World's most annoying hotel fees (and how to avoid them)
I recently ordered an omelet and French toast from room service at an NYC hotel, only to end up paying $60 once the tax, gratuity and room service charges were tacked on. Aside from the fact I could have bought my supermarket's entire selection of free-range eggs for that price, it's frustrating on principle aline that accommodations get away with such ludicrous fees. Here are a few other fees that travelers hate, with some tips on how to avoid them.
1. The gym: Some hotels charge a fee to use the gym, a fee that is often disguised in room-fare breakdown. Ask your hotel if there's a gym fee, and if so, ask to have it taken off. If you can't get the fee removed and you're looking to stay fit on the road, think about opting for walking and biking over public transportation, booking a property that incorporates fitness into its offerings or doing in-room workouts.
There are also a number of free apps for exercising beyond the gym, like Zombies, Run!, which turns running into a game, Charity Miles, which donates money to charity when you workout, and Simply Yoga, featuring yoga sessions via smartphone.
2. Room service: This one boils my blood so much it's worth mentioning again. I recently stayed at a hotel that offered guests free water bottles with housekeeping; however, when I ordered room service and asked for a bottle of water I was charged $10 plus service charge, plus tip. You can save a lot of money avoiding room service altogether and getting food to go from the hotel restaurant, and getting delivery from a nearby restaurant.
3. Wi-Fi: More hotels are offering free Wi-Fi; however, a few are behind the times. Surfing the internet from a free Wi-Fi cafe nearby can save you money, as can purchasing your own mobile hotspot. This keeps your Wi-Fi rate consistent without worrying about spotty hotel connections.
4. Early check in: While some early birds get the worm, others get slapped with an extra check-in fee, typically ranging from $10 to $50. The obvious way to avoid this fee is to ask your hotel if they charge for early check-in. You may also opt for a hotel offering an app with notifications letting you know when your room is ready. Hotel Chatter suggests picking properties that are part of collections, such as American Express' Fine Hotels & Resorts or the Leading Hotels of the World, as early check-in and late check-out are often part of the member benefits. If you book directly with the hotel rather than a third-party site (and you should be booking directly with the hotel), you can often just ask for flexible check-in/check-out times.
5. Minibar re-stocking: Despite the fact you're already paying four times the street price for most minibar items, some hotels also charge a fee for re-stocking. Thankfully, certain properties — such as Andaz Hotels by Hyatt, One Ocean Resort & Spa in Florida, the Concorde De Luxe Resort in Turkey and Amba Hotels in the United Kingdom — are starting to include the minibar in the room price. Kimpton Hotels gives its free-to-join Karma Rewards members minibar credits, while InterContinental Hotels provides a free minibar perk for guests with Royal Ambassador status.
6. Resort amenities: The resort fee refers to mandatory additional charges for services you may not want to use. Author and speaker Barry Maher gets out of this fee by reminding the property of the quoted room rate, and arguing the resort fee not being clear. By being polite and direct, he says often gets his way.
Jessica Festa is the founder on the solo and offbeat travel blog, Jessie on a Journey, and the online responsible tourism and culture magazine, Epicure & Culture. She's constantly searching for local experiences beyond the guidebook. You can follow her travels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.