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The HFP readership is displeased.
I’ll start with 2 mentioned in today’s article and comments – Four Seasons Hampshire and Hyatt Great Scotland Yard.Heckfield place Hampshire
ME hotel StrandME hotel Strand
Stayed there a few months back and they tried to hit us with an optional service charge which we quickly had removed.
Claridges
Connaught
Berkeley
Westin London CityClaridges
Connaught
Berkeley
Westin London CityIf Claridges, The Connaught, and The Berkeley are pulling this then I think The Savoy will be as well, similar origins into where they are owned now
Possibly – the first three from the Maybourne Group don’t even hide it anymore. It’s on the T&Cs of all their offers: “Rates are exclusive of 5% discretionary service charge and minimum length of stay may apply.”
The Westin did have a banner on the rates section saying that they would be adding the 5% charge, and indeed I was charged it upon checkout last year (but rejected it). However I don’t see that banner there now. It could mean that the charge is gone.. or then again, it might not…
Possibly – the first three from the Maybourne Group don’t even hide it anymore. It’s on the T&Cs of all their offers: “Rates are exclusive of 5% discretionary service charge and minimum length of stay may apply.”
The Westin did have a banner on the rates section saying that they would be adding the 5% charge, and indeed I was charged it upon checkout last year (but rejected it). However I don’t see that banner there now. It could mean that the charge is gone.. or then again, it might not…
Does that mean that an advance payment rate on Bonvoy would attract the Westin’s ‘discretionary’ charge without a means to reject it?
The Langham tried this when we stayed last year. IIRC it was 10% too
Andaz Liverpool Street
Maybe we should all start adding in the standard “any special requests” section of
each hotel reservation something along the lines of “please do not add anything discretionary to my final bill”!Inaccurate title. Resort fee and service charge are not the same thing at all
Hence the ” “. But it’s supposed to be meant lightheartedly in any case!
Maybe we should all start adding in the standard “any special requests” section of
each hotel reservation something along the lines of “please do not add anything discretionary to my final bill”!“See you at noon on check out day; will be armed with my red pen and calculator”
Hence the ” “. But it’s supposed to be meant lightheartedly in any case!
Don’t think anyone’s acting in a light hearted way in their replies.
Btw If you genuinely believe the fee isn’t being passed on to staff then shop them to HMRC for evading VAT.
Maybe we should all start adding in the standard “any special requests” section of
each hotel reservation something along the lines of “please do not add anything discretionary to my final bill”!“See you at noon on check out day; will be armed with my red pen and calculator”
Love it! Having said that, checking out of the Hilton in Orlando the other day, I wanted to do
a quick browse (the end price was approx. what I had in mind, so no probs), but the way the
invoice was presented could NOT have been any more complicated, despite being correct. So many
entries (broken-down taxes etc.) and dates of days intermingled for all of them…Clivedon – 5% fee added to reward night booking
Maybe we should all start adding in the standard “any special requests” section of
each hotel reservation something along the lines of “please do not add anything discretionary to my final bill”!“See you at noon on check out day; will be armed with my red pen and calculator”
Love it! Having said that, checking out of the Hilton in Orlando the other day, I wanted to do
a quick browse (the end price was approx. what I had in mind, so no probs), but the way the
invoice was presented could NOT have been any more complicated, despite being correct. So many
entries (broken-down taxes etc.) and dates of days intermingled for all of them…That’s often the case in the US. I tell them to hand me the printed pages and I go sit in the lobby and bring it back to them with my corrections.
Inaccurate title. Resort fee and service charge are not the same thing at all
+1
NorthernLass can you amend the title or see if Rhys can?
What extra wording would you propose TG?
How about “Sneaky service charges and resort fees charged/snuck on to final bills by hotels” ?
I am sure you TG / others can come up with better than my attempt….?
or..
The List of Shame…Sneaky Hotel Extra Charges
..the above title would have let the Novotel Blackfriars’s ridiculous extra charge for swimming pool, that they tried, be reported…
…also would let things like a £75 cocktail be reported
Apologies, I thought it was pretty obvious but happy to have it changed if it helps!
£75 cocktail?! Was it one of those with 24k gold leaf in it? 😂
I’ve decided that I’ll also avoid hotels which charge extra to use facilities like the pool. That’s you, DoubleTree Harrogate!
Clivedon – 5% fee added to reward night booking
how does that work? Do they use a cash rack rate or ask for x points?? Intrigued to know how they worked out a 5% cash charge on a reward booking?
I queried Claridges £35 per night discretionary service charge. When they confirmed that it all went to staff I let it be.
‘Service charge is an optional gratuity that is divided between the hotel staff this of course can be refunded at your discretion, the charge is applied twice as it is added per night.’
But did it go to staff. I now wonder.
It is bemusing that the likes of Claridges and Cliveden are asking guests to help cover their wage bill. I feel like a £70 per night Hampton or Holiday Inn would be more likely to genuinely need their staff pay topping up!
The Langham tried this when we stayed last year. IIRC it was 10% too
The Langham still hurts — took my mom there for the afternoon tea, of course there was a service charge, I was willing to pay for it. But suddenly I guess I felt possessed and I also added a tip, which made waiter’s eyes wide open.
I don’t still know why I did it.
Clivedon – 5% fee added to reward night booking
how does that work? Do they use a cash rack rate or ask for x points?? Intrigued to know how they worked out a 5% cash charge on a reward booking?
The breakfast is/was £20pp (for buffet, £25pp for a la carte) so you settle the bill at checkout. On the invoice it showed the price of the room for the night, the credit note from the rewards booking (thanks Creation), the breakfasts, and the 5% ‘discretionary’ charge on the original room rate. When queried they said it was for cleaning staff.
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