Do Groups Have to Pay Resort Fees?

A gentlewoman of a certain age decided to give herself a big treat for her significant birthday by staying overnight in one of London’s most deluxe hotels. When she checked out the next morning, the desk clerk handed her a bill for £450.00. 

She exploded and demanded to know why the charge was so high. “It’s a nice hotel but the rooms certainly aren’t worth £450.00 for just an overnight stop without even breakfast.” The clerk told her that £450.00 was the ‘standard rate’ so she insisted on speaking to the Manager. The Manager appeared and, forewarned by the desk clerk, announced: “the hotel has an Olympic-sized pool and a huge conference center which are available for use.” “But I didn’t use them,” she said. ”Well, they are here, and you could have,” explained the Manager.
 
He went on to explain that she could also have seen one of the in-hotel shows for which the hotel is famous. “We have the best entertainers from Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen performing here,” the Manager said. “But I didn’t go to any of those shows,” she said. “Well, we have them, and you could have,” the Manager replied.
 
No matter what amenity the Manager mentioned, she replied, “But I didn’t use it!”

The Manager was unmoved, so she decided to pay, wrote a check and gave it to the Manager.  The Manager was surprised when he looked at the check. “But madam, this check is only made out for £100.00.” ”That’s correct. I charged you £350.00 for sleeping with me,” she replied.
 
“But I didn’t!” exclaimed the very surprised Manager. “Well, too bad, I was here, and you could have.” Many hotel brands and chains opt to include a host of services such as bellmen and maid gratuities, newspaper delivery, telephone calls and lounge chairs by the pool in a lump sum called a resort fee. They may be assessed per room or per person and are normally charged per night at the end of a guest stay. They are usually not insignificant amounts and are often budget busters for meeting organizers.

While the above joke may poke fun about what amenities a guest uses, did you know most resort contracts negotiated by Covington Meetings & Events planners do not contain such fees?
This is one of many aspects of a contract that is reviewed very carefully and negotiated by our experienced team. Sometimes a frank discussion about the group’s needs and usage of services included in the fee can result in discounted rates. On an individual basis the fees may not be negotiable but if they are a stumbling block to a sizeable group contract, resorts are often willing to think twice about requiring a fee for a service not rendered.

The gentlewoman’s case notwithstanding, Covington Meetings & Events has experience in negotiating group contracts and our annual volume of such negotiations gives us buying power that individuals do not have. Wouldn’t you rather let CM&E negotiate your resort fees for your event so you don’t have any surprises on the bill?

Contact the Covington Meeting Planning professionals or call us at 804-747-4197 to plan your next meeting or incentive trip.