Travel 
As most of you know we have been ‘on the road’ for almost two years now. We stay in some hotels but also stay in time share units and sometimes a resort depending on where we are (and the price). It seems a lot of tourism related businesses are moving to what we would call “hidden charges”. You can read our recent blog about National Car Rental and the charges applied to our rental bill here.

Resort Fees
In the last couple of years Hotels/ Resorts have started moving to what they call a ‘resort fee’. This usually (they tell you) includes use of the pool (previously free), WIFI (also previously free in most Hotels), valet parking (OK they used to charge for this – but it was about half of a resort fee) and free local calls (who uses this service in 2018?). Sometimes the fee includes a bottle or two of water.

The resort fees we have paid over the past couple of years have ranged from $8 – $35… per night! So when we book a hotel room for $129 but add the resort fee the price can jump up to anywhere from $137 to $164. Plus you have to pay the taxes on the additional fee.

Consumer Opinion
In our opinion we would rather book online (we almost always do this) and agree to pay the posted rate, rather than a lesser rate only to be hit with the resort fee after. When you book your rooms online the resort fee is always listed but not always in an obvious place. You often need to look for it.

OK – we get it costs are going up, hotels are getting creative in finding a way to make more money but what if the golf industry started charging for parking? Would everyone? Interesting point for discussion… leave a comment with your thoughts.

By the way, a gratuity is expected with your free valet parking! Just so you know. As a point of concession some of the resorts we have stayed at have really upped their game in terms of their pool areas so we get the increased cost for that. Those who have not are just following suit and charging their customers anyway.

We, Jeff and Tara Ciecko of CK Golf write two blogs, one is our 19th Hole Blog where we share personal experiences and the other an Industry Blog where we comment on general business and internet marketing best practices, sales strategies and give golf industry related opinions. We have owned CK Golf  for 9+ years and provide business services to the golf and other industries. As of August 2016 our life and our business is ‘location independent’. Our 19th Hole Blog is about the places we visit and the things we do. If you have any questions or comments, or happen to be in the same location as us please reach out and contact us anytime.

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