The hotel industry is booming. There will be about 2.8 million occupied hotel rooms on any given night in the U.S. this year. Along with the increased occupancy,
hotels are finding increased ways to charge patrons, and sometimes these charges come as a big surprise. Watch out for undisclosed fees and surcharges, such as:
Automatic gratuities/surcharges, including mandatory bellman charges:
Baggage holding fees
Cancellation fees
Early departure/arrival charges
Energy surcharges
Handling charges for overnight packages, e.g. receiving Fed Ex packages.
Increase fax charges
In-room safe surcharges
Internet surcharges
Mini-bar restocking charges (a charge for the restocking, not for food or drink)
Resort amenities fees
Telephone call surcharges
While it may be okay to charge these fees if they are disclosed in advance,
it is not okay to surprise guests at checkout with these charges. If you have paid these surprise charges, received no refund and want to discuss your legal rights, please
contact us.