The key to avoiding extra hotel fees to is ask about what is included in the price of any room before checking in to the resort, says Marc Eisenmann. As the owner of Hollywood Beach Hotels in South Florida, Eisenmann works with families from across the country to make their vacation dreams come true. Here is his advice on how to avoid getting stuck with unexpected costs and bills on your Florida beach vacation.
Internet Fees
The most common fee for hotel guests to unexpectedly get stuck with is the Internet use charge that a lot of hotels are tacking on. Even though most hotels in Hollywood Beach, FL, do offer Internet connections in every room these days, many are charging guests for the right to use the connection. This can come as an unexpected fee to hotel guests who weren’t expecting to be charged $10 or more per day of use.
“Do I think the addition of an Internet usage fee is going to make a difference in where a person is going to stay? No, not really,” Eisenmann says. “But these unexpected and avoidable fees still leave a bad feeling in a lot of people’s mouths.” Eisenmann says that hotel guests these days shouldn’t come to a certain hotel expecting to pay a set amount for the week, only to find out that they are going to have to pay $70 extra to use the Internet during their stay. Added on fees like that can really irritate hotel guests, he says.
Parking Charges
Most hotels charge a fee for parking, especially hotels in areas like Hollywood Beach, FL. Whenever a person is vacationing in a high-density area, he should anticipate that there might be additional fees for hotel parking. “Here at Hollywood Beach Hotels, we charge a very nominal fee for parking,” Eisenmann says. “But of course, we advertise that fee to customers right from the very beginning.”
Eisenmann says that most people are okay with any fees that they are made aware of upfront. It is the unadvertised charges that make people mad. “If someone is staying at our hotel for a long time, our parking fees are probably going to be negotiable,” he says. Although not every hotel will negotiate its add-on fees with guests, Eisenmann says it is worthwhile to ask if you have a question about any fees you see on your bill. “Any good hotel is going to be forthright, and the staff is going to disclose everything to guests when they ask,” he says.
Although a few hotels in Hollywood Beach, FL charge exorbitant parking fees upwards of $23 per day, Eisenmann says that prices that high are not the norm for the area. “Prices like that can be somewhat cost prohibitive for guests,” he says.
Resort Fees
Unlike hotels and resorts in nearby Miami, hotels in Hollywood Beach, FL, do not charge extra for the use of fitness centers, in-room safes, pools towels, and other luxury amenities. Among industry insiders, these types of added-on fees are known as resort fees. “I don’t know a single operator on Hollywood Beach that charges a resort fee,” Eisenmann says.
Before arriving at any property you have never been to before, Eisenmann recommends calling the hotel’s staff and asking about any additional fees that you should be expecting. “I would always recommend that you assume nothing until you call and speak with the hotel yourself,” he says. “And if a hotel doesn’t want to be forthright with you, or you feel any lack of transparency on the phone, then I would just cross that hotel off your list.”
Staying on Budget
Because extra fees can throw any budget off track, it is best for guests to get a full rundown of what they can expect their bill to look like before arriving at the resort. And just because a certain property charges additional fees to surf the Web or parking, does not necessarily mean that the hotel should be crossed off the list. “Rather than trying to trick customers, I think what a lot of hotels are looking to do right now is just to separate each of their amenities so they can charge less to people who want less, and more to people who want more,” Eisenmann explains.
Similar to the way that airlines are charging customers extra for each checked bag, Eisenmann says some hotels are charging guests more for additional amenities. But this practice can actually be helpful to guests who use less of these amenities, since it means they might be actually paying less for a room at some very nice hotels, as long as they don’t need the extra upgrades like Internet connections and parking. This updated pricing structure is actually making it fairer and cheaper for a lot of people who’re interested in staying in a hotel at Hollywood Beach, FL, for their next big vacation.
