4 Super Secret Hotel Perks
The holiday travel season is fast approaching, and it’s likely there are a number of hotel rooms calling your name in the near future. Get the most out of your stay by taking advantage of these four little-known hotel perks.
1. Insider Tips from Your Bellman
Bellman are the eyes and ears of the hotel, with tons of insider knowledge about special deals, promotions, and other perks that can make a huge difference during your stay. Their knowledge of the city you’re visiting is nothing to sneeze at either, should you be looking for an activity or restaurant that’s off the beaten path. You’ll be surprised at how far a nice tip and a few friendly questions can take you.
2. Workout Kits
Some hotels now allow you to exercise in the privacy of your own hotel room, rather than a a gym (if there is one). While the contents of the kit may vary, many include staples such as a yoga mat, pilates bands, hand weights, and an ab ball. Some hotels will even place a treadmill in your room for a small fee! Call ahead to ask your hotel if this service is available, and to reserve your kit before you arrive.
3. Access To the Hospitality Suite
Some hotels keep a suite open for guests who are waiting to check in, or who have already checked out, to use upon request for short periods of time. This is a great option if you want to squeeze in a few more hours of site-seeing, swimming, or hiking. Leave your bags with the front desk while you traipse about town and then freshen up in the hospitality suite before heading to the airport. Be sure to ask if the suite is available before your last-minute activities, however. Getting all sandy at the beach may not be such a good idea if the hotel is filled to capacity and the hospitality suite shower isn’t available. Be aware that some hotels may have time limits for the suite’s use, and it’s always good manners to leave a tip for the cleaning service.
4. Free Toiletries
Many hotels offer much more than adorably tiny bottles of shampoo. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, sewing kits, and other personal hygiene products are often just a quick call away, and are usually complimentary. If you’re a frequent traveler, you may never have to buy you own toothbrush again!
Be sure to make the most of your stay with every trip you take! We’re always here to help you stay smart and sleep well!
The main issue debate surrounding resort fees involves whether or not they are properly disclosed before booking. Hotels charging resort fees create two additional unique issues.
Taxing issues regarding resort fees depend on their location. In some states, like Nevada and California, hotel resort fees are taxed the hotel occupancy rate. That is the tax rate that is used for hotel rooms.[57] Guests in those states are paying and being taxed for two hotel rates for one night. In other locations, like New York City, the advertised hotel room is charged hotel occupancy tax but the resort fee is taxed at the sales tax rate.
Forty-two hotels in New York City charge resort fees.[58] All of those hotels charge 14.75% hotel occupancy tax on the advertised room rate. They also only charge 8.875% sales tax on the resort fee. That means that each hotel in New York City that charges a resort fee is not passing 5.875% of tax on to the city for every reservation. This has been calculated to a loss of $8,826,000 to the city in lost tax revenue per year.[59]
Since many tourists are unable to compare hotel prices when resort fees are involved, tourists in resort fee prominent locations have now begun to turn to home shares over hotels. Home sharing platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO do not allow hosts to split their pricing into two. Tourists looking for one total price when searching for a place to stay have been able to find that through home shares.[60]
Despite the tax losses to cities that have resort fees and the fact that these fees are directly causing consumers to turn to platforms where a clear price is presented, no bill currently exists to ban resort fees in any city in the United States.[61] Share Better, an organization that advocates to reduce home shares due to affordable housing issues, has not advocated for a ban on resort fees for any of the bills they are working on throughout the country. Resort fees are one of the leading causes of tourists turning to platforms like Airbnb over a hotel.[62] Share Better is funded by Unite Here!, the hotel worker’s union, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the hotel lobby.[63][64]
The main issue debate surrounding resort fees involves whether or not they are properly disclosed before booking. Hotels charging resort fees create two additional unique issues.
Taxing issues regarding resort fees depend on their location. In some states, like Nevada and California, hotel resort fees are taxed the hotel occupancy rate. That is the tax rate that is used for hotel rooms.[57] Guests in those states are paying and being taxed for two hotel rates for one night. In other locations, like New York City, the advertised hotel room is charged hotel occupancy tax but the resort fee is taxed at the sales tax rate.
Forty-two hotels in New York City charge resort fees.[58] All of those hotels charge 14.75% hotel occupancy tax on the advertised room rate. They also only charge 8.875% sales tax on the resort fee. That means that each hotel in New York City that charges a resort fee is not passing 5.875% of tax on to the city for every reservation. This has been calculated to a loss of $8,826,000 to the city in lost tax revenue per year.[59]
Since many tourists are unable to compare hotel prices when resort fees are involved, tourists in resort fee prominent locations have now begun to turn to home shares over hotels. Home sharing platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO do not allow hosts to split their pricing into two. Tourists looking for one total price when searching for a place to stay have been able to find that through home shares.[60]
Despite the tax losses to cities that have resort fees and the fact that these fees are directly causing consumers to turn to platforms where a clear price is presented, no bill currently exists to ban resort fees in any city in the United States.[61] Share Better, an organization that advocates to reduce home shares due to affordable housing issues, has not advocated for a ban on resort fees for any of the bills they are working on throughout the country. Resort fees are one of the leading causes of tourists turning to platforms like Airbnb over a hotel.[62] Share Better is funded by Unite Here!, the hotel worker’s union, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the hotel lobby.[63][64]
The main issue debate surrounding resort fees involves whether or not they are properly disclosed before booking. Hotels charging resort fees create two additional unique issues.
Taxing issues regarding resort fees depend on their location. In some states, like Nevada and California, hotel resort fees are taxed the hotel occupancy rate. That is the tax rate that is used for hotel rooms.[57] Guests in those states are paying and being taxed for two hotel rates for one night. In other locations, like New York City, the advertised hotel room is charged hotel occupancy tax but the resort fee is taxed at the sales tax rate.
Forty-two hotels in New York City charge resort fees.[58] All of those hotels charge 14.75% hotel occupancy tax on the advertised room rate. They also only charge 8.875% sales tax on the resort fee. That means that each hotel in New York City that charges a resort fee is not passing 5.875% of tax on to the city for every reservation. This has been calculated to a loss of $8,826,000 to the city in lost tax revenue per year.[59]
Since many tourists are unable to compare hotel prices when resort fees are involved, tourists in resort fee prominent locations have now begun to turn to home shares over hotels. Home sharing platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO do not allow hosts to split their pricing into two. Tourists looking for one total price when searching for a place to stay have been able to find that through home shares.[60]
Despite the tax losses to cities that have resort fees and the fact that these fees are directly causing consumers to turn to platforms where a clear price is presented, no bill currently exists to ban resort fees in any city in the United States.[61] Share Better, an organization that advocates to reduce home shares due to affordable housing issues, has not advocated for a ban on resort fees for any of the bills they are working on throughout the country. Resort fees are one of the leading causes of tourists turning to platforms like Airbnb over a hotel.[62] Share Better is funded by Unite Here!, the hotel worker’s union, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the hotel lobby.[63][64]
The main issue debate surrounding resort fees involves whether or not they are properly disclosed before booking. Hotels charging resort fees create two additional unique issues.
Taxing issues regarding resort fees depend on their location. In some states, like Nevada and California, hotel resort fees are taxed the hotel occupancy rate. That is the tax rate that is used for hotel rooms.[57] Guests in those states are paying and being taxed for two hotel rates for one night. In other locations, like New York City, the advertised hotel room is charged hotel occupancy tax but the resort fee is taxed at the sales tax rate.
Forty-two hotels in New York City charge resort fees.[58] All of those hotels charge 14.75% hotel occupancy tax on the advertised room rate. They also only charge 8.875% sales tax on the resort fee. That means that each hotel in New York City that charges a resort fee is not passing 5.875% of tax on to the city for every reservation. This has been calculated to a loss of $8,826,000 to the city in lost tax revenue per year.[59]
Since many tourists are unable to compare hotel prices when resort fees are involved, tourists in resort fee prominent locations have now begun to turn to home shares over hotels. Home sharing platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO do not allow hosts to split their pricing into two. Tourists looking for one total price when searching for a place to stay have been able to find that through home shares.[60]
Despite the tax losses to cities that have resort fees and the fact that these fees are directly causing consumers to turn to platforms where a clear price is presented, no bill currently exists to ban resort fees in any city in the United States.[61] Share Better, an organization that advocates to reduce home shares due to affordable housing issues, has not advocated for a ban on resort fees for any of the bills they are working on throughout the country. Resort fees are one of the leading causes of tourists turning to platforms like Airbnb over a hotel.[62] Share Better is funded by Unite Here!, the hotel worker’s union, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the hotel lobby.[63][64]
