Can I vent about resort fees for a second
So anyways, I am looking at my offers and for the first time ever I can book Caesars for 4 nights comped in August Sunday-Thursday. It is quite amazing since we have given CET almost no play. I think we had 300 tier points between the 2 of us last year. I go to book it and my total is $132.06. I know I am griping over stupid stuff but it just kills me to pay $132 for a free room. Although where else in the world can I stay for 4 nights, directly on the beach for $132.
$20 per day resort fee
$5 per day other fee
$8.02 per day in taxes
uggggggggg, there goes 13% of our budget since we can't use points to pay for fees.
My advise is to take advantage of the free rooms this trip but gamble at either Resorts, Taj, the Golden Nugget or the Borgata. The Taj is most generous with rooms but might not be around for your next trip. The Borgata is usually generous, at least for 2 nights during the week and so is Resorts. You might not get 4 nights in a row at one property but you can probably get 2 at 2 properties.
I don't want to say this but the days of little gambling and comps,whether it be rooms or offers, are over.
Quote: GWAEI am looking to book my annual AC trip. The trip is my wife and I, with our 2 kids (3 and 1). The only reason we go to AC is because we can normally stay for free with CET and we have a ton of points that we can use to eat for free. So basically we get 4 days for free plus we can gamble a tiny bit each night. We try to get the entire 4 or 5 days well under $1,000.
So anyways, I am looking at my offers and for the first time ever I can book Caesars for 4 nights comped in August Sunday-Thursday. It is quite amazing since we have given CET almost no play. I think we had 300 tier points between the 2 of us last year. I go to book it and my total is $132.06. I know I am griping over stupid stuff but it just kills me to pay $132 for a free room. Although where else in the world can I stay for 4 nights, directly on the beach for $132.
$20 per day resort fee
$5 per day other fee
$8.02 per day in taxes
uggggggggg, there goes 13% of our budget since we can't use points to pay for fees.
I also get that it's 'something small' in comparison to the cost of a regular hotel room on a vacation... but I can't stand "resort fee's." They're not fee's, they're costs for the room. I think it should be ILLEGAL to say "this room is free, comped, or $0!!!"... advertising $0 on their room rate calendars... Then turn around and say "Okay your total is $132.06 for the 4 nights." I mean, that is just blatant deception and lying at that point. It has nothing to do with the fact that yeah, I'm getting a hotel for $132 for 4 nights. It has more to do with 5 seconds ago you literally just told me the room was comped, which in plain english means FREE. Don't try to play me as an idiot and say "well the room is free, but the wifi and gym we won't let you opt out of aren't." This is something FORCED on me if I want a room for the night. Thus, it is a cost associated with the room. The room is therefore NOT free if you're going to charge me for these things.
For me, it comes down to false advertising that should be illegal. Don't send me a calendar saying "free nights" when you're going to charge me per night for non-negotiable items. And that brings me to point #2. Why the hell shouldn't I be able to opt out of the wifi, or gym? Would it really be that hard to have the room keys give access to the gym? If I don't plan on using these things then I shouldn't have to pay for them.
I think it's plain to see how I feel about hidden room costs (not resort fee's, they're room costs)... Since we're ranting in this thread =).
Quote: MrsHeartRNGWAE, I feel your pain. I know it's going to get some taking used to these resort fees in AC but the key words in your vent are "gamble a tiny bit" and your tier points gained over your stay. I think this is the main reasons for instituting resort fees, not enough gambling by the guest to even cover the cost of their room. I must say I gamble WAY more than you and earned Platinum status "the old fashioned" way and I have to pay resort fees if that's any consolation. What I don't get though is if you have a "ton of points' how did you earn them, the TR credit card?
My advise is to take advantage of the free rooms this trip but gamble at either Resorts, Taj, the Golden Nugget or the Borgata. The Taj is most generous with rooms but might not be around for your next trip. The Borgata is usually generous, at least for 2 nights during the week and so is Resorts. You might not get 4 nights in a row at one property but you can probably get 2 at 2 properties.
I don't want to say this but the days of little gambling and comps,whether it be rooms or offers, are over.
Gambling elsewhere is what is what we plan on doing to generate some offers elsewhere. My wife is Platinum because of the TR rewards. They have it set that if you spend 5k on the card you get Platinum. We earned our points from 2 years of race to rewards. We drove all over the country to get the points for us and my parents. I think my wife and I had around 250k points that we hoarded for a while. We started spending last year and have worked our way down to 158k points as of today.
I understand what you are saying that the free ride has ended and I am 100% ok with that. What annoys me is that my "free" room should not cost $25 in fees. My room should cost $25 if they want to charge me something.
Quote: Romes
For me, it comes down to false advertising that should be illegal. Don't send me a calendar saying "free nights" when you're going to charge me per night for non-negotiable items. And that brings me to point #2. Why the hell shouldn't I be able to opt out of the wifi, or gym? Would it really be that hard to have the room keys give access to the gym? If I don't plan on using these things then I shouldn't have to pay for them.
I think it's plain to see how I feel about hidden room costs (not resort fee's, they're room costs)... Since we're ranting in this thread =).
I am glad you see it my way.
If I am remembering correctly, last year I stayed at Showboat and I am pretty sure my total for 4 nights was only $80. I thought they were charging $12 a day for internet where as now they include it, but upped the price?
If I am getting charged for internet then it better work well. Last time I paid for it at a hotel I couldn't even load my email it was so slow. We have T-mobile which has unlimited internet. I have never had a problem in AC using my free internet.
Resort fees are like a cancer. Once one place does it the others have to to stay competitive. They should be outlawed.
Quote: MrsHeartRN...not enough gambling by the guest to even cover the cost of their room...
Really, how much is it (per room) to have a made remove sheets and replace them? Really, how much is it (per room) to throw them in their industrial sized washers? What does that break down to? Like $10 per room per night? If you gamble for 1 hour a day that should easily make up for the rooms on your theoretical loss. A person flat bet playing $10 blackjack has a TL of $15/hour. Now, you want the real reason they implemented resort fee's? They are wallstreet companies that look at the bottom line and are obsessed with "How can we increase profits next quarter?" They are companies that don't understand there's a "cap" to your market and you can't just blindly expect to "make more next quarter." If that were the case then in 100 years instead of making $10 million a month, they should make $100 million a month. Where does that money come from? NEW RESORT FEE'S! FREE ROOMS BUT $10,000 PER NIGHT TO USE OUR WIFI!
Quote: MrsHeartRNI must say I gamble WAY more than you and earned Platinum status "the old fashioned" way and I have to pay resort fees if that's any consolation. What I don't get though is if you have a "ton of points' how did you earn them, the TR credit card?
I too earned Platinum status the "old fashioned" way. Here's my thought on it... If you're going to start charging me resort fee's, then I'm not going to stay at your hotels (as MrsHeartRN also suggest below - play/stay elsewhere). The only reason I'll continue to gamble in your casinos is because I know I can take money out of them. Adding these resort fee's to platinum members essentially makes platinum 100% worthless, again slapping their customers in the face saying "Yeah you gamble so much we'll upgrade your status... but it really just means nothing lol."
Quote: MrsHeartRNI don't want to say this but the days of little gambling and comps,whether it be rooms or offers, are over.
I honestly don't think it has to do with little gambling. I gamble more than your average person and I'm just a part time player... earning Platinum the old fashioned way. Yet I don't get "comped" rooms. Resort fee's are hidden room charges, not fee's. Again, I believe the reason the comp days are over is the corporations trying to up their profits each quarter with no regard to the fact that you can only get them so high before doing insanely idiotic things like charging non-negotiable fees for things people don't use and thus pissing your customer base off and in return COSTING you money from your bottom line.
Yeah, I think I've been saving that up for a while lol...
I would not be surprised if resort fees were created to take something extra from comped guests, or at the very least, this was in the top 5 reasons to implement a resort fee.
If it isn't optional, and it isn't charged by some external entity (like taxes or a downtown development authority), then I don't think they should be allowed to list it and charge it separately from the room rate.
I think it would be fine if they wanted to itemize the room rate for you, such as showing you how much of the rate goes to housekeeping and internet, etc.
But of course, they won't do that - they are putting things like internet into the resort fees so they can obfuscate the true cost to the consumer and short-comp you like they did.
Quote: ahiromu
I would not be surprised if resort fees were created to take something extra from comped guests, or at the very least, this was in the top 5 reasons to implement a resort fee.
This is why I keep touting The D in Las Vegas (Yes, I know we are talking AC, here) if any part of your stay is comped, even one night out of five, you pay $0 resort fees. You have to pay for Internet, though, but that's what 4G networks are for and the free Wireless around FSE.
I am also wondering why I have to pay $8.00 a day in taxes. I would almost guarantee there is no tax and they keep that money as well. Whenever I stayed at the AC club comped I never paid taxes. Whenever I use a coupon at the grocery store you are not taxed on the coupon amountil (at least around here). So why is cet charging tax on a comped room?
If they were truly for use of "resort" things, they would be optional and perhaps even have different levels of service...if the "resort" had things of value that people wanted during their stay.
Get rid of mandatory resort fees and charge us what you need us to pay for the room. If my play does not warrant a comp, man up and tell me that.
Then again, if there were any state that would be sympathetic to business over the consumer, it is Nevada.
Quote: WizardNow that I'm better financially endowed again, I'm thinking of filing a lawsuit claiming that resort fees are ... misleading ... advertising. I hope there is some law in Nevada I can quote that says an advertised price must be an honest price and the advertiser can't jack it up in the fine print.
Then again, if there were any state that would be sympathetic to business over the consumer, it is Nevada.
There are 2 lawsuits that I would love to be at the for front of. 1 is fighting against resort fees and 2nd is to sue a team like the Patriots for cheating. I would claim that their cheating led to my city losing out on revenue from missing a playoff game and that I lost money on a wager due to the odds being wrong. There has to be something there but I don't have the time or money for such an adventure.
Quote: WizardThen again, if there were any state that would be sympathetic to business over the consumer, it is Nevada.
Especially when the consumer is from another state (in most cases).
As far as CZR charging resort fees on AC comp rooms, like I said before, it's like they're forcing a blood donation from their remaining customers who need a blood transfusion
"In late 2012, the FTC warned 22 hotel operators that their online reservation sites might violate the law by offering a deceptively low estimate of their hotel room cost. But instead of eliminating resort fees, as some predicted, hotels simply improved their disclosure, with the government's blessing. Hotels saw that as a green light to add more fees, as long as they told their customers.
Ironically, the resolution may come courtesy of the airline industry. The Department of Transportation (DOT) Advisory Committee on Aviation Consumer Protections, a four-person panel that advises the Secretary of Transportation primarily on airline issues, plans to review hotel resort fees at an upcoming meeting. That could set the wheels in motion for the DOT to require online travel agencies to quote a full price for a hotel up front. And that could finally kill resort fees for good."
http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/2015/02/01/hotel-resort-fees/22549329/
I clicked "get rates" and then got this screen:
I must admit that I don't find this instance egregious as it was in a fairly large font and just one page away from the lower price. There is also a small resort fee warning on the first screen.
If anybody else can give me a better example of a resort fee being more hidden, please do.
Quote: 7star4nowThe Department of Transportation (DOT) Advisory Committee on Aviation Consumer Protections, a four-person panel that advises the Secretary of Transportation primarily on airline issues, plans to review hotel resort fees at an upcoming meeting. That could set the wheels in motion for the DOT to require online travel agencies to quote a full price for a hotel up front. And that could finally kill resort fees for good."
Good! I presume the hospitality industry will simply argue that the DOT committee has no jurisdiction to regulate hotels.
I despise resort fees, though I admit that they are no worse than a hotel which charges guests $30/night for self-parking.
Quote: WizardIf anybody else can give me a better example of a resort fee being more hidden, please do.
The Silver Sevens Hotel & Casino (formerly Terrible's) charges a $9.99 resort fee, but it's buried in the fine print. For example, the room rate on their website for Feb 25 is $39.99, and the "taxes & gratuity" ("gratuity?") is $14.79 so the grand total total is $54.78, but I'm not sure if the $9.99 is included in the $54.78 total or not. The deposit due at booking is $44.79, which leads me to believe that the $9.99 is indeed included in the $54.78 total, but most hotels charge tax on the resort fee, so maybe the real total is slightly more than $54.78 or maybe not. Confusing.
- this shows Fisher Island Hotel And Resort has only a $107/per nite resort fee & negligible $75 for a rollaway
http://www.resortfeechecker.com/131039-resort_fee_fisher_island_hotel_resort.html
Have booked a ton of hotels, mostly overseas, and I never quote a resort fee.
Very rarely do I book Vegas but when I do, I dont think I quoted a resort fee.
The system I use is called sabre.
Maybe the rates I quote include the fee.
Now I see the wiz's example, going to check my system at work tomorrow .
Quote: 7star4nowThat could set the wheels in motion for the DOT to require online travel agencies to quote a full price for a hotel up front. And that could finally kill resort fees for good.
Agreed ! Orbitz / Bookit / Etc should not list prices where the Resort Fee is not included in the quote. That is misleading and deceptive. AND unfair to other hotels that do not charge resort fees, because you are unknowingly comparing apples to oranges. Consumer Protection agencies in the government are asleep at the wheel on this one.
El Cortez, Terrible's and Golden Gate as "resorts" is laughable, not to mention Sands in Reno.
The other thing about resort fees is that they can go up after you book the room. I have a reservation at the Mirage for April and when I booked the room the resort fee was $25/night. Now I see it is $32.48 per night.
Quote: RonCDid I miss the "resort" when I stayed at El Cortez? I got a serviceable low-end old school room...but nothing about it was anything like a "resort"....
The only thing maybe resembling a resort at the El is the small beautiful Cabana lobby area but even that is a stretch.
Quote: terapinedThe only thing maybe resembling a resort at the El is the small beautiful Cabana lobby area but even that is a stretch.
A stretch? Putting it mildly!
Quote: RonCDid I miss the "resort" when I stayed at El Cortez? I got a serviceable low-end old school room...but nothing about it was anything like a "resort"....
To be fail to the ElCo, they call theirs an "amenities" fee, not a resort fee. In addition they will waive the amenities fee for all nights if any of the nights is comped. And it's only $7.95.
I really wanted to support a hotel that didn't have any resort fees, but I settled for supporting one with a low resort fee and reasonable comp policies thereabouts.
Quote: AcesAndEightsTo be fail to the ElCo, they call theirs an "amenities" fee, not a resort fee. In addition they will waive the amenities fee for all nights if any of the nights is comped. And it's only $7.95.
I really wanted to support a hotel that didn't have any resort fees, but I settled for supporting one with a low resort fee and reasonable comp policies thereabouts.
Are you staying in the Cabana?
If so I recommend getting any room except the 1st floor.
I stayed there several months ago and got a 1st floor room.
The window was street level with the sidewalk so I kept the shades closed for privacy.
I like being in a room where I can open the shades, keeping the shades closed is a bit depressing for me.
I was only there 2 nights so I dealt with it.
I stayed there because such a cheap rate on the weekends when everybody else jacks up their rates for Sat nite.
I didn't like resort fees when I first found out about them. It's just a way for hotels to appear to charge a more competitive price, when resort fees should be included in the total price to begin with. Now, I see it's all a game we have to play. The game only fools the uninitiated few that aren't aware.
Quote: terapinedAre you staying in the Cabana?
If so I recommend getting any room except the 1st floor.
I stayed there several months ago and got a 1st floor room.
The window was street level with the sidewalk so I kept the shades closed for privacy.
I like being in a room where I can open the shades, keeping the shades closed is a bit depressing for me.
I was only there 2 nights so I dealt with it.
I stayed there because such a cheap rate on the weekends when everybody else jacks up their rates for Sat nite.
No, I had a tower room at the El Cortez proper. I did hear that feedback though, and was going to request a non-1st floor room if they put me in the Cabana.
Quote: GreasyjohnIt's a sad reality that hotels that don't have a resort fee will lose business to those that do, because those that do can have lower published rates, on average.
I didn't like resort fees when I first found out about them. It's just a way for hotels to appear to charge a more competitive price, when resort fees should be included in the total price to begin with. Now, I see it's all a game we have to play. The game only fools the uninitiated few that aren't aware.
And to be honest, it's not like a place like Vegas needs to "resort" to this. Vegas hotel rates are among the cheapest in the country. i know if i were to get a five star hotel room in downtown Chicago it would cost me somewhere between $500 and $750 a night, in Vegas during the week you can get that room for $159 if you factor in a $25-$30 resort fee it's still not that much. Heck even go down the line to say Monte Carlo or New York New York which I believe are still rated 4 star hotels. Even with the resort fee, the rate is still cheaper than going to your typical Marriott. I just don't understand what they are hiding from.
Quote: GWAEI received an invitation to fly to AC for $99 a person including 3 or 4 nights at Harrahs. (I don't have it in front of me so I am paraphrasing) I read the fine print and it says: fee is based on double occupancy. There is an additional $13 per night for taxes. I found it odd that they are not calling it resort fees, but refer to them as taxes. There is also a 1 time experience fee of $30 per person. I love the name they give to this fee, Experience.
You get to "experience" them ripping you off
Quote: Gabes22You get to "experience" them ripping you off
LOL
Quote: GWAEI received an invitation to fly to AC for $99 a person including 3 or 4 nights at Harrahs. (I don't have it in front of me so I am paraphrasing) I read the fine print and it says: fee is based on double occupancy. There is an additional $13 per night for taxes. I found it odd that they are not calling it resort fees, but refer to them as taxes. There is also a 1 time experience fee of $30 per person. I love the name they give to this fee, Experience.
In AC, the casinos bundle the state mandatory tax with the resort fee.
The state hotel tax is $5. Only the Borgata charges the state tax and nothing else per night. All the others tack on extra.
Also note that the $13 was doubled last month. All CET rooms are now $27 in AC so just the heads up.
Also, saw last Saturday Caesars was charging $30 for parking!!!
Quote: GWAEI received an invitation to fly to AC for $99 a person including 3 or 4 nights at Harrahs. (I don't have it in front of me so I am paraphrasing) I read the fine print and it says: fee is based on double occupancy. There is an additional $13 per night for taxes. I found it odd that they are not calling it resort fees, but refer to them as taxes. There is also a 1 time experience fee of $30 per person. I love the name they give to this fee, Experience.
Taxes and resort fees are two different things. For example, if you try and book a room at Mandalay Bay through its website, it will say that the rate does not include the $29/resort fee, but it does not mention until you are shown the final price that both the quoted rate and the resort fee will have a 12% tax added to them.
You think 12% is bad? It's 14% in San Francisco - and they even collect from AirBNB.
We are going back next month and the trip is comped this time and they waived the resort fee too.
Quote: ahiromuI just wanted to bitch and complain with you guys. Resort fees at NYNY Vegas took $75 of my discretionary comps last trip. I'm a bit younger than most here, so resort fees are all I know, I used to take them in stride. However, I have started coming around to the side of considering them bullshit. Traditionally, the only benefit available to that I use is WiFi... But WiFi is so god awful in every hotel that they should give it away for free. I'm not really building towards something here, just that this shameless cash grab is pissing me off.
Stay at Four Queens, Fremont, MSS or the Cal and tell a host you are staying there because there is no resort fee.
Quote: ahiromuI just wanted to bitch and complain with you guys. Resort fees at NYNY Vegas took $75 of my discretionary comps last trip. I'm a bit younger than most here, so resort fees are all I know, I used to take them in stride. However, I have started coming around to the side of considering them bullshit. Traditionally, the only benefit available to that I use is WiFi... But WiFi is so god awful in every hotel that they should give it away for free. I'm not really building towards something here, just that this shameless cash grab is pissing me off.
At least they let you use comps. Cet doesn't let you use your points to pay resort fees. So my trip in July is going to cost me over $100 in fees that I actually have to pay when I have plenty of comp money that could be used.
Quote: GWAEThere is also a 1 time experience fee of $30 per person. I love the name they give to this fee, Experience.
I don't get out much, but the worst I ever experienced was at a dinner in the BVI. As we were totting up the bill for a dinner for 6, we noticed a $75 "service charge". So we asked about it.
"This $75, what's a 'service charge?'"
"It's a charge for de service."
"Yes but... is it because of the group?"
"No, it's just a charge for de service."
"So, like a tip?"
"No tip is separate."
.....
"OK, so it's like a tax?"
"No, no tax on de islands. It's just a charge for de service."
"Oh. Well, OK then."
Cleared it right up for us =p
