These days, some resorts still require guests to pay an additional fee to cover the cost of amenities during a stay. But these resort release fees turn out to be an actual burden for travelers. At the same time, resort fees in resort release are pretty rare events. According to the 2018 Lodging Survey published by the AHLA and STR, only 6% of U.S. hotels have charged a resort fee in that time. This article will try to figure out a resort charge and how much resort release charge.
Resort fees at the glance
Generally, resort fees are determined as the mandatory fees charged at a percentage of the room rate or a flat amount. These payments are usually designed to cover pools, spas, local phone calls, Internet access, airport transportation, fitness facilities, and other recreational facilities. Moreover, hotels and resorts add these fees to the cost of your room and additional taxes during your stay.
Interestingly, it is illegal in many countries to require additional payments that are not disclosed while booking. At the same time, other countries, including the USA, ensure state laws that prohibit different forms of deceptive pricing. However, this restriction is not widely followed, especially resort fees. Currently, these payments can be legally challenged in the U.S.
The number of resort fees
The resort fees can fluctuate from $25 to $50 a day per room. While this amount of money seems not big, families who travel for an extended period might find it quite unwise. The truth is that these additional payments are not optional. They are attached to a bill of guests. But how to make the most from these burdensome payments? If you are required to pay fees to a resort, don’t miss your chance to enjoy all the amenities during your stay. It is an only pleasure you can get from paying the additional cost to resorts. You might not even guess that you can get some unique resort amenities, like canoe excursions or the outdoor pool.
How to avoid hotel and resort fees?
First of all, if your goal is to find a resort that doesn’t charge additional hidden fees, go ahead and do your research. Make sure to look at the cost offered by a hotel or resort and click through a few pages to find resort fees or taxes that aren’t usually displayed on the first page of the resort’s website. For some guests, booking an award stay might be an option after earning specific hotel points. This works in some top hotels, like World of Hyatt and Hilton Honors. Their policies allow guests to be free from resort fees on an award stay. While these resorts waive resort fees, there is still a 15% service charge for each day at a resort. You can reduce additional payments at the expense of discounts and elite resort status.
