ESCAPE
HOTEL SURCHARGES
We’ve seen the
practicing that we call
“nickeling-and-diming” –
imposing phone surcharges, health-club
fees, and mandatory valet parking –
on the rise at many hotels. While a
single fee might not seem like much, add
a few here and there and your bill
becomes outrageously high at check-out
time. We think it is time to fight back
– here’s how:
Join the
frequent-guest program. Some
programs include benefits like free
health-club use, which can rid you of the
fee altogether. But if you are still hit
with those annoying surcharges, your
membership card will give you additional
status and clout when you ask the manager
to have the charges removed from your
bill.
Put things in
perspective. Telephone
access fees — typically $1 to $2 a
call — are a gouge. But these fees
are small in comparison to the other
charges you’ve probably incurred. We
always tell the manager, “Look, I've
just spent hundreds of dollars at your
hotel, and you're trying to charge me a
two dollar fee for each local phone call.
If you were in my shoes, would you think
this was fair?" We have yet to have
a manager refuse to remove the phone fees
from our bill. (For more tips on how to
get results when you complain, click
here.)
Use the # key. Remember that some hotels levy
charges for any calls -- even those made
with a calling card. If you call from
your hotel room using your calling card
and know the hotel is charging, plan on
making several calls in succession. If
you stay on the line after the other
party hangs up, you can press the pound
key to make the next call. This saves you
the extra charge of making another call,
as your hotel's telephone system will not
recognize that you are making multiple
calls.
Avoid the
mini-bar. Do you really need that $4 Diet
Coke or that $3 Snickers bar? The
hotel uses the lure of convenience to
lead you into temptation. Don't let them
profit at your expense! If you are dying
for a drink or a junk-food snack, hop on
the elevator and pick up your goodies at
the newsstand in the lobby. You'll save
yourself a bundle and work off a couple
calories to boot.
The Philadelphia Insider Directory:
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