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High Resort Fees

nanceetom

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Just made a reservation at the Marriott Grand Cayman. In addition to the points/cash, there is now a $50 resort fee per day. Asked what this covered: free internet; we're platinum for life, so that's moot; a bonfire at night; free sand toys (no children). It seems these resort fees are totally out of hand and Platinum or Gold status benefits have gone out the door. I know the property in Waikiki charges $40 or 45 and it is not on the beach and you still need to pay for chairs and umbrellas. Has anyone heard of fees higher than the $50 per night.
We just stayed at the Westin Cape Coral, and they did have a resort fee of $30 per day, but it was waived for platinum members. Their elite benefits were $20 per person per day for breakfast, free parking, upgrade the day you made your reservation! Think Marriott needs some catching up to do with their new partners.
 

Saintsfanfl

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$30 is fairly standard in the US so $50 there is not all that surprising to me. I am sure much of it depends on what additional services and amenities the owner of the resort wants so it's not just Marriott.
 

dougp26364

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Marriott Grand Chateau
Marriott Shadow Ridge
Marriott Ocean Pointe
Marriott Destination Club Points
Hilton Grand Vacation Club Las Vegas Blvd
Grand Colorado on Peak 8
Spinnaker French Quarter Resort Branson
I suspect resort fee's are a way for hotels to do like the airlines have been doing for years, increase revenue while avoiding certain taxes based on rates. Airlines use fee's to increase revenue while avoiding paying certain airport taxes or taxes based on airfare. I suspect hotels use "resort fee's" in the same way, increase room revenue and avoid paying taxes that are based on room rates. All they have to do is toss in some non-consequential "amenities' so they can say they're providing a benefit instead of getting accused of tax evasion.
 

Saintsfanfl

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I suspect resort fee's are a way for hotels to do like the airlines have been doing for years, increase revenue while avoiding certain taxes based on rates. Airlines use fee's to increase revenue while avoiding paying certain airport taxes or taxes based on airfare. I suspect hotels use "resort fee's" in the same way, increase room revenue and avoid paying taxes that are based on room rates. All they have to do is toss in some non-consequential "amenities' so they can say they're providing a benefit instead of getting accused of tax evasion.

This is precisely why it is illegal in Europe. The tax avoidance is one motivation but I suspect the primary is the deception. Oddly enough the various state and local governments have yet to pose a legal challenge at the tax avoidance but if the resort fees keep rising they will. There are a couple resorts in Florida where the fee is $100 a day.
 
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ilene13

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Just made a reservation at the Marriott Grand Cayman. In addition to the points/cash, there is now a $50 resort fee per day. Asked what this covered: free internet; we're platinum for life, so that's moot; a bonfire at night; free sand toys (no children). It seems these resort fees are totally out of hand and Platinum or Gold status benefits have gone out the door. I know the property in Waikiki charges $40 or 45 and it is not on the beach and you still need to pay for chairs and umbrellas. Has anyone heard of fees higher than the $50 per night.
We just stayed at the Westin Cape Coral, and they did have a resort fee of $30 per day, but it was waived for platinum members. Their elite benefits were $20 per person per day for breakfast, free parking, upgrade the day you made your reservation! Think Marriott needs some catching up to do with their new partners.

We stayed at this property the year after Marriott bought it from Rhamada. It was awful. The rooms had a mildew odor and the elevator lights did not work-- we had to stick our heads out of the door to see which floor we were on! Also, the restaurant was only open for breakfast. It looks as though it was renovated. The biggest cons were that it is at the far end of 7 mile beach and their beach is very small. Marriott refunded our points to us upon our return and our subsequent complaints. I would not pay an extra $50/day there. If you are using points I would stay at the Ritz-- much nicer property.
 

silentg

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We have to pay exchange fee, then an activity fee, deposit $100. Adds up! But we got a 1 bedroom at VV Weston on Memorial Day week. Only 4 TPU.
Silentg
 

Swice

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I will go out of my way to avoid properties that charge "resort fees." A couple of years ago, I needed ONE night before a flight in Orlando. The
Renaissance Hotel at SeaWorld was going to charge one of those silly resort fees. I called and they said it was for internet and a bottle of water and usage of the pools and they would not waive (I'm gold). I pointed out that elites get upgraded internet anyway. The associate said I would still be charged the resort fee but I would quality for the "higher internet service" at zero cost. Considering I was going to be at the hotel for a total of 10-hours, I went to the Springhill Suites across the street where I got free internet and breakfast. I hate resort fees, I hate them, I hate them and have avoided those properties on a number of occasions.
 

taxare

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Just made a reservation at the Marriott Grand Cayman. In addition to the points/cash, there is now a $50 resort fee per day. Asked what this covered: free internet; we're platinum for life, so that's moot; a bonfire at night; free sand toys (no children). It seems these resort fees are totally out of hand and Platinum or Gold status benefits have gone out the door. I know the property in Waikiki charges $40 or 45 and it is not on the beach and you still need to pay for chairs and umbrellas. Has anyone heard of fees higher than the $50 per night.
We just stayed at the Westin Cape Coral, and they did have a resort fee of $30 per day, but it was waived for platinum members. Their elite benefits were $20 per person per day for breakfast, free parking, upgrade the day you made your reservation! Think Marriott needs some catching up to do with their new partners.
The resort fee at the Ritz Carlton is $75/night. With that said, I have been to both properties and IMHO, there is no comparison. I know its twice the reward points but the Ritz Carlton is an outstanding property. The chairs/umbrellas and other water activities are included in the resort fee. There have been many posts in the past that properties don't do a good job of disclosing the fees, it appears they are at least doing this better. I am also a lifetime platinum and agree that to pay for overlap free services is annoying. I did get an upgrade at the Ritz the last time I was there. I don't know about other SPG properties and whether they waive the fee, and I really don't mean to be snarky, but I live 20 miles from Cape Coral and while thats a nice property, it sure can't hold a candle to Grand Cayman and Seven Mile Beach.
 

Tokapeba

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I'm confused. Are these Marriott timeshares charging over the yearly maintenance fee?
 

catharsis

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I will go out of my way to avoid properties that charge "resort fees." [snip]
I hate resort fees, I hate them, I hate them and have avoided those properties on a number of occasions.
I will absolutely NOT use a hotel which has resort fees if there is any remotely acceptable alternative - I'm like swice on this I absolutely hate them, they completely put me off the properties and when being charged for something you are supposed to have earned through achieving elite membership it drives me past the point of rationality.

This has without fear of exaggeration moved tens of thousands of dollars worth of hotel spend for me over the last 5 years or so, I really feel strongly about it and I will always avoid them if I can.

I cannot understand why they continue to proliferate in the US/Caribbean.

Now -having got all of that off my chest !!! - this is probably OT for TUG and belongs on FT
 

Mr. Vker

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The RC Aruba charges a resort fee thats a % of the daily rate. So, the more your room, the more your resort fee. I freaking hate those fees.
 

amanda14

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The resort fee at the Ritz Carlton is $75/night. With that said, I have been to both properties and IMHO, there is no comparison. I know its twice the reward points but the Ritz Carlton is an outstanding property. The chairs/umbrellas and other water activities are included in the resort fee. There have been many posts in the past that properties don't do a good job of disclosing the fees, it appears they are at least doing this better. I am also a lifetime platinum and agree that to pay for overlap free services is annoying. I did get an upgrade at the Ritz the last time I was there. I don't know about other SPG properties and whether they waive the fee, and I really don't mean to be snarky, but I live 20 miles from Cape Coral and while thats a nice property, it sure can't hold a candle to Grand Cayman and Seven Mile Beach.
Agree. I'be stayed at this Ritz 3x and while it's showing it's age it's a terrific property. The resort fee does sting but when you go to Grand Cayman you know that everything is expensive.
 

heatherw

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How do you know which resorts have these fees and how much they are? I have booked the ritz carlton in san franciso on points for september, will i be charged?
 

Jason245

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Resort fees are simply a way to recover from marketing ploys due to search engines and the like.

Thanks to resort fees, a Hotel can advertise their $150/night room for $100/night and then tack on a $50/night resort fee. Net result, same price for the customer as before , but they can advertise at $100/night, making someone think they are getting a deal on a room.

Airlines used to play this game until a law was passed requiring that everything be disclosed on the purchase side. If you don't like it in the USA, contact your congressman.
 

bazzap

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How do you know which resorts have these fees and how much they are? I have booked the ritz carlton in san franciso on points for september, will i be charged?
Hopefully not.
These resort fees tend to be in Florida, Hawaii, Las Vegas, and the Caribbean.
The marriott.com website normally shows whether a hotel charges a resort fee or not and this
Ritz Carlton does not show it.
Hopefully you won't have a car though, as the Valet parking fee seems to be 65 USD daily!
(I have just paid less than double that for 3 weeks car hire in Spain!)
The hotel really looks great, by the way.
 

catharsis

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my daily parking charge in the Vail Marriott hotel was considerably higher than my daily car rental charge!

incidentally (to connect this in some way to MVW and timeshares) the wonderful RC Club Vail property right next door included free valet parking for all guests, so when staying there on DC points we did not pay for parking in the same garage :)
 
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