Opinion on Resort Fees ?

[JoeH]

I am finding some CG's ( aka resorts) that add on a "Resort Fee" on top of their daily rate.
Not sure why they would do that vs just raising the rates, but what are your thoughts when you encounter this situation ?

[monkey44]

Even a few state parks do it now. It takes a legislative act to increase fees, so some states have added a "dock fee" or a "day-use" fee to every campsite. SO advertised site say, $20 a night, becomes $26 a night. We would probably stay anyway, but would like a bit of honesty.

We all (campers, RV'ers) understand costs go up sometimes - and the state parks are often jewels and less priority than other budget items - but honesty about the fees should trump an arrival add-on. Just seems sneaky to me, same with the hotels and cell phone service companies. Deception seems to be the rule of the day in a lot of business dealings and advertising.

Price plus tax, should never be price plus tax plus fees. And just because it calls itself a resort does not mean it is one.

[valhalla360]

2012Coleman wrote:
My thoughts include - Hhhmmmm, how badly do I want to stay here? If I want to badly enough, I pay the fee, otherwise I look into a state park.

Posting a high nightly fee or highlighting it upon making a reservation...I can decide if it's worth it.

Waiting until I show up with reservations before disclosing it...now you may have me over a barrel with few or bad options (ie: I'm tired after a long drive and there isn't another place with openings nearby). This is where false advertising comes in. It's an intentional attempt to trick you into paying a higher price, knowing most people will have few options once they arrive.

[drsteve]

fitznj wrote:
I thought the Marriott Hotel chain just got fined for doing this.

The advertised a rate then added "resort fees" on checkout - I believe they
have been ordered to reimburse their customers for the "resort fee".

How's this any different?

Marriott was not mentioning the resort fee until the bill was presented at checkout time, at which point you're stuck with it. Every campground I've stayed at the payment was collected up front, which allows the customer to decide in advance if the total cost is acceptable.

[buc1980]

What you do if they are the only one with space available drive another 100 mile? Just pay and shut up.Is not right but what can we do give up camping?The price in some area getting ridiculous high .

[Crowe]

Not a fan of these "resort" fees myself, either cgs or hotels, but if it's clear upon registration then as others have stated you can just go elsewhere. If it's tacked on after-the-fact then that is indeed fraud. My suggestion would be to just pay with a credit card then dispute it immediately. Second thing to do would be to contact the state's AG and have them investigated for fraud.

I don't think anyone "likes" the extra fees that are tacked on. It is what it is with options of going elsewhere, picking a fight over it or just staying home.

[doxiemom11]

My understanding is that the resort fee is added for anyone who is not a paying member of the resort, as in they purchased a membership or are owners of a lot in the park.

[Allworth]

Not only avoid them to the point of walking out during registering, but post on RV Park Reviews to warn others.

[kohldad]

The advertised a rate then added "resort fees" on checkout - I believe they have been ordered to reimburse their customers for the "resort fee".

The problem sounds like they added it at check out so it was a hidden fee. The fees must be explained upon check-in.

I don't like them just like I don't like fuel surcharges or mandatory options. Just a way to lower the price or weight for advertising purposes. I avoid those places because if they aren't being upfront with the price, I wounder how else the are cheating their customers.

[spoon059]

I usually research the campgrounds pretty well before I make reservations, but occasionally you can get surprised. The "resort fees" that I've encountered are usually per person and usually cover something extra... "free" breakfast, small waterpark or other activities.

If we are getting some value out of it, I usually don't mind it, especially now that I have kids who are old enough to enjoy those activities. However, if its just an overnight stop on the way to a destination, I'm usually looking for a clean, no frills park that is convenient to my route. I'll pay a couple dollars more for a cleaner/safer park, but not exorbitantly so.

[Cobra21]

It's kinda like getting an oil change...add on for shop towels, filter disposal and so on. So many buisnesses have these ridiculous add on "fees" you really have to watch!

[sgfrye]

2012Coleman wrote:
My thoughts include - Hhhmmmm, how badly do I want to stay here? If I want to badly enough, I pay the fee, otherwise I look into a state park.

yep
their rules, rates and policies. if you aren't happy with it, choose another location.

we travel with 4 small dogs. some private campgrounds have a 2 pet max policy. i don't complain about it, i just find somewhere else to stay that doesn't have that policy.

[2012Coleman]

My thoughts include - Hhhmmmm, how badly do I want to stay here? If I want to badly enough, I pay the fee, otherwise I look into a state park.

[valhalla360]

It's less of an issue with campgrounds (but growing as the digital world creeps in) but one of the big draws for hotels, is online sites get a commission based on the listed price from the website. If they cut the price by 20%, they cut the website commission by 20%.

But yeah, it's basically false advertising 95% of the time. Enforcing it is harder to do as they bury it in the fine print.

[Dick_B]

The KOA on Pine Island, FL tacks on a Resort Fee at check in. This is beyond the cost of the site when making the reservation online. We paid it for a couple of years because we were 1200 miles from home and they were the only CG on the island BUT we won't be going back.