By- Peter Ramsay

If you thought the new fees airlines are charging are bad, check out your
hotel bill.

Recently, airlines have received lots of attention for moving longtime
standards - baggage, food, drinks, even pillows and blankets - from the
"included" pile into the "for an additional fee" pile. But travel industry
analysts say the other giant in the travel game - the hotel industry - has
become even worse at adding on miscellaneous fees and surcharges.

Industry analysts say that 2007 was the peak year for the introduction of
add-on hotel fees and surcharges. And last year, US hotels raked in record
revenue, taking in $1.75 billion, up from $550 million in 2002.

The nickel-and-diming can be small (such as $5 for the hotel to accept a
package for you) to rather large (think: mandatory valet parking for $50 a
night, a notorious fee charged in San Francisco). Other charges include
resort, business center, and grounds keeping fees, charges for having a safe in your room even if you don't use it, and charges from mini-bars with sensors that bill you if you just move something and then add a "restocking fee" for the hotel employee who must replace your $5 bag of M&Ms.

Not all hotels charge such fees, most are not considered excessively bad in
this add-on game, according to analysts. (Las Vegas is notorious, however.)

Marriott and Renaissance Hotels are famous for not charging hidden or
mandatory add-on fees. But a careful look at your hotel bill might surprise
you. Your free copy of the USA Today left outside guests' rooms is actually billed to the customers, though it's included in the room rate. You can, of course, decline it and have the fee credited to your account later.

At a time when many are pinching pennies, customers are noticing the new
charges, customers are noticing the new charges. TripAdvisor recently posted a poll in which 34 percent of more than 5,000 respondents reported uncovering more hidden fees in the past year. And they're complaining: TripAdvisor features more than 850 user-generated reviews that call out specific hotels for their hidden fees.

With guests becoming more and more conscious of every nickel and dime they
spend, they are finding these fees surprising because they are taking a closer look. In a tight economy, travelers are becoming more vigilant.

Hotels are not newcomers in the add-on game, but the older fees were more
straightforward. Mess with the phone, the mini-bar, room service, or the
in-room movies, and it's going to cost you. But many of the of the new charges don't hit you until checkout. Unless you have asked questions up front or bothered to read the fine print, you will find yourself paying extra for stuff you thought was included.

As the traveling public becomes more sensitive to the bottom line, hotels have turned to the hidden fees and charges as a creative way to generate more revenue.

The only way to protect yourself is to do research and ask questions up front. When you make a reservation, ask if there are any other standard fees and surcharges in addition to the room, sales, and occupancy tax.

Experts advise customers who feel slighted to do two things: First, calmly
dispute the charges at the checkout desk, where your chances of getting a fee erased are much better than trying later over the phone.

In this economy, travelers are really back in the driver's seat. Hotels are
doing their best to get customers and make them repeat customers, and they're really going to want to work with you.

Step two, hotel analysts say, is to warn future travelers. In the online world your review of the hotel has a direct impact on the hotels bottom line. You are also helping your fellow traveler and it truly does making a difference.

Las Vegas Getaway

starting at
$545.90 ppdo
includes:
round-trip air from Bangor
3-nights at the Imperial Palace
round-trip airport transfers
insurance / most taxes and fees


Orlando Getaway
starting at
$431.18 ppdo

includes:
round-trip air from Bangor
4-nights at the Hilton Orlando
mid-size rental car
insurance / most taxes and fees

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