Stupidest expense a hotel has tried to bill you for?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 210
Stupidest expense a hotel has tried to bill you for?
My pet peeve? Things that are advertised as "perks" and then you get charged if you actually want to use them. Signed up for a hotel that had outdoor/indoor pool only to find out that the outdoor pool was closed by three days for the date of travel and a $10 charge for the indoor...
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,368
A twenty-five cents per day housekeeping charge at the Hilton Caribe in San Juan that wasn't disclosed before checkout.
A two dollar per night rental fee for an in-room safe regardless of whether it was used or not. This one was is Texas and again wasn't disclosed.
In Las Vegas, a six dollar per person baggage portage fee despite the fact that no bellpersons were on duty when I arrived. Again this wasn't disclosed and I suspect most guests would have tipped the bell person handling their bags without realizing that a further service fee was going to be charged automatically.
A two dollar per night rental fee for an in-room safe regardless of whether it was used or not. This one was is Texas and again wasn't disclosed.
In Las Vegas, a six dollar per person baggage portage fee despite the fact that no bellpersons were on duty when I arrived. Again this wasn't disclosed and I suspect most guests would have tipped the bell person handling their bags without realizing that a further service fee was going to be charged automatically.
#5
Join Date: May 2015
Location: ATL/MCO
Programs: Costco Executive, RaceTrac Sultan of Soda, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 5,660
Those minibar cabinets when you pick up the beverage and it automatically puts in on the bill. If the item has been outside its cradel for longer than 15 seconds the charge occurs.
I opened the fridge and carefully moved a snickers bar to fit one of my own sodas and you can guess what happened at check out.
I told them I never consumed anything from it so they waived the fee.
I opened the fridge and carefully moved a snickers bar to fit one of my own sodas and you can guess what happened at check out.
I told them I never consumed anything from it so they waived the fee.
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 210
A twenty-five cents per day housekeeping charge at the Hilton Caribe in San Juan that wasn't disclosed before checkout.
A two dollar per night rental fee for an in-room safe regardless of whether it was used or not. This one was is Texas and again wasn't disclosed.
In Las Vegas, a six dollar per person baggage portage fee despite the fact that no bellpersons were on duty when I arrived. Again this wasn't disclosed and I suspect most guests would have tipped the bell person handling their bags without realizing that a further service fee was going to be charged automatically.
A two dollar per night rental fee for an in-room safe regardless of whether it was used or not. This one was is Texas and again wasn't disclosed.
In Las Vegas, a six dollar per person baggage portage fee despite the fact that no bellpersons were on duty when I arrived. Again this wasn't disclosed and I suspect most guests would have tipped the bell person handling their bags without realizing that a further service fee was going to be charged automatically.
#7
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 283
Didn't happen to me, but I was at a conference in Ottawa and some guys had invited others to their room and they drank, probably, conservatively, twenty bottles of beer. No vomit, no spilled beer, they just had a bunch of empties at the end of the night.
The hotel manager came up and said that unless they bagged their own recyclables they would be charged 50 dollars. 50 bucks to pick up about 20-25 bottles of beer. My math may be faulty, but that's like paying the hotel 2 dollars to pick up a bottle of beer. No other mess and no stains, spills or anything. The guys basically told the manager to take a hike, and because the hotel rooms were rented by the conference they were never actually charged.
The hotel manager came up and said that unless they bagged their own recyclables they would be charged 50 dollars. 50 bucks to pick up about 20-25 bottles of beer. My math may be faulty, but that's like paying the hotel 2 dollars to pick up a bottle of beer. No other mess and no stains, spills or anything. The guys basically told the manager to take a hike, and because the hotel rooms were rented by the conference they were never actually charged.
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 210
Those minibar cabinets when you pick up the beverage and it automatically puts in on the bill. If the item has been outside its cradel for longer than 15 seconds the charge occurs.
I opened the fridge and carefully moved a snickers bar to fit one of my own sodas and you can guess what happened at check out.
I told them I never consumed anything from it so they waived the fee.
I opened the fridge and carefully moved a snickers bar to fit one of my own sodas and you can guess what happened at check out.
I told them I never consumed anything from it so they waived the fee.
#9
Join Date: May 2015
Location: ATL/MCO
Programs: Costco Executive, RaceTrac Sultan of Soda, Chick-fil-A Red
Posts: 5,660
Didn't happen to me, but I was at a conference in Ottawa and some guys had invited others to their room and they drank, probably, conservatively, twenty bottles of beer. No vomit, no spilled beer, they just had a bunch of empties at the end of the night.
The hotel manager came up and said that unless they bagged their own recyclables they would be charged 50 dollars. 50 bucks to pick up about 20-25 bottles of beer. My math may be faulty, but that's like paying the hotel 2 dollars to pick up a bottle of beer. No other mess and no stains, spills or anything. The guys basically told the manager to take a hike, and because the hotel rooms were rented by the conference they were never actually charged.
The hotel manager came up and said that unless they bagged their own recyclables they would be charged 50 dollars. 50 bucks to pick up about 20-25 bottles of beer. My math may be faulty, but that's like paying the hotel 2 dollars to pick up a bottle of beer. No other mess and no stains, spills or anything. The guys basically told the manager to take a hike, and because the hotel rooms were rented by the conference they were never actually charged.
I would pick up the bottles myself and then speak to corporate if this is ethical.
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 210
Me, if there was time, I'd go ahead and call corporate first or twitter the question. Part of the hotel experience is not having to do unreasonable tidying up just liike part of the restauraunt experience is not having to wash dishes or cook.
#11
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Accra
Programs: Skywards Gold, TK Elite +, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 221
The most outrageous fee I've ever been charged was a ~$40 "concierge fee" at the ITC Maratha in Mumbai.
What happened was there is a particular brand of cigarettes I like, and I simply called down to the concierge to ask if it was available in the hotel. If not, I would be completely okay with whatever the hotel had. I was told that it wasn't a problem, they have it at the bar.
Fast forward 45 minutes, someone comes to my door saying he had to leave the hotel to go buy it. Feeling bad for the guy, I gave him a pretty generous tip. When I was checking out I saw this charge on my folio and I was told that any time a member of hotel staff leaves the property for a guest, that charge is applied.
What happened was there is a particular brand of cigarettes I like, and I simply called down to the concierge to ask if it was available in the hotel. If not, I would be completely okay with whatever the hotel had. I was told that it wasn't a problem, they have it at the bar.
Fast forward 45 minutes, someone comes to my door saying he had to leave the hotel to go buy it. Feeling bad for the guy, I gave him a pretty generous tip. When I was checking out I saw this charge on my folio and I was told that any time a member of hotel staff leaves the property for a guest, that charge is applied.
#12
Moderator: UK and Ireland & Europe
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Biggleswade
Programs: SK*G, Lots of Blue Elsewhere
Posts: 13,611
A hotel in Spain that charged me for breakfast, even though I didn't have it, as "they don't count people in for breakfast". I stayed on and had the biggest breakfast/clandestine takeaway lunch I've ever had
A hotel in Morocco that charged for the in-room tea- and coffee-making facilities. Never come across that one before.
A hotel in Morocco that charged for the in-room tea- and coffee-making facilities. Never come across that one before.
#14
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Prince Edward Island
Programs: Air Canada P25K, Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Gold, MGM Gold
Posts: 1,582
Vdara in Vegas charges $20 if you want a coffee maker in the basic rooms, although they do provide them free in the higher-priced suites.
#15
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Programs: A3*G, LH FTL, VS Red, Avis Preferred, Hertz President's Circle, (RIP Diamond Club)
Posts: 2,362
A $15 charge for more towels. I got a dickey belly in Dallas and had to shower several times as a result (yeah, it was as bad as you were thinking). I rang reception to ask for fresh towels and apparently got charged for a service that was outside normal service. On check out I told the receptionist that as it wasn't in the check in contract, and it wasn't mentioned either when I asked for the towels or when they were delivered that I wasn't paying it. She said they'd call the police if I refused. I wrote "disputed" next to the line on the bill, paid it and had the charge reversed with my credit card company. The hotel phoned me up and ranted but I eventually just hung up.