A new situation has been quietly increasing with hotels. This is the addition of ancillary fees added on top of the room rate. These are known by a number of different names, the most common being “Resort Fees”. They are additional fees that cover amenities at the resort whether you use them or not. They cover things like parking, pool towel service, use of tennis courts, use of the pool and beach. This has been standard practice in places like Hawaii for a number of years but they are now being extended to other hotels and resorts in the U.S. They are not going away but you need to be aware of them when booking hotels and resorts. When you get a room rate make sure you understand what that rate includes and what if any additional fees or taxes the hotel or resort may charge.
All inclusive resorts do not charge any additional fees. The only additional optional fees at an all inclusive resort are if you do an offsite tour or if you purchase a Spa treatment. Other than those two optional items you will know exactly what your vacation costs are before you leave.
Just like the airlines, with a growing number of hotels and resorts, the lowest initial rate may not be the best overall value when all the ancillary fees are added in.
The airlines are the same way, just because an airline has the lowest rate does not mean it has the lowest overall cost once all the ancillary fees are added in.
When traveling, just beware of what components make up your final cost, and what that final cost is.
When in doubt contact an experienced, knowledgeable travel agent to help you. Remember a good knowledgeable, experienced travel agent will not charge you any more for your travel than you can find yourself and will throw in their experience, knowledge, and personal service at no additional charge.
Happy Traveling!
