I just read an article that highlight an unspoken truth about resort fees at hotels. Basically the article highlights that a Holiday Inn Express in Hudson Wisconsin, charges a resort fee (aka amenities fee) for providing absolutely nothing of value to its customers. From their website, they highlight potato chips as one of their amenities.
Add to this to the background that people are frustrated with hotels and their loyalty programs. Many hotels add a slew of extra charges making their quoted rate a fraction of the real rate that a patron will pay. But most hotels try to hide these junk fees by claiming that they provide some alleged value to their customers. But at least in Huson Wilson, they are coming out and saying what other hotels are trying to hide. This is just another way of increasing rates without being honest with their customers.
This level of transparency, while shocking, is arguably refreshing in a world of obfuscated hotel charges. The typical resort fee often comes with a list of “amenities” that range from the barely usable to the outright ridiculous. But this particular Holiday Inn Express is cutting to the chase: it’s a fee, and it’s there to make the base price look better.
The Problem with Resort Fees
This situation highlights the core issue with resort fees:
- Deceptive Pricing:
- They allow hotels to advertise lower initial rates, only to hit guests with hidden charges later in the booking process.
- This makes it difficult for consumers to accurately compare hotel prices.
- Lack of Transparency:
- Even when disclosed, the value proposition of resort fees is often questionable.
- Many of the included “amenities” are things that should be standard, like Wi-Fi.
- Consumer Frustration:
- These fees breed resentment and erode trust between hotels and their guests.
What Can Be Done?
The Holiday Inn Express’s honesty, while unusual, serves as a stark reminder of the need for greater transparency in hotel pricing. Ideally, the following changes would be beneficial:
- Mandatory All-In Pricing:
- Require hotels to display the total, mandatory price of a room, including all fees, in their initial advertisements.
- Increased Regulatory Scrutiny:
- Authorities should crack down on deceptive pricing practices and hold hotels accountable.
- Consumer Awareness:
- Travelers should be aware of resort fees and factor them into their booking decisions.
In the meantime, perhaps more hotels will follow the lead of this Holiday Inn Express and simply admit that their fees are about pricing games, and not about providing actual value.
It is important for consumers to be vigilant, and to read the fine print when booking hotel stays.