Tell us if this sounds familiar:

You’re about to travel. You find a hotel, booking it at a fantastic rate of, let’s say, $179 per night. You enter your info, your credit card number on the hotel website’s reservation center, take a look at your total…which now reads $232.70 for one night.

Whaa?

You may have been the victim of what hotels call “resort fees.” Resort fees can easily add 5-30% to your hotel cost. Back in the day, resort fees would include things like local telephone calls, use of the fitness facilities and pools and newspaper delivery. Today, it’s the Wi-Fi fees that are really the culprit of hotel guest’s frustration. With high-end hotels charging upwards of $30 per day for Wi-Fi, they have absorbed these costs into their “resort fees.” Clever, huh?

In the ever increasing game of “who’s got the best rate”, hotels that charge a resort fee giggle with delight. By charging this fee, a hotel is able to advertise a reasonably lower nightly rate, which may give an advantage over competitors who don’t charge the fee. But here’s the thing – they are not required to disclose the extra fee until the room is booked (or until you check in!). While it seems like you’ve gotten a great rate, in the end, you’ll end up paying more than you intended.

The biggest offenders? Luxury hotels. Check this out:

  • The Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas charges a mandatory resort fee of $32.48 per day which includes Wi-Fi and use of their fitness facility.
  • The Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York bills $18.95 per day for Wi-Fi.
  • The Fairmount San Francisco charges $13.95 per day for Wi-Fi.

Note to you Wi-Fi chargers: Coffee houses have free Wi-Fi. Bookstores do, too. So do Hampton Inns and every other budget hotel.

Now, here’s the good news: Ponte Vineyard Inn has not, does not and will not ever charge resort fees. Your rate includes a great room, great service, FREE WI-FI, and use of our fitness facility plus countless other room features. No hidden fees at all. Ever. Voted the #1 hotel in Temecula and the 13th best hotel in America on Trip Advisor, our 60-room hotel is simply the best place to rest your head in Temecula wine country. Taste wine, indulge in gourmet cuisine, take advantage of the many things to do in wine country…or just lay in bed and surf the internet. It’s free, after all.

Mid-week rates start at $176 – See our room packages and book your room here

–Erica Martinez