Hotel Tourism Levy

[brett]

About a year ago my spouse read an article about the hotel tourism levy that is frequently added to hotel bills. It is called several things and often amounts to 3 percent.

This is not a mandatory tax, rather a levy by the local tourism authority. We are travelling now. Just had $6.44 reversed from our bill when I asked them to delete this charge. It is not a lot of money however we see no Eason to pay an extra three points to pay for the tourist authority's marketing efforts.

Just wish I had known about this years ago.

 

[HFWR]

Yep, hotels and rental car agencies tack on lots of stuff. "Come visit our city, never mind the robber-baron-like taxes and fees..."

 

[Sojourner]

Is this different from (or in addition to) the typical 8 - 12% "hotel tax" I often see on my hotel/motel bills? I've always hated that tax and found it especially infuriating. I have never noticed any additional, optional tourism levy.

 

[athena53]

It's called taxing the people who don't have the ability to vote you out of office. We live in the KC area and KC and Phoenix, last I checked, had the two highest tax burdens on car rentals.


At one point the UK imposed an extra surcharge on people flying Business Class in and out of Heathrow. Just made me want to avoid LHR all the more.

 

[Sunset]

About a year ago my spouse read an article about the hotel tourism levy that is frequently added to hotel bills. It is called several things and often amounts to 3 percent.

This is not a mandatory tax, rather a levy by the local tourism authority. We are travelling now. Just had $6.44 reversed from our bill when I asked them to delete this charge. It is not a lot of money however we see no Eason to pay an extra three points to pay for the tourist authority's marketing efforts.

Just wish I had known about this years ago.

I totally forgot about this...

 

[brett]

In our past several hotel stays the itemized bill consisted of the room charge, the tax, and the something called anything from a tourist levy to just a few initials. Usually about 3-5 percent, or a flat fee.

This is the one that I routinely get reversed. It is a tourist or convention bureau change that the have no authority to levy. People overlook it because it is a relaatively small amount. We simply stopped paying it I must not be the only one either because the front desk folks have not been surprised at my request to reverse the charge.

 

[RunningBum]

It's called taxing the people who don't have the ability to vote you out of office. We live in the KC area and KC and Phoenix, last I checked, had the two highest tax burdens on car rentals.

I've noticed KC is really bad. I flew in there a couple times to visit family 3 hours away, because of better airfare and more flight options than the local airports. I realized the rental car taxes ate up the airfare savings so I stopped doing that.

 

[travelover]

It's called taxing the people who don't have the ability to vote you out of office. We live in the KC area and KC and Phoenix, last I checked, had the two highest tax burdens on car rentals.
..............

When I rent a car in Portland, I take the light rail downtown and rent the car for literally about half the airport price, even when returned to the airport. Not sure if the difference is direct taxes or just the usual gouging of travelers.

 

[jonat]

I often see a "resort fee" tacked on at ordinary hotels. You can usually get this removed too.

 

[braumeister]

When I rent a car in Portland, I take the light rail downtown and rent the car for literally about half the airport price, even when returned to the airport. Not sure if the difference is direct taxes or just the usual gouging of travelers.

Yes, when I traveled regularly to Portland, it always struck me that car rentals at the airport had some really egregious fees tacked on. More or less equal to the cost of the rental, as I recall.

 

[athena53]

Yes, when I traveled regularly to Portland, it always struck me that car rentals at the airport had some really egregious fees tacked on. More or less equal to the cost of the rental, as I recall.

That's typical of airport locations and it's frequently cheaper to rent from elsewhere in the city if you can get there.

My parents live in Myrtle Beach and the "Convention and Visitor's Bureau fee" on the hotel bill is an annoyance. We figure it pays for PR jobs for the friends and families of politicians.

 

[ivinsfan]

I often see a "resort fee" tacked on at ordinary hotels. You can usually get this removed too.

Have you done routinely, the resort fee is an add-on to the room rates and I'd be surprised if it is usually removed. I feel like they do it to make their room rate look cheaper on-line.

 

[jonat]

Have you done routinely, the resort fee is an add-on to the room rates and I'd be surprised if it is usually removed. I feel like they do it to make their room rate look cheaper on-line.

Not always successful, but sometimes. Yes, that's exactly why they do it. These local fees are also omitted. Some are actual taxes you can't escape, some are just "additional dealer profit" added by the hotel and hoping you won't complain.

 

[brett]

Our batting average on the removal of the infamous resort fee is less than fifty percent. We always ask, and argue a little especially if it is high... We have seen anywhere from $10-$25. per night.

 

[audreyh1]

Rental car taxes - that is the reason not to pay for the tank of gas at the car rental place because even if they have a great price per gallon, you pay those taxes on your gas too!

Didn't know about any tourism levy that could be deleted off hotel bills!

 

[audreyh1]

Our batting average on the removal of the infamous resort fee is less than fifty percent. We always ask, and argue a little especially if it is high... We have seen anywhere from $10-$25. per night.

I thought Congress was taking on resort fees recently - mainly that they weren't included in the price quotes for a hotel.

 

[RunningBum]

Our batting average on the removal of the infamous resort fee is less than fifty percent. We always ask, and argue a little especially if it is high... We have seen anywhere from $10-$25. per night.

$39 at the Greenbrier. I had a deal for $99 there once. Not such a deal when the resort fee is added. I think it may have been $45 a few years ago. That's the number that sticks in my mind, but it's $39 now on their site.

 

[Lsbcal]

When I rent a car in Portland, I take the light rail downtown and rent the car for literally about half the airport price, even when returned to the airport. Not sure if the difference is direct taxes or just the usual gouging of travelers.

Did the same in Seattle. Seatac airport taxes are very high.

 

[rodi]

San Diego has a hybrid tax for visitors... 10.5% for hotel tax (not negotiable/refundable) and between .55 and 2% transit marketing district "assessment" - which is voluntarily collected by the hotels - and you could probably talk your way to a refund. (The different rates are for size of hotel - 30 units or more is 2%, smaller hotels and vacational rentals pay 0.55.)

San Diego is having quite a controversy right now - two competing bills on the November ballot to raise "TOT" - transient occupancy tax.... AKA hotel and VRBO type short rental taxes. It would be a big hike - like up to 16%.

One measure is raising it to earmark it for a new downtown football stadium - this is the plan being pushed by the Chargers. The other is to earmark it to expand the convention center (home to ComicCon who is outgrowing the current facility). The convention center expansion would potentially allow the Chargers to build a stadium downtown.

Given that tourism is a huge industry here - it seems silly to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.... Tourists and conventions will likely rethink things if the TOT tax goes up to 16%.

We considered putting our granny flat as a vacation rental - but compliance with the TOT tax collection increased the hassle factor.

 

[Koolau]

Such taxes keep our local gummint flush with money to bribe the "usual suspects" for votes. It's a disgrace, but in theory, it keeps kama'aina taxes low(er). I can foresee a time when it could affect overall hotel occupancy. At some point, the hotels can't lower their room rates any more and folks will just stay away. Hope that's not soon. I know folks who resent "tourists", but I love them 'cause they bring in a significant portion of our tax base. Just hope the local gummint doesn't kill the golden goose.

 

[brucethebroker]

We rented our condo in FL in the past on VRBO. State of FL monitored requests for HOA approval for renters and demanded the 11% bed tax. We passed it on, but were very upfront with our renters. No one complained when they realized it was a state/local tax and was required by law.
Not all rentals charge the tax. But, the state is pretty aggressive about finding non-compliance and will threaten legal action to out of state owners.

As previously mentioned, "taxation without representation" of tourists.

 

[Marita40]

Just booked a hotel in Memphis. The tax was something huge like 17% and on top of that a local fee like that discussed there. Made the $129/night advertised fee a farce.

 

[ivinsfan]

You know hotel chains are starting to complain about places like VRBO not following the rules and undercutting their business.

Yet to me nothing has gone up more in price then the middle tier hotel chain nightly rates, The percentage of increase in the last 2 or 3 years has been insane.Certain properties that we have used on weekend nights down in MSP area have literally doubled.Double the base rate add taxes and fees on it all and it really comes out as a crummy deal IMO.

 

[Koolau]

You know hotel chains are starting to complain about places like VRBO not following the rules and undercutting their business.

Yet to me nothing has gone up more in price then the middle tier hotel chain nightly rates, The percentage of increase in the last 2 or 3 years has been insane.Certain properties that we have used on weekend nights down in MSP area have literally doubled.Double the base rate add taxes and fees on it all and it really comes out as a crummy deal IMO.

We had planned to drive from near Chicago to Seattle this summer. No longer like to stay in the "recycled" places because of bugs and cooking smells, etc. Got to checking "decent" (Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Microtel, etc.) motels and were shocked at the prices. We typically just sleep in such places (no pool activity, no long term stays unless near a tourist destination, etc.) We decided we may just skip this trip until next lifetime. Not that we could not afford it - it's just that we can't seem to justify the ridiculous costs for the service delivered. I wonder how many other folks are reaching the "saturation" point in such travel expense gouging. I think a lot of these places realized the gas prices were down and folks thought they could now afford to travel, so they took advantage and raised their prices. Hey, that's the "system" so I say "go for it." But just count us out this time. YMMV

 

[ivinsfan]

We had planned to drive from near Chicago to Seattle this summer. No longer like to stay in the "recycled" places because of bugs and cooking smells, etc. Got to checking "decent" (Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Microtel, etc.) motels and were shocked at the prices. We typically just sleep in such places (no pool activity, no long term stays unless near a tourist destination, etc.) We decided we may just skip this trip until next lifetime. Not that we could not afford it - it's just that we can't seem to justify the ridiculous costs for the service delivered. I wonder how many other folks are reaching the "saturation" point in such travel expense gouging. I think a lot of these places realized the gas prices were down and folks thought they could now afford to travel, so they took advantage and raised their prices. Hey, that's the "system" so I say "go for it." But just count us out this time. YMMV

Well properties close the the Interstate have always tended to be prices a little bit higher then the norm. But don't give up on your trip.Hilton/Hampton Inn has a particularity good branded credit card. I got one with 70K bonus points with a 2000 minimum spend. It gives I think 5x bonus point for Hilton stays and open you up to lots of discounted room offers..In fact I like the Hampton breakfast particularly when we are on the road. No one wants to get up and start a long day of driving by having to look for breakfast someplace.And the breakfast is certainly better then a fast food breakfast, since we don't want to spend an hour at a sit downbreakfast in the beginning of the day.