Hotel Resort Fees - How To Avoid Them

It seems like hotels are frequently introducing new fees for using services that used to be included in your hotel stay, such as the swimming pool and your morning newspaper. Find out why hotels are charging these fees and what you can do to avoid paying them.

I was extremely happy about the great deal I got on a hotel room at Treasure Island recently.  I bought the hotel room on Priceline, which allows you to 'Name Your Own Price' and save big.  The savings are big if you bid strategically.  However, upon check-in at the hotel, I was informed that there is a resort fee of $20 per night per room.  "A resort fee," I asked.  I was informed that the hotel has implemented a resort fee but not to worry as it included many services that would normally have additional charges.  In the case of Treasure Island, the $20 fee includes:

• In room high speed internet access
• In room local and toll free phone calls
• Daily local newspaper at Guest Services
• Access to fitness center
• Admission to Christian Audigier The Nightclub (Thur - Sun)
• Access to VIP viewing area for Sirens of TI show
• Printed airline boarding passes at Guest Services
• Copies and faxes (up to 10 pages) and notary services
• $20 resort credit for future stay

The problem I have is that the resort fee is mandatory even if you do not want to use these services.  Furthermore, many hotels include these services without charging a resort fee -- fitness center and daily newspaper most specifically. In my case, I did not take advantage of any of the services included in the fee except for the daily newspaper.

I decided to do some research on resort fees and found that many hotels are now adding a resort fee above and beyond the advertised hotel room rate.  They range from a few dollars a night to as high as $20/night and beyond.  This is somewhat deceptive, especially in the case of making a hotel room reservation on non-refundable sites like Priceline and Hotwire.  Should these fees not be disclosed before you buy?

Buyer beware.  It looks like resort fees are here to stay.  They are a clever way of advertising low rates to get the sale while increasing overall revenue.

For a complete list of Las Vegas resort fees, travelers should check out the Las Vegas Resort Fee List at HotelDealsRevealed.com

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