Are You Paying Extra on Your Hotel Bookings? Know What are the Hidden Costs and How to Avoid Them
Next time you are making hotel bookings, ensure about these hidden costs which you may have to pay for later on.
No one likes to pay extra especially when you know you can get the deal much at much cheaper cost. We all have a tendency for bargaining but there are some places where you just pay whatever price is quoted, in case of hotel bookings. In most cases, since we opt for online bookings, we think we get a discount and just go ahead with the payments. But on the other hand, there are a lot of hidden costs which you end up paying. When you check out from a hotel, the final amount is not what you'd expected, but the taxes and service charges make it a lot more. Before you make the final payments, make sure you check and ask some questions to the staff. Chances are you might just save money.
We are not even talking of the luxurious hotels which anyway cost a lot on their luxuries provided, but even smaller hotels have hidden charges which you end up paying without realizing. It can even affect your budget for a planned travel. Take a look at which are the hidden costs you are paying for, but ideally should not.
Housekeeping fees
When we book a hotel, it is expected to receive the services like basic housekeeping. While the housekeeping boys do look for a small 'tip,' nowadays even hotels have started expecting them. It is actually the service every hotel has to provide and you need not pay extra to the hotel for it. The best way to avoid is keeping the calls to the housekeeping minimal.
Internet charges
In times when we have so much dependency on the internet, most of us look for a hotel with an internet connectivity. Several hotels proudly hang the free WiFi boards but they end up charging you for it. The catch is usually that you can use the 'free' service only in the hotel lobby but for the connectivity in the rooms above, you have to pay. So ensure before you make the bookings, ensure the WiFi rules, especially when you are traveling for work.
Parking fees
Big hotels do have the facility for car parking and valet but this is not given complimentary. You may have to shell out some amount for utilising the parking space. Tough luck if you have driven all the way, you cannot escape this.
Early check-in fees
Some hotels tend to be very strict about their check-in and check-out time. But there can be some situations when you arrive early then your check-in time since you have no choice you need to get the room. Many a times people themselves offer to pay extra. But it is actually a basic courtesy to let you in your room unless the booking is really full. Hotels always use early check-ins as a way to extract more money from you. To avoid this what you can do is leave your bags at the reception and try and spend some time nearby. They obviously cannot charge you for keeping your bags.
Resort fees
These are the most common fees which you end up paying. When you stay at a resort, they include laundry charges, spa, gym access, pool time etc. but they do not tell you at first that you will be charged for these. It is the most common deception that you can use these services since you have already paid a good amount for your room. These charges are added in later and can really affect your bill by a good deal. So ask twice before you go ahead and make use of the attractive services.
The best way to utilise what you have paid for, is always taking the complimentary services (breakfast, lunch) offered in your package. Whenever you are out on a vacation, you do not want any hassles but these last-minute money issues can really affect your holiday mood. So as much as overbearing it seems, ask the hotel staff questions about everything especially in case of using the gym, pool, internet etc. These charges may seem nominal but all added up together can get expensive. And these are very common ways of hoteliers to take out money from the customers. So next time you are making hotel bookings, ensure about these hidden costs which you may have to pay for later on. And if ever not satisfied with the service, tell not just the management but all review it on some platform online. Because if you have paid extra, you can always tell others to be aware of the particular management.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 21, 2018 05:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).