Outrageous hotel fees add up. Not at B and Bs

Mark Orwoll, trusted travel journalist, recently published a story about the exorbitant $12 hotel minibar fee for a can of nuts (which also resulted in a $12 stomach ache). This confirmed my contention that B&Bs are simply the better way to stay.  In his story about the world's most outrageous hotel fees, provided by Travel & Leisure Magazine, Orwoll unveils how hotels stand to gain $12.5 billion in add-on fees that you simply do not find at a bed and breakfast.  I know I beat my "B&Bs are more affordable" drum over and over, but Orwoll's insight into the ever-increasing hotel add-on fees in Boston and well beyond proves my contention. Read on and you may never stay at a hotel again.

Beware of catch 22 credit card booking fees
According to Orwoll, It's unfair of hotels to require a credit card for booking then surcharge you for using it at checkout. It can happen anywhere (he's  found examples in Switzerland, Vanuatu, Thailand, and elsewhere), "but the practice is epidemic in Australia," says Orwoll.  Your cost: up to 5 percent of your total bill.  I've never heard of this practice at today's B&Bs. 

Early Check-In Fees can set you back $50
Orwoll says, "Hotels used to go out of their way to accommodate early-arriving guests. Now you just might have to pay for the privilege, including at some properties under the banners of Hyatt Regency, Hilton, and Kempinski". Your cost: fees average $20–$50.  While B&Bs won't always guarantee early check-ins, they'll do their best to accommodate guests who request an early check-in or late check-out  in advance with no added fees.
 
The charitable donations add up
Increasingly, hotels are adding charitable donations to your bill, maintains Orwoll.  Their intention may be noble, and the hotels pass along the donation directly to the charity, yet something still feels wrong about this. Orwoll says, "They'll remove the donation from your bill on request, Mr. Scrooge—but should you really have to ask?". Your cost: $1–$2. I've seen innkeepers at B&B taking collections for local charities in exchange for anything from candy bars to rubber duckies, but they won't automatically add a charitable donation to your bill without your insistence.

What?  Fees for in-room coffee and tea?
This is one of the fees that really get to me, and apparently to Orwoll too. The hotel kindly places an electric coffeepot on your dresser along with an assortment of tea bags and instant coffee. "Watch out," says Orwoll. "That amenity, which used to be gratis, is becoming a new source of revenue for hotels", insists Orwoll.  Your cost: $2–$5 for a tea bag or a packet of coffee.  Gone are the days of bringing those coffee packets home for an emergency. Instead, next time choose a B&B where morning coffee usually appears before 7am and a bottomless cup is typically available 24-7, gratis, with complimentary biscotti or another snack or cookie to go along with it.

Maid service costs more than a tip
Orwoll reveals that some hotels now charge guests for that most basic of expectations—cleanliness. It may show up in the form of a mandatory gratuity or simply be listed as a housekeeping fee. But whatever they call it, you're paying a separate fee for maid service. Your Cost: $2–$10 per room per day. Cleanliness is next to Godliness at today's B&Bs. Chance are if you read a review for any B&B guests will comment on how clean the guest room was.  Innkeepers are dedicated to offering the greenest and cleanest of rooms, and while they gratefully accept tips, they won't charge an extra housekeeping fee.

Free wi-fi?  Where?
Why is it that so many budget hotel chains (including Best Western, Comfort Inn, Hampton Inn, and Holiday Inn) routinely offer free Internet connection while so many luxury brands don't asks Orwoll. Don't expect that to change. According to iBAHN, which claims to be the world's largest Internet service provider for the lodging industry, "The 'free to guest' model of providing free access in all locations of the hotel at all times to all guests is economically unrealistic given guests' differing bandwidth needs."  Your cost: $10–$20 (or more) a day.  Yet, according to BedandBreakfast.com, the most comprehensive online B&B directory and reservation network worldwide, more than 87 percent of B&Bs offer a free wi-fi connection.

Forget the high Mini-Bar fees, what about the mini-bar moving fee?
It's bad enough that you have to pay ten times or more the normal price for mini-bar items, maintains Orwoll. But what's worse is the growing practice among hotels to add an extra charge to replace items you took. And it gets worse: hotels are increasingly using mini-bars armed with sensors that detect—and charge your room bill—if you so much as move an item. Your cost:  $3-$5. Budget Travel recently reviewed how hotels charge as much as a 300 percent mark up on mini-bar items.  BedandBreakfast.com's surveys additionally revealed that more 95 percent of B&Bs offer either complimentary afternoon or evening refreshments or a complimentary wine and cheese reception, and none will charge you for moving the free items they leave for guests in the room.

These extra fees add up.  In previous stories, it was clear that a Boston B&B stay can save more than $175 a day over same-duration hotel stays. Are you a never-ever inngoer?  Make your next stay a B&B getaway, and I'm willing to bet you'll be hooked.  Let me know.