Catherine Tilke
In some countries around the world- most notably the U.S.- hotels pass on local taxes to guests in the form of “Lodging Fees”.
Often these tax bills are bundled together with ‘Resort Fees’, which are not taxes. Still, discretionary charges made by the hotel supposedly to pay for the use of certain resort amenities, such as the pool or parking.
Together, additional taxes and fees may reach upwards of $50 per room per night.
While any such fees should be made clear by the resort at the point of booking, this is not required by law and so consequently.
Third parties, such as travel agents or online comparison websites, are even less likely to advertise Lodging Fees. For this reason, it is always worth checking directly with the hotel before you make a booking.
According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, less than 7% of hotels in the U.S. charge lodging fees.
You can check whether a hotel charges fees at Resortfeechecker.com.
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