A Hyatt resort on 15 beachfront acres in Hawaii, Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort is far from a place to sleep. There are multiple pools including a lagoon and 3 infinity pools. As part of the resort fee, you can also take a stand-up paddleboarding course, use the resort’s snorkel equipment and his GoPro action camera, and learn ukulele, hula, and mixology.
It’s all marketed as free, but that’s just the thing. Andaz Maui is one of the estimates of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. charge a resort feeThese charges range from US$20 to US$50 per night, making them one of the most controversial issues in the travel industry.
NerdWallet analyzed over 100 US hotels with January 2023 check-in dates as part of the 2023 Best of Awards. Best and lowest priced hotelsThe average resort fee for hotels that charge is USD 42.41, accounting for nearly 11% of the total nightly room rate. Andaz Maui’s daily resort fee of US$50 plus tax is above average. But Andaz Maui’s nightly rate is also above average, so based on data collected in December 2022, the rate is about 6% of his overall nightly rate for his January 2023 stay. %am.
And like most other resorts that charge such fees, Andaz’s fees aren’t an option — even if you don’t use the amenities at all.
read more:
* US Hotel Resort Fees: What Fees Are, Why You Are Charged, How To Avoid Fees
* How much does this actually cost?It’s hard to get a straight answer when traveling
For resort fee
Resort fees can be one way hotels increase their profits without necessarily charging additional fees to their guests.
According to a 2017 report from the Federal Trade Commission, “Hotels claim resort fees can reduce the commissions they pay to online travel agents.”
Most resorts pay commissions to travel agents based on the price per night, not the overall cost. Lower room rates and resort fees reduce the amount resorts have to pay referrals.
Marco Garcia/AP
Resort fees that aren’t advertised as part of the room rate for a hotel stay can surprise many travelers when they see the final price.
Some resorts go all out on amenities, which makes resort fees seem more justified. Hyatt’s Alila Napa Valley in the Northern California wine region costs US$55 plus tax per night. This includes wine and valet parking and use of bike and electric vehicle charging stations. His US$50 fee at the Ritz-Carlton Baccarat in Santa Barbara, California includes amenities such as yoga and water aerobics classes, electric bike rentals, guided beach walks for him, and use of tennis courts. I’m here.
Brittain Komoda, marketing manager for Andaz Maui, said splitting the fares could encourage vacationers to learn about and use the amenities on offer.
“We have cultural activities, water activities, GoPro rentals, and other classes,” says Komoda. “We want our guests to experience them and know what they cost.”
Komoda said that could be the case because tourists who don’t pay separately to ride the outrigger canoes are included in the resort fee. The activity may become the highlight of your vacation and become a better memory of your resort.
And even buying just a fraction of what Andaz Maui has to offer a la carte will likely well exceed the $50 USD daily resort fee (charged per room, not per person). says Komoda. For example, at a surf shop in Wailea he rents a GoPro for about $40 a day and a full face snorkel his mask rental is $17 per person for him. A stand-up paddleboarding lesson on Maui is about $150-$180 per adult.
“Our intention is to welcome new and returning travelers alike with an immersive experience that goes well beyond resort fees,” says Komoda.
The Case Against Resort Fees
However, some hotels may claim that basic amenities such as Wi-Fi and use of the in-room phone are included in the resort fee.
For travelers who book expensive rooms, additional mandatory charges to cover benefits advertised as “free” can be stingy and confusing. and warned me that the resort fee was not properly disclosed on the booking website.
Improved transparency of resort fees. In November 2021, Marriott committed to displaying the total price, including the room rate and other mandatory charges, on the first page of its booking website.
However, with other resorts that separate rates and room rates, it can be difficult to figure out the total cost.
According to a 2017 FTC report, “When a resort fee is included in the room rate, consumers can compare rooms at different hotels by simply visiting the rooms page on the hotel’s website.” A disclosed resort fee requires consumers to add their room rate to the resort fee and remember the total for each hotel under consideration.”
Dave Betham, general manager of Courtyard Oahu North Shore in Hawaii, said that’s why his facility, which offers free amenities and cultural activities like ukulele and hula classes, doesn’t charge a resort fee. increase.
“We’re looking at it from the guest’s point of view,” says Betham. “We like the idea of no surprises.”
