Finding Hotel's Hidden Fees

(Dive Travel Business News - April 10, 2010) -- According to accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, hotels charged travelers almost $2 billion in hidden fees and surcharges in 2007. Full disclosure is not the name of the game with hotels and travel websites who are mum about additional fees over and above the room or package rate - until you check out, that is. 

Surprise fees blindside our clients and get them upset with us for not warning us upfront. Third party brokers like wholesalers and tour operators may be very careful to outline what's included in a package - yet some of them don't know or don't care to mention what's NOT included in the rate. We all look bad in the eyes of our clients.

Bartender gratuities, groundskeeping. housekeeping and bellman fees are some of the most common fees kept under wraps until your client checks out. To avoid surprises, it's critical to ask the hotel directly about these fees and let your client know. Be sure to tell your client or group leader to leave plenty of time for check-out - or better yet,  advise them to review the bill the day before, so that they can contest any surprise charges in person with a Senior Manager.

Independent Traveler and Fodors offer some excellent resources to help you serve your dive travel clients. Here are some sample tips based on our own dive travel experience:

Airport Shuttle: Don't assume it's "free". Unless it's included in dive package, there may be a cost attached. And unless it's an all-inclusive, there's probably a tip involved for the driver. Use your judgement but the shuttle driver's tip is minimally $1-2 per bag.

Early Check-in or Out: Early check-in and late check-out may cost your.  Some hotels are billing up to $50 for that early access. Had to leave sooner than planned or a few hours later than planned? Expect to be charged anywhere from $50 to the cost of one night's stay.

Safe: Hotels are tacking $1-$3 dollar a night "Safe Warranty" fees onto bills to cover the cost of providing the safe and the insurance policy that covers the things stored in it. (Note: most hotels post signs disclaiming responsibility for valuables if they are stolen from a hotel safe.)

Energy Surcharge: Intended to recover the rising costs of providing electrical power, this charge can add $3-$6 dollars a day to your bill.

Internet:

 Divers like their technology and look for high-speed Internet and Wi-Fi services. Just because a property says it has Wi-Fi access in all its rooms doesn't mean its free. Costs vary widely so be sure to ask before logging on. 

Towels: Expect to pay a buck or two for a pool towel. Don't scamper off to your room with it either, as you may be billed five dollars or more if you forget to return it to the attendant after your swim.

Mini-bar Access /Unstocking Fees:  Charges are now being found added to hotel bill if the guest moved something in the bar to make room for personal items, or even pick up a mini-bar item to look at it for a few seconds (sensors in the bar record your action and add the product's fee to your room bill.) Some travelers who've routinely asked for the mini-bar to be cleared out before their arrival have been surprised by $50 "unstocking" fees.

Luggage Holding: Thinking of storing your dive gear and hotel luggage after check-out while you do a quick tour of the island before take-off? At certain hotels, you'll have to pay a few bucks for the privilege.

Resort & Gym Fees: Many hotels now charge their guests "resort fees" to cover the cost of offering recreational activities and equipment on site - even if your clients never use these facilities (such as gyms, pools, tennis courts, and golf courses). Even groundskeeping can be part of this fee.

Mandatory Gratuities: Some hotels have quietly added "housekeeping fees" and "bellman charges" to cover the tipping expectations of their employees - on top of what your clients may offer as gratuities directly.

Dive Shop Gratuities: Most of the time, these are NOT included in a dive package. Use your own judgement based on the amount of diving and quality of service but plan to set aside $5-10/day per diver for dive shop services. 

Dive Boat Rider Charges: A non-diver may be charged a fee for riding on the boat trip with diving companions.

Diving on Day of Arrival: Many dive packages include shore diving, but the dive portion of the package may not begin until the day after arrival. If shore diving is available on day of arrival, your clients may be charged for it. 

Marine Parks Fees: While beneficial to all of us to protect our ocean's reefs, Marine Parks fees may not be spelled out in the dive package and could be a surprise to your client. Find out if these fees exist and if they are included in the dive package. 

Random incorrect charges: Travelers need to review their bills carefully. Travelers are getting dinged for a "cleaning charge" from US$100-250 for smoking in a non-smoking room when they are not smokers. Other random charges include charge for unseen movies, unused internet access and unmade phone calls.

Read The Fine Print Before the Booking:
Before booking, read the fine print conditions and ask the supplier upfront if any extra fees will be billed at a later date. If extra fees aren't clearly stated in the reservation conditions when the booking is made, your client should politely but firmly ask for the charges to be removed at the destination. Contact the individual property to ask about any add-on fees, and check the fine print on the hotel's web site.

Read The Bill Before Check-out Time: Advise Your Clients and Group Leaders to carefully review their bills before check out (rather than when they get home) and question any unforeseen charges. The practice of "negative option billing" -- the legal name for fees billed without your express permission -- is based on the assumption that you've used the service and have therefore implied you agree to the charge. If your client ot group hasn't used a service and been charged for it then they should ask the hotel to remove it from the bill. 

Follow Up After The Trip:  If the billing issue can't be resolved at check-out, ask them to collect a business card from the manager on duty to give you when they return home, so that you, as their booking agent, can follow up. If the client comes home with surprises on their credit card, it's your job as a dive travel professional to contact the client's hotel in writing or via email.  Don't just give a phone call - have a record of correspondence in case the credit card company need to get involved to reverse a credit card charge. Once you reverse the fees, your clients will really appreciate the fact that you went to bat for them!

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