The term “resort fee”, usually brings to mind unnecessary charges for items and services you don’t need such as “free local calls” or “boarding pass printing.” What was once limited to actual resort properties in actual resort destinations, has now turned into a means for hotels–whether a sprawling resort with a golf course, spa and water activities or a standard-sized hotel– to squeeze a little extra cash out of their guests.
In Vegas, resort fees are a way of life for the hotels and casinos that line The Strip and dot Downtown. Even off the Strip places have resort fees now. But more startling than the prevalence of resort fees in Vegas is the unchecked increase of resort fees. MGM Resorts have increased resort fees at their properties at least once a year for the past several years, and sometimes even twice a year. It’s truly scary.
Meanwhile, popular beach and desert destinations such as Maui, Miami, Palm Springs and Scottsdale, have also made resort fees a way of (vacation) life. But several hotels have gone a different route with their terminology to describe the added fee that’s tacked on per day, plus tax, at their property.
The just-opened Hyatt Centric South Beach, a 105-room hotel that is located across the street from the beach, has what they call an “Amenity Fee.” This $ 20 fee includes premium internet access, two beach chairs and towels up on the beach, two welcome bottles of water, use of hotel bikes, world cinema in-room Bluetooth, 24 hour-Stay Fit access, and daily newspaper.
Similarly, the Viceroy Santa Monica, which like Hyatt is located across the street from the beach, has its own $ 21 a night (plus tax) Amenity Fee. Ditto for the nearby Le Meridien Delfina (their fee is $ 18 a night.) There’s even an Amenity Fee in Vegas at the Westin Casuarina. And we even found one in Toronto at The Cosmopolitan Hotel.
Meanwhile, in Cabo the newly opened Thompson Hotel is charging a “Service Fee” which is a percentage of the room rate. Nothing says hospitality like, “Don’t forget, we also charge you a service fee!”
With regards to the other hotels, calling the fee an Amenity Fee is probably a bit more truthful than Resort Fee as these are mostly urban hotels, nowhere near the standards for resort qualifications. But still, we think this was a clever way to put a positive spin on the negative notions associated with resort fees while at the same time letting folks know that they are getting amenities with the fee.
Eh. A resort fee by any other name is still a resort fee. Just roll all these amenities into the room rate.
Have you seen an “Amenity Fee” lately? Tell us where in comments below