very sure.. here is how it shows up in a hotel i frequent..

Estimated total for your stay
1 room(s) for 1
night(s)
Room rate:

2,800 Starpoints

+ USD 45.00


2,800 Starpoints

+ USD 45.00
Room rate excludes the following:
City Local Tax: USD 1.35 USD 1.35
3.00 % Per Room / Per Night
Room Tax: USD 3.15 USD 3.15
7.00 % Per Room / Per Night
State Occupancy: USD 2.25 USD 2.25
5.00 % Per Room / Per Night
Estimated total: 2,800 Starpoints + USD 45.00 2,800 Starpoints + USD 45.00
USD 6.75 USD 6.75
in excluded taxes in excluded taxes

so I'd pay 51.75 after taxes on a c & p of 2800 and $45. If there were resort fees, that would go on top as well..

Makes sense and that's what I thought until I booked one yesterday and my $150 charge went down to $132 before tax, so I went back and checked another C&P for Washington and it was definitely plus tax. I wonder if there are different legal requirements in different states :confused:

It is my experience that whether the cash portion of the c&p rate includes any applicable taxes or not varies from hotel to hotel.

I agree with this. Resort fees will always be added to the C & P rate, which probably addresses the OP's point. Taxes, on the other hand, may or may not be added depending on the hotel.

For $30 cash co-pay, I've had the folio show $28.xx + taxes so that I ended up paying $30. I've also had it show $30.00 + taxes so that I ended up paying $34 or whatever. I have had enough instances on either side to infer that neither case is simply an exception to an otherwise widely accepted rule.

This is also my experience.

i share the same experience.^

At the W Time Square I was charged the $150 for C&P plus $25.62 in a series of taxes. Based on what I have read here, this is incorrect as the taxes should have been included in the $150.

When can I turn for a definitive answer on this? Platinum Desk, Cust Svc, etc?

Thanks,

Mike

Whereas I was just at the Westin Times Square on C&P, and the $90 cash portion included all taxes/fees.

But the Sheraton Towers didn't. Total was like $72ish I think for a $60 c&p stay. Didn't complain though.

I think if you look at the t&c on your c&p reservation confirmation, it well say something like "the following taxes are not included:....".

I've had the taxes added additional more often than not. I'm only one example and have a mix of international and US, but moreso international.

I stayed at Sheraton Stockholm and Le Meridien Vienna on cash & points. Both hotels didn't add any tax on the cash portion when we left. I think it depends on the country.