Hotel surcharges: From free to fee
Some hotels now charge guests for having their room cleaned or their luggage transported by a bellhop. To avoid the fees, decline daily housekeeping service -- requesting a change of towels only every few days -- and carry your own bags. Credit: iStock
When it comes to fees and surcharges, hotels have taken a page from the airline industry. U.S. hotels earned $1.7 billion from such charges in 2010, according to a study by Bjorn Hanson, chairman of the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management at New York University.
Travelers may not know about extra fees until they appear on the bill at checkout. To avoid them, read the fine print on all written material -- it is much easier to request a fee waiver before your trip than it is to dispute one after the fact. Before booking a room, even online, call the hotel to ask about any fees -- and whether you can opt out. Here are a few of the more common fees cropping up at hotels:
