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Comments (4)
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Save/ShareWatch out, travelers. More and more hotels and resorts are tacking on fees for services and amenities that used to be free. They'll charge as much as $19 billion in fees this year alone, according to one forecast. The fees aren't disclosed in the base nightly rate you may see quoted online.
The travel troubleshooter Christopher Elliott recently heard of a particularly nefarious fee.
A reader named Ilene wrote him, asking for his help. She had booked a room at the Blue Heron Beach Resort in Orlando through Orbitz. When she checked in, she was told there would be a $50 surcharge because of her "short stay." Her confirmation from Orbitz, which she shared with Elliott, did not mention the fee when she booked.
Elliott helped her get the fee off her bill. But not everyone is able to get a nationally syndicated ombudsman to intervene on their behalf. So, what should you do if you face a charge that a hotel didn't tell you about in advance? Speak up right away in the hotel lobby. Elliott explains why:
When you run into a problem like this, don't take the first "no" for an answer. Don't take the second "no," either. You should have asked for a manager when you were informed about the $50 fee, and if that didn’t work, you should have escalated your complaint to Orbitz and requested a manager.Your greatest weapon may have been your presence in the lobby of the Blue Heron. A guest who refuses to leave, and is speaking on a cell phone about what she feels is a broken promise made by the property, is every hotel’s worst nightmare. Believe me, a hotel is extremely conscious of a lobby squatter and it won’t take long before it finds a way to make that person happy.
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There comes a time when you just say no. There was no need for Ilene to plead her case to anyone out of the loop. When you are given the option to review your bill and find something as reprehensible as a "short-stay fee," you tell the reception desk you're not paying it. Period. And you tell them again. And again, until they see the error of their ways. Travelers have clout by simply being persistent (and courteous!), and Mr. Elliott was good to point that out.
Posted By alisan on September 8, 2008, 12:46 PM
Interesting - I've just begun Introduction to
Hospitality & Tourism; I'll share this tidbit w/class at St. Petersburg (FL) College this week; it is the chapter about hotels and fees!
THANKS FOR THE GOOD WORK YOU DO!
Lucy Butcher
Posted By Lucy on September 8, 2008, 12:47 PM
I read this with interest because I just booked a "Vacation Home" in Panama City for 14 people for a week (7days). I had originally wanted it for only four days. I was told they did not book for less than 7 days, and that they had a non refundable cleaning fee. Their explaination sounded logical,so I told my clients about it & they agreed on the longer stay. I would think it would be a given to tell your clients,online or not that their was an extra charge for any reason. I was wondering though , who was the "bad guy"...Orbitz or the Hotel?
Posted By Reva on September 8, 2008, 1:18 PM
We truly regret that the guest was not aware of the ‘short term booking fee’ that was associated with this special rate here at the Blue Heron Beach Resort.
Vacation rentals and condos do sometimes charge extra fees if the guest opts to participate in a special offer. These charges are usually only associated on very short stays, since the cleaning costs of condos differ immensely from that of a hotel room.
On the flip side, the size of the room is a lot larger than your regular hotel accommodation along with all of the comforts of home, such as a kitchen etc.
We always try to meet the guest’s expectations and truly regret that the short term booking fee was not noticed during the booking process with Orbitz. Orbitz promptly did refund the charge to accommodate the guests concern.
As the article states, whenever the guest has a discrepancy, please mention it at the front desk and I truly believe that a solution or compromise can be achieved on the spot or via the management at the resort.
The Management of ‘The Blue Heron Beach Resort’.
Posted By The Management of ‘The Blue Heron Beach Resort’ on September 10, 2008, 2:42 PM