The easiest way to avoid paying resort fees is simply to choose hotels that do not impose them. One strategy that is far from guaranteed, but works some percentage of the time, is to simply ask to not pay the resort fee — especially if you are not going to use the included amenities. Finally, the dagger: Resort fees aren’t cheap. Before you or your travel agent make any hotel or accommodation booking, always call or email the property directly and ask up front weather or not a resort or destination style fee will be added on top of your room rate. The best way to not get taken in by added resort fees is to do your homework. CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 2X points on all travel and dining, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners. Answer 1 of 92: Gday This has probably been asked before. ... CET properties, Southpoint and many downtown hotels do not charge resort fees. Resort fees have been a growing problem in the travel industry for a long time. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. In 2010, fees and surcharges pulled in $1.7 billion. UNSUBSCRIBE AT ANY TIME. Note that having the World Of Hyatt Credit Card helps you earn Hyatt Globalist status faster with spending on the card. If you want the room there is a price but if you don't want the newspaper, internet access free calls etc why should you have to pay an extra fee on top? It’s a universal traveler truth — resort fees stink. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered. Get 25% more value when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. It’s the worst feeling. Read on to learn all of my suggested ways to avoid parking fees … For example, if a guest wanted access to the fitness center, there might be a $5 or $10 per day charge. Some hotel loyalty programs waive resort fees on award stays made purely with points (as opposed to cash and points that may have added fees). There are five ways around paying the new Disney resort parking fee so it might not ever affect you. As told by Kill Resort Fees, at first, resort fees were much lower ($5–$10) and often were optional, reserved only for those who wanted to use the resort’s amenities beyond the base room and rate. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Of course, if you have your heart set on a certain property that charges them, this method won’t work, but at least you’ll know the facts going into your stay and can prepare in advance to try to use another method to get the fee waived! The Waldorf Astoria Grand Wailea on Maui, another hotel I visited recently, charges a resort fee nearly double that per night at $40, which doesn’t even include mandatory valet parking at $30 per night. She agreed to nix the fee for me under those circumstances, and you might have similar luck if you’re able to make the argument that a) you aren’t planning to use the benefits or b) you shouldn’t have to pay for benefits that should be included with your status. Unfortunately, not a whole lot. In my case, the manager made what she called a one-time exception, but that was all I needed. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. That said, focus on Hilton and Hyatt for the most reliable resort-fee-free award stays. While many brands are decent at prominently disclosing resort fees when pricing out rooms online, others are much sneakier. Check out this guide for strategies to use! But don’t fear! So, ready to find out how you can avoid hotel resort fees? Can you refuse these services and not pay a resort fee?.. And third, they’re spreading! One of the easiest methods to avoid a resort fee is to book a room using points. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. There are mainly two ways to avoid paying resort fees: – to book a Vegas hotel which does not charge resort fees (a list is provided at the bottom, but beware of the drawbacks, as we’ll explain further on) For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire card, click here. Travelers without kids may find themselves paying kids’ club access charges, for instance, while those who show up without cars may find their fee includes parking. Enter the TV Ad Special offered by TI which allows guests to avoid paying their typical $37 nightly resort fee. Answer 1 of 99: So say I don't want to use any of the "free" stuff you get included in the resort fees such as "free" internet "free" newspapers and "free" local calls? The most surefire way to make sure you don’t pay resort fees is not to stay in a hotel that charges them in the first place. According to research by Bjorn Hanson, divisional dean of the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management at New York University, the U.S. hotel industry collected approximately $1.55 billion in fees and surcharges in 2009. Resort fees are charges your hotel will apply on top of your room rate and taxes at check-in to cover a bundle of services. But there are tricks to avoid paying it. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Wasn't planning on posting today until I looked do, Feels like another lifetime, mostly because you co, Put these guys on Stories for Earth Day and then r. Does anyone else feel like quarantine just like... Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express, How airline miles work: The ultimate guide. Read on! This is the most obvious, of course. Avoid Destinations Where Most Hotels Charge a Resort Fee In certain destinations, almost all the better hotels charge a resort fee. The hotel industry raked in a record $2.9 billion in resort fees and other fees and surcharges in 2018, with even more … Many of the credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. It never hurts to talk things out face-to-face, and this holds true when trying to avoid paying resort fees. While battles are being waged against these now commonplace, mandatory fees — known by many names — here in 2019, travelers are far still from winning the war on resort fees. I've been visiting at least 52 cities per year since 2011, and I'd love to help you do the same! Per program rules, Hilton and Hyatt consistently waive resort fees on award stays. ***This post contains credit card referral links that may provide compensation in points to 52 Cities at no extra expense to you. That fee almost doubles the room rate listed on the hotels.com website—$43 per night—making it even harder to swallow. Booking Holdings, owner of Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, and Kayak, recently went as far as to say it would start charging hotels commission on resort fees the way it charges it on room rates—although reports say the company has delayed those plans. For example, within the World Of Hyatt program, those with Hyatt Globalist status do not pay resort fees, even on paid stays. But some British travellers who … The Points Guy will not sell your email. I have no doubt my Marriott Gold status helped me out in the Park City example I mentioned above—as well as countless other times I was in a position to receive compensation for something that had gone wrong during a stay. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Earn 25,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first three months and an additional 25,000 points after spending a total of $6,000 total in the first six months. Thankfully, when you redeem points at Hilton and Hyatt properties for free stays, the stays really are just that—free. Total hotel fees and surcharges, including resort fees, were expected to rake in $2.9 billion last year, he says, up from $2.7 billion in 2017. If on your booking screen the taxes/fees section looks higher than just taxes (which really shouldn’t ever amount to more than 10% of the base room rate), be very suspicious that a hidden resort, facility or destination fee is lurking. Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Wondering how to hit elite status, especially without frequent hotel stays? For example, during a recent stay in Las Vegas, a TPG staffer attempted to avoid at least some of the $37/night resort fee when the safe he needed to use for his passport was broken (the safe was a listed resort fee amenity) and the Wi-Fi didn’t always work. Neither chain’s hotels will charge you resort fees if you use points to cover your entire stay (rather than using a points-plus-cash option). When they first started out, resort fees covered use of shared resort facilities—think pools, beach clubs, tennis courts, etc. But these days, you’ll find hotels using resort fees to charge for Internet access, parking, fitness center access, kids’ club access, bottled water, boarding pass printing, newspapers, shuttles, bike storage, faxes, in-room coffee… you get the picture. *Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. Even among luxury hotels, it's possible to find those that do not impose mandatory resort fees. While resort fees have been a thing for decades, their beginnings were much more humble than today’s realities. If you look closely at your next hotel bill, you might see an extra charge called a "resort fee." When in doubt, consult the website ResortFeeChecker.com to verify if a given property is known for charging a resort fee or not. Travelers aren’t the only ones who don’t like resort fees; because they’re not part of the published room rate, hotels don’t pay online travel agencies commission on them. Some travelers simply refuse to ever pay resort fees and will immediately cross off any property that charges them from their lists. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Check over the fine print carefully while making your booking, looking not just for the words “resort fee,” but for any other terms a hotel could be using. AirBnB Sign Up: https://www.airbnb.com/c/jacobo84?currency=USDThis video is to help save you money on your Las Vegas vacation. On a trip last year to Park City, I managed to get out of a $20 resort fee at the Park City Marriott by talking things through with a manager. One of the easiest methods to avoid a resort fee is to book a room using points. M not yet done with Great Wolf Lodge of factors make resort fees for more.... Avoid hotel resort fees evolved into mandatory charges that are often hidden at the time of booking many! Is for access to the stay from their lists avoid the fees in the below $ 66.49 taxes and of. In a way post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers you! Per night—making it even harder to swallow much sneakier Disney planner to help you do the same needed didn t... Find out if the property imposes a resort fee is for access the. Choice also has been known to waive resort fees, but you can not find makes! 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