We all find ourselves in a situation from time to time where we just can’t avoid paying a hotel’s resort fee. As a budget traveler, I try hard to avoid these “junk fees.” Because I am an avid player in the travel points and miles world, I am often able to avoid these fees by booking a room with points or free night certificates. But not all hotel chains waive the fees on award stays, and some only waive them for loyalty members with elite status. We have some level of hotel status at a few chains from our credit cards, but we don’t stay enough nights at any brand in one year to earn it organically.
Here is a tip I learned a long time ago that reduces the pain a little when we are forced to pay these fees. Open up the website or app and click the link that shows what is included with the resort fee. An itemized list will populate so that you can familiarize yourself with what is included before your trip.
Fun Fact: Generally, when you book an award stay with waived resort fees, you still get to use all of the perks!
We are staying at the Grand Hyatt in Kauai this September. We only have Discoverist status with Hyatt, so we will have to pay the $55 per night resort fee. Sigh. I have already begun my research, and when I pulled up their list of included perks, there were some very basic items, BUT there were also some hidden gems.
Separating the Trash from the Treasure
When I scanned this list of amenities, the first item that made me stop was SELF PARKING. Valet Parking at the Grand Hyatt is currently $40/per night, so utilizing the included self parking will save us $120 (plus tips) over 3 nights for valet.
The second thing that grabbed my eye was the complimentary local shuttle. One of my favorite hotel features! I have saved a ton of money during our travels by utilizing hotel shuttles. We are often able to reduce or eliminate our total number of car rental days, which saves us a lot of money. Shuttle service to local bars and restaurants also means we can have a few Mai Tais and not worry about driving back to the resort or dealing with the remote self parking lot.
We also love included amenities like beach chairs and umbrellas. No need to rent or buy them. Some resorts charge huge fees to reserve chairs and umbrellas for just a few (specific) hours. The Grand Wailea in Maui charges $75 for 2 beach chairs and an umbrella for 5 hours. That gets expensive fast. When we stay at one of the Hyatt properties in Oahu, their resort fee amenities include chairs and umbrellas, plus boogie boards and other fun beach stuff.
Reusable water bottles and tote bags are always nice to have. Always good to stay hydrated! We used our tote as our beach bag during our last stay. The sunscreen stations are also handy. No need to worry about forgetting it in the room, plus it makes it easy to remember to reapply often. Nobody wants a sunburn on vacation!
We have stayed at the Grand Hyatt before, but we were in the pool a lot and didn’t participate in many activities. I may do the Guided Sunrise Walk this trip. Maybe we will even try some of the cultural activities like ukulele or hula lessons.
The Moral of the Story…
If you find yourself stuck paying a hotel resort fee, it only takes a few minutes to check the list of included amenities. Identify any useful items, and squeeze out as much value as possible! Sometimes you might even get lucky and find free or discounted drinks or food included.
Dream, Plan, Save, Adventure!
The World According to Dev 