Mimicking the airlines, hotels get fee-happy

There's a big market waiting for a hotel chain to say "one flat price, no hidden extras".

Place I've stayed a few times in London has a mini bar with beers about 4 times what they cost in the supermarket across the road. So I would use them and replace them from the supermarket. Obviously I was not the only one doing this as the hotel changed the system so the beers are on a metal plate that detects movement and if you lift a beer off it automatically bills it to you. I don't use that hotel anymore.

There's a big market waiting for a hotel chain to say "one flat price, no hidden extras".

I recently stayed at a hotel with breakfast included, vending machines on each floor in which everything was free (you needed a code to get anything from the machine), and a free happy hour every evening. First hotel I've ever stayed at with this full lineup of included stuff (and it wasn't a resort).

The price reflected it though.

That's the one nice thing I love about Japan. When you see a price, that's the price you pay. No hidden fees on top of that. Well, that is until the 3% tax raise. Now, the supermarkets are showing the pre-tax price of goods. Not so happy with that tactic.

Maybe if more people asked for those automatic-charging minibars to be removed from their rooms the extra labour cost involved would cause the hotel to change them. Same with the safes: every time you go in and out ask the front desk to store and retrieve various clutter in their safe for free. When it becomes too bothersome they might return to free safes.

These sneaky charges just cause customers to resent the hotel chain, making them less likely to return.

This is just one more tactic for the 1% to get richer. Get used to it.

everything was free

NOTHING is free. It's the oldest con in the book.

"A guest in need of a mini refrigerator can have one delivered to their room — for an extra $35 a night."

Bwa ha ha ha ha ha who would pay $35 extra to have a fridge they can use in their room, excepting those who have money to burn?

Coming out of the recession, the travel industry grew fee-happy.

Yes, I am sure discouraging people by charging them for stuff that used to be free is the best way to get out of that recession. It is a shame these people never actually seemed to study economics.