32 ms·

I've always hated the resort fees. They're an absolute scam. Hotels went from having free WiFi anyway, to having free WiFi and charging a "resort fee" for cov

I've always hated the resort fees. They're an absolute scam. Hotels went from having free WiFi anyway, to having free WiFi and charging a "resort fee" for covering the amenity of free WiFi. Food and beverage credits are basically never worth it. At least you had something for loyalty in the past, HHonors Diamond would get you free breakfast at any Hilton property globally. No more, you get $10-$18/day in F&B credit, when it typically costs $35-60/day for breakfast. To add insult to injury, the locations you most likely will encounter resort fee scams are also locations that tax the ever-loving shit out of you. Nothing galls me more than visiting San Francisco and having to pay extra taxes on top of the normal already high taxes in California/SF because I'm city-center. Yep, definitely worth the extra money as I dodge mentally ill people, needles, and human feces to walk from my hotel past a luxury boutique to get a burger for dinner at a corner diner where it's only $25 for a simple burger instead of the $45 the hotel charges. I've traveled a lot, I've never once got my money's worth out of a resort fee. At least in Las Vegas there's a way to decline it, but they just won't let you connect to the WiFi from the room. If you're in Vegas for anything other than a business trip, you're probably not going to be spending much time on WiFi anyway, and I have unlimited 5G data on my mobile phone + tethering. It's absolutely a scam, and it's ridiculous you get taxed on paying bullshit fees, it's just a way for the government to scam you too at the same time they give businesses a pass for scamming you with bullshit fees.

pxx 3y ago
Wait what? Afaik there's no way to decline a Vegas resort fee without being a member of the relevant casino rewards program in the requisite status tier.
- tristor 3y ago
  Yes, you can decline them. I do this every single time at check-in if I'm not on a business trip. If you decline them, then you won't be able to use WiFi since you have to connect with your last name and room number through the captive portal at most properties. This may be property specific, I usually stay at MGM properties. If I'm on a business trip I don't care because it's not coming out of my pocket, and I usually can't choose the hotel I am staying at unilaterally. The resort fee basically covers access to specific amenities (theoretically), if you decline it you will be giving up access to those amenities, that are otherwise not "free". YMMV.
  - pxx 3y ago
    No you can't and I can't find a single report that doesn't confirm. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g45963-i10-k8695916-Is_the_MGM_Grand_resort_fee_mandatory-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g45963-i10-k8695916-Is... Specific policy: https://www.mgmresorts.com/en/mgm-rewards/daily-resort-fee-waiver.html https://www.mgmresorts.com/en/mgm-rewards/daily-resort-fee-w... A lawsuit that specifics names them as mandatory: https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/mgm-resorts-facing-lawsuit-over-use-of-resort-fees-2299475/ https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/mgm-re... When was the last time this supposedly worked? These are posts from seven years ago...
    - tristor 3y ago
      It's been awhile, I go to Vegas so much for work the last few years (pandemic not-withstanding) that I haven't done a personal trip in awhile. I have one planned this year though in September, so if I remember I'll report back how it goes then, because I absolutely plan to reject the resort fees.
CaptainZapp 3y ago
It seems, though, that those fees are really an American problem. I've never encountered crap like this in Europe or Asia. The worst I encountered, in Penang, was that VAT was not included and charged extra. City tax may also be charged seperately, but we're talking 2-5 Euro per person / night. Shit, like charging an additional 50$ per night for nothing, just because they can just doesn't happen.
- rlonstein 3y ago
  > It seems, though, that those fees are really an American problem. Not at all. I saw this several years ago on a business trip in the UK at the preferred hotel as selected by my employer where on top of the higher than public rate there were fees for wifi and other services I'd consider basic at a Marriott Courtyard.
  - CaptainZapp 3y ago
    Not the same thing. While you practically never see fees for Wifi nowadays it used to be quite common 10 years ago. Mostly in upscale hotels. The significant difference to a resort fee is that you didn't have to pay if you didn't want to use it. I don't have a problem with a hotel charging for the spa or the gym. What I do have a problem with if they charge for such features regardless if I use them. And that's the problem with resort fees.
cameldrv 3y ago
To me it’s not about getting “your money’s worth.” If they want to charge extra for the pool or a couple of bottles of water, fine, as long as it’s optional. These are always mandatory fees though. If I have to pay it, it should be included in the displayed price, and there shouldn’t be any surprises at checkin.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

pxx 3y ago

Wait what? Afaik there's no way to decline a Vegas resort fee without being a member of the relevant casino rewards program in the requisite status tier.

tristor 3y ago
Yes, you can decline them. I do this every single time at check-in if I'm not on a business trip. If you decline them, then you won't be able to use WiFi since you have to connect with your last name and room number through the captive portal at most properties. This may be property specific, I usually stay at MGM properties. If I'm on a business trip I don't care because it's not coming out of my pocket, and I usually can't choose the hotel I am staying at unilaterally. The resort fee basically covers access to specific amenities (theoretically), if you decline it you will be giving up access to those amenities, that are otherwise not "free". YMMV.
- pxx 3y ago
  No you can't and I can't find a single report that doesn't confirm. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g45963-i10-k8695916-Is_the_MGM_Grand_resort_fee_mandatory-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g45963-i10-k8695916-Is... Specific policy: https://www.mgmresorts.com/en/mgm-rewards/daily-resort-fee-waiver.html https://www.mgmresorts.com/en/mgm-rewards/daily-resort-fee-w... A lawsuit that specifics names them as mandatory: https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/mgm-resorts-facing-lawsuit-over-use-of-resort-fees-2299475/ https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/casinos-gaming/mgm-re... When was the last time this supposedly worked? These are posts from seven years ago...
  - tristor 3y ago
    It's been awhile, I go to Vegas so much for work the last few years (pandemic not-withstanding) that I haven't done a personal trip in awhile. I have one planned this year though in September, so if I remember I'll report back how it goes then, because I absolutely plan to reject the resort fees.

CaptainZapp 3y ago

It seems, though, that those fees are really an American problem. I've never encountered crap like this in Europe or Asia. The worst I encountered, in Penang, was that VAT was not included and charged extra. City tax may also be charged seperately, but we're talking 2-5 Euro per person / night. Shit, like charging an additional 50$ per night for nothing, just because they can just doesn't happen.

rlonstein 3y ago
> It seems, though, that those fees are really an American problem. Not at all. I saw this several years ago on a business trip in the UK at the preferred hotel as selected by my employer where on top of the higher than public rate there were fees for wifi and other services I'd consider basic at a Marriott Courtyard.
- CaptainZapp 3y ago
  Not the same thing. While you practically never see fees for Wifi nowadays it used to be quite common 10 years ago. Mostly in upscale hotels. The significant difference to a resort fee is that you didn't have to pay if you didn't want to use it. I don't have a problem with a hotel charging for the spa or the gym. What I do have a problem with if they charge for such features regardless if I use them. And that's the problem with resort fees.

cameldrv 3y ago

To me it’s not about getting “your money’s worth.” If they want to charge extra for the pool or a couple of bottles of water, fine, as long as it’s optional. These are always mandatory fees though. If I have to pay it, it should be included in the displayed price, and there shouldn’t be any surprises at checkin.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]