Chances are you’ve probably been slammed by hidden airline fees you can’t avoid often when you’re at the airport an hour before your flight. At that moment it turns out that the airfare you thought you were paying wasn’t as cheap as you thought. Well the same thing is starting to happen in the hotel industry and it isn’t pretty. All told US hotels are expected to collect about $2.1 billion in fees this year. If you’re going to stay at a hotel, Galding has a list of a few charges you could see tacked on to the final bill:
1. Charges for donations to local charities without your consent.
2. Bellhop service charges even if you didn’t use them.
3. Housekeeping charges.
4. Charges for using the business center, fitness center or other amenities.
5. Charging extra for a new set of clean towels or sheets.
6. Adding fees for using the in-room coffeemaker.
7. Sometimes guests are charged for the in-room safe, even if it’s not used.
8. Package delivery fees are applied for receiving mail.
9. Bills at some hotels now include an “energy surcharge.”
10. Paying steep fees to use the internet.
11. Early checkout fees.
There are however some things that you can do about this. First of all, always carefully look though the bill when you’re checking out of a hotel and dispute any fees they’re charging you for things you didn’t use. It is possible to have many of these charges dropped by negotiating with a manager. I think that Joe Sharkey of the New York Times offers a better solution though. Whenever possible try to stay at mid-level hotels that cater primarily to business travelers. Many of these hotels offer a wider range of services and amenities which are built into the nightly rate they advertise. You may be paying a higher nightly rate but you can rest assured that you won’t have any nasty surprises when you look at the bill when it’s time to check out.

Don’t hand over your credit card too quickly.
Churchill has short-term corporate housing available Nationwide. Please contact us at 866-255-0593 or National@FurnishedHousing.com for more information.