Resort Fees

spoon059 wrote:
$10 per person? That is excessive. I've stayed at a KOA that has a resort fee, but it's $2-3 a person. That covers "free" pancake breakfasts, kids activities, hayrides, etc.

For $2-3 I think I get my value (especially with little kids) but we tend to limit staying at places like that. $10 a person is an extra $40 per night for my family. I can't imagine what it would take to make it worthwhile to pay an extra $40 a night on top of regular camping fee's. As a matter of fact, I usually try to stay at campgrounds that are less than $40 for EVERYTHING.

I don't believe it was 10 dollars per persons but rather 10 dollars per rig. As stated, the proposal was to allow guests free access to the golf course so they wouldn't have to pay 20 dollars per person. By the way, the original idea for this came from the guests. Difficult to compare a KOA to a Resort with 27 holes of golf, 14 tennis courts, 8 pools, 12 hot tubs, two club houses etc etc. It is a different way of RV vacationing. Not better or worse, just different.

$10 per person? That is excessive. I've stayed at a KOA that has a resort fee, but it's $2-3 a person. That covers "free" pancake breakfasts, kids activities, hayrides, etc.

For $2-3 I think I get my value (especially with little kids) but we tend to limit staying at places like that. $10 a person is an extra $40 per night for my family. I can't imagine what it would take to make it worthwhile to pay an extra $40 a night on top of regular camping fee's. As a matter of fact, I usually try to stay at campgrounds that are less than $40 for EVERYTHING.

Although this is late to the game just wanted to put out there that part of the proposal to raise the resort fee to 10 dollars was to also allow guests to golf for free. Currently this costs guests 20 dollars for 18 holes. (For owners golf is free)

I don't believe there has been a decision yet. I'll check though.

We are owners there.

mileshuff wrote:
State parks in AZ often do have a fee as you say but its included in the camp fee for those staying the night. The fee is only paid for day users to the park which makes sense.

Well, tell that to Texas, where the per-person per-day fee is in addition to the camping fee.

W4RLR wrote:

magnusfide wrote:
Hmmmm: resort fees.
Nope, never paid any and won't pay any. Another reason we like state parks. :w

Then don't go to an Alabama State Park. They just recently started charging "resort fees" for many of their campgrounds, especially those in places that are heavily used and popular with RVers. Here is an example Three percent daily resort fee and $4 per site fee at Lake Guntersville State Park. It's a backdoor way of raising revenue that I think will soon be the norm nationwide as states cut funding for parks and campgrounds.

The resort fee being a percentage of the site fee means that monthly campers will pay less for resort "privileges" per day than daily campers, and weekly campers will pay less per day than daily campers. And people in full hookup sites will pay more for the resort fee than people in electric-and-water sites, even though presumably the people in full hookup sites will not be using the bathroom facilities as much.

Are they prohibited from just raising the price? Because on a $25 site, the 3% is 75 cents. They could raise the site fee to $26, making an extra 25 cents per night over the "resort fee" AND people would think, "Gosh, that's nice--they raised the site fee by only $1 instead of jumping from $25 to $30." Instead, they're giving people something to complain about.

But look what you get at this campground/resort--the big, private sites that are so prevalent in state parks:

magnusfide wrote:
Hmmmm: resort fees.
Nope, never paid any and won't pay any. Another reason we like state parks. :w

Then don't go to an Alabama State Park. They just recently started charging "resort fees" for many of their campgrounds, especially those in places that are heavily used and popular with RVers. Here is an example Three percent daily resort fee and $4 per site fee at Lake Guntersville State Park. It's a backdoor way of raising revenue that I think will soon be the norm nationwide as states cut funding for parks and campgrounds.

Rice wrote:
Actually, in some states, the state parks charge a daily entrance fee in addition to the camping fee, which is pretty much the same thing these resorts are doing.

State parks in AZ often do have a fee as you say but its included in the camp fee for those staying the night. The fee is only paid for day users to the park which makes sense.

magnusfide wrote:
Hmmmm: resort fees.
Nope, never paid any and won't pay any. Another reason we like state parks. :w

Actually, in some states, the state parks charge a daily entrance fee in addition to the camping fee, which is pretty much the same thing these resorts are doing.

I've noticed the resort fee when looking through Passport America listings--the campsite is half price but you have to pay the full resort fee.

"Outdoor Resorts" enough said...

tatest wrote:
What matters is total daily cost or total monthly cost, whether or not parts of the total are itemized. That includes local and state taxes, which might have to be listed separately as a government requirement.

Separate listing of mandatory "extra" fees by the park or resort lets the park advertise a lower basic rate, but only makes some people angry, thus is a bad business practice. For optional services, it makes sense.

True, and I certainly agree with you. Unfortunately it's not unique. Try renting a car, flying, owning a phone.....you'll see "fees" all over the place.

What matters is total daily cost or total monthly cost, whether or not parts of the total are itemized. That includes local and state taxes, which might have to be listed separately as a government requirement.

Separate listing of mandatory "extra" fees by the park or resort lets the park advertise a lower basic rate, but only makes some people angry, thus is a bad business practice. For optional services, it makes sense.