Hotels Increasing Hidden Fees

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

Image Not Available

Many vacationers are finding that recessions aren’t all bad, because they can lead to lower prices. According to HotelMarketing.com, hotel room prices have fallen nearly 12% across the globe. Good news for travelers…

“We’re staying at a hotel now that would have been like $700 a week, but they dropped it to $359 a week.”
-Tom Demetro, Vacationeer

But that doesn’t mean businesses aren’t trying to make money in sneakier ways: some airlines do it by charging extra on everything from checked bags to water, and some hotels do it with extras of their own.

Many charge for the Internet, parking, sending or receiving a package, your in room safe, phone calls from your room, resort fees, towel fees…. The list is as long as it is sneaky.

So how do you avoid fees? One thing is to just say no!

“They wanted to hit me with a hidden fee, but I hit them with an AARP card and I hit them right back.”
-Tom Demetro, Vacationeer

Another way is to avoid the giant chains that more often charge them. Check out mom and pop hotels. And then, of course, there’s always “checking things out before you check things in”.

Bottom line? If you’re going to be staying in a hotel this summer, beware of hidden fees. Ask before you check in… and don’t be afraid to challenge fees and ask for discounts when you check out.

Get smarter with your money!

Want the best money-news and tips to help you make more and spend less? Then sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter to receive daily updates of personal finance news and advice, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletter today.