Updated at 2:00 a.m., Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Booking service: Resort fees can cause sticker shock
Advertiser Staff
A Hawaii Internet booking service said yesterday that some travelers are feeling "checkout sticker shock" from resort fees that are automatically added to guest bills upon checkout, particularly if guests don't include them in pre-trip cost calculations.Travel Hawaii LLC (travel-hawaii.com), said in a news release that more than 16 of the state's leading hotels — mostly high-end resorts — charge up to $26 per day in resort fees that are't often apparent in hotel web sites.
The booking service uses the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui as an example. According to the news release, guests are charged a Resort Fee of $25 per night (plus 4 percent tax). In exchange, guests receive a lei greeting and refreshment upon arrival, local and 800 number phone calls, in-room Internet access, in-room coffee, fitness center use, various free classes and tours, nightly turndown service, and self-parking.
The release said that while it sounds like great value, other hotels such as the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel on the Big Island offer similar services free.
Travel Hawaii's report quoted travelers who supported the fee and viewed it as good value, and others who didn't.
"Whether a Resort Fee is a great value or not, the important thing is that clients be clearly informed about the Resort Fee before they finalize their hotel booking," stated John Lindelow, owner to Travel Hawaii.
A list of all of the Resort Fees at Hawaii hotels, and exactly what guests receive for paying such fees, can be found at http://travel-hawaii.com/hawaiiresortfees.html.
