Hidden charges on USA holiday.

[68c]

Family of mum, dad and 24 year old son going on holiday for two weeks to the USA.

Travel agents sorted hotels, flights and car OK, then casually mentioned some hotels may have a 'resort fee' you pay on arrival. The travel agent say they are not allowed to pay that for us, we must pay at the hotel.

An evening with Google showed most hotels charge this fee, average of $50 per room per night. Then state tax is applied at around 14% on the cost of the room and the resort tax.

Bit of a shock as this has added about $800 to the £8,500 the estate agent has charged. We had already had a few quotes from other travel agents, a call to them shows they also do not include this charge in their quotes. I now realise these agents are sharks and I have already gone into the water.

Does anyone know if there are any other hidden charges?

 

[Tombola]

They brought out aTDT tax in florida a bit back aswell about 5%.

Tourist development tax.

The resort fee varies from hotel to hotel, depending on facilities.

Self Car parking overnight at good hotels can be 30-50 dollars per night. They will.move on this though if you push them for multiple night stays.

If you valet park it's even more then plus the tip for the valet guy each time he runs for your car..

When we stayed at Swan dolphin, they informed (surprised us) us the resort fee was taken care of by TUI ..so was included.

Never happened anywhere else though, in over 20 years of visits.

 

[Markman]

Tips, tips, tips. Everyone wants/ expects one.
Restaurants typically 20% minimum now standard.
Even getting a drink from a bar, or a coffee.

 

[Coolcats]

Tips, tips, tips. Everyone wants/ expects one.
Restaurants typically 20% minimum now standard.
Even getting a drink from a bar, or a coffee.

We had a meal in the Chrysler restaurant NY, he waiters were actually arguing about tips, I was very close to declining the food bill as it spoilt an otherwise great evening.

Most American restaurant's and food chains pay very little in terms of wages so the only way for a waiter to make money is to ask for a tip. it's something that has spilled over here unfortunately. in the states a waiter on average gets paid around $15 per hour.

 

[Coolcats]

Family of mum, dad and 24 year old son going on holiday for two weeks to the USA.

Travel agents sorted hotels, flights and car OK, then casually mentioned some hotels may have a 'resort fee' you pay on arrival. The travel agent say they are not allowed to pay that for us, we must pay at the hotel.

An evening with Google showed most hotels charge this fee, average of $50 per room per night. Then state tax is applied at around 14% on the cost of the room and the resort tax.

Bit of a shock as this has added about $800 to the £8,500 the estate agent has charged. We had already had a few quotes from other travel agents, a call to them shows they also do not include this charge in their quotes. I now realise these agents are sharks and I have already gone into the water.

Does anyone know if there are any other hidden charges?

Make sure they have health insurance......the costs of a claim can be life changing if they don't

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[TheMobileWanderer]

Tourist tax seems to be coming in everywhere. Even the UK is planning for it. Some European countries do it too. Malta was 2 euro per person last year. I cant recall whether that was per night or per week. It'll only be going up, I reckon. It's payable at hotel reception.

Sorry, that doesn't answer the bigger part of your question.

 

[dryad]

Family of mum, dad and 24 year old son going on holiday for two weeks to the USA.

Travel agents sorted hotels, flights and car OK, then casually mentioned some hotels may have a 'resort fee' you pay on arrival. The travel agent say they are not allowed to pay that for us, we must pay at the hotel.

An evening with Google showed most hotels charge this fee, average of $50 per room per night. Then state tax is applied at around 14% on the cost of the room and the resort tax.

Bit of a shock as this has added about $800 to the £8,500 the estate agent has charged. We had already had a few quotes from other travel agents, a call to them shows they also do not include this charge in their quotes. I now realise these agents are sharks and I have already gone into the water.

Does anyone know if there are any other hidden charges?

good grief, that makes a hell of a difference to a holiday budget and especially so if you don’t know about it, could eat up most of someone’s spending money..