Hotel charges that "hide" in plain sight
 

I just visited a small "luxury" hotel in the southern US and I'm a little upset. I was quoted a good rate over the phone, which as why I picked this particular property.

Upon arrival, I noticed a sign on the wall next to the reception desk. The sign stated that there was a MANDATORY daily charge of $3.95 for use of the phone (which provides unlimited local and US long distance service) and 2.95 for the in-room safe.

I was furious, because these charges were NEVER mentioned when I called for reservations. I did not use either the phone or safe during my stay. When I complained, the hotel removed the charges, but not without a arguement.

How do my fellow FT'er feel about this? Anyone else run into these "hidden" charges? Did you get the charges removed?

------------------
Michael Steinberg
Editor
BizTrip
www.biztrip.com

I've seen many hotels that tack on a buck or two for use of the safe, although the charge usually gets removed from the bill with no problems when asked, especially if I tell the front desk I didn't use it.

A charge for use of the phone seems unfair, although in this case, you mention that they did provide unlimited local and long distance service, which can add up quite quickly otherwise. As long as you had the option of not using it, so as to not earn the $3.95 charge, I see no real issue with it. (Now if they charged you the 4 bucks even if you didn't pick up the handset, that would be another story...)

This must be a southern thing.

Some months ago in New Orleans I was billed $4 a day for the unrequested room safe, which I didn't use (didn't even see it), and $1.50 or whatever a day for the unrequested newspaper delivered to my room door each morning, which I didn't read. To add the final insult, tax was then added to these.

As ever, scene at checkout and charges grumpily removed. I have found the question "Why should I have to pay extra because your employees are dishonest" works well with uninvited room safe charges.

I first encountered this, in the form of a $1 phone charge (it was quite a few years ago!) at a Ramada Inn on St. Mary's in Tucson, which may not even be there any more. (This hotel is also the source of one of the most unintentionally funny billboards I've ever seen, but that's another story.) The desk clerk wouldn't remove it, I didn't have much time, it was "just a buck," so I paid - but never went back, despite frequent trips to the Tucson area.

My take is that a rate ought to be what you pay, plus taxes, unless you voluntarily choose to buy more. If there's a sign by the phone that says "pick it up and you're out $4, but then you get unlimited local calling" it's fair. To check out and see a $4 charge, or even a 4¢ charge, for a phone you didn't touch is not fair. It's like the inkeeper in Les Miserables (the musical, not the book) who sings about the extra charge for looking in the mirror twice. It's fundamentally dishonest.

Clearly posted optional charges that are added to your bill, but which you're told up front will be removed on request, are a different story. Some hotels (a recent Sheraton comes to mind) add a $1 charitable contribution. Also, on a December trip to Israel, I saw optional charges of about $1 at hotels and about 25¢ in restaurants to defray the cost of hiring security guards. A back-of-the-envelope calculation says they're more or less breaking even if everyone pays. As far as I could see, everyone did. (The Tel Aviv Hilton didn't ask me for it on an award stay, but I wouldn't have minded if they had, and I would have paid.)

To use one of my favorite southern expressions: That's just plain tacky!

Next they'll be charging because I brought my own soap and didn't use theirs.

I routinely get annoyed about 'mandatory' charges a hotels. But, hotels are only the beginning of the problem....RENTAL CARS are the worst offenders!

You routinely pay 35-45% more in additional taxes and fees that are not disclosed in the 'daily rate'. I've even printed out the itemized charges for the actual rental company website and get to the location and they print out a new one with MORE charges that their own system didn't disclose http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/mad.gif

The original poster's point is valid. If it says MANDATORY for phone/safe charges, then it needs to be in the system so he (or any of us) knows up front & can make his economic decision whether to stay or look for another hotel. It is neither appropriate nor ethical for the guest to find out about additional mandatory fees when checking in after not being told when booking the reservation.

My recommendation would be to write the general manager, Marriott res & even Bill Marriott with a strong recommendation to amend the policy or if it's kept, to make sure charges are in the system so the consumer knows up front & is not "surprised".

I had this a year ago in Las Vegas where I had booked a good rate and pre paid for it. I was charged for calls coming into my room, daily charge on having a phone in my room and double charged for my breakfast each day.

I only found out about these charges when I got back to the UK when they sent me a bill.

When I checked out I had simply dropped my key into the express key point, as I had charged nothing to my room and paid for everything whilst I was there.

I returned the bill with a covering letter asking them to choose one of the following options:-

Answer this question correctly to have your invoice paid !!!

"What are the chance of me paying this bill?

1) No chance
2) Absolutely no chance
3) Absolutely no $% http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...m/thumbsup.gif http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...m/thumbsup.gif&& chance

Upon receipt of the correct answer we will forward these charges to you.

Needless to say I did not hear from them again

A hotel I've spent nearly a 100 nights charges $1 a night for the safe. I've told them in no uncertain terms I don't use the safe and am not paying. They 'pre-credit' my account for the charge every night now.

If the "mandatory" charge was not disclosed at reservations and was not one mandated by law, then you have absolutely no obligation to pay for it. Period.

And you should definitely do all you can to advertise the shoddy business practices of that property -- why don't you start with telling us what it is?

The best crooked gimmick I've seen was at the Country Inn in Calabasas, California, which notified me about a phony "energy surcharge" at check-in, and made me sign something accepting it, before they let me into the room. Was I going to fight it, arriving tired at midnight with no other place to go?

Another great scam is the "voluntary" UNICEF donation added for years at European Sheraton hotels. Yeah, you can get it removed, and deny starving children their last shred of breadcrust, hah! Rest assured that if the donation is presented to UNICEF, Sheraton takes all the credit.

In all fairness, although I disagree with the surcharge (why not just roll it into the quoted rate?), during the summer of 2001 many hotel properties in the western U.S. (at least California and Nevada, in my experience) were charging this "energy surcharge."

Ragarding that 'energy surcarge' scam, in 2001 I booked and prepaid a room at Harrah's Las Vegas, directly with Harrah's reservations. You would think that when you prepay a room with all taxes, that's the end of it. Upon checkout, I was billed $12 ($3 for two rooms, two nights) for the energy surcharge, even though I was not told about it when booking. These sort of things need to be presented while you still have the option of refusing. I wrote a letter and they credited me back $6, not $12, as a goodwill gesture. I think that sort of tight fistedness is worse than just saying there will be no credit. Before this visit, I stayed at a Harrah's in Vegas/Laughlin three out of the four prior visits. Times I've stayed / gambled at Harrah's since: zero.

At the Excalibur they made me pay a 75 cents energy surcharge. I handed over the three quarters and was done with it.

The surcharge was stupid, but at least the Excalibur didn't surprise you with it on the bill later.

I've never paid it once. I choose whom I give charity to, and I give it in my name and on a tax-deductible basis. End of story; the children have nothing to do with this.