Last weekend I stayed at the Hotel de Anza in downtown San Jose. The property is one of the new Destination Hotels that recently joined the Hyatt portfolio. Well, I should clarify: it’s definitely not new, just new to World of Hyatt.
When I checked in, I was handed a paper that explained the “vast array of amenities available” at the hotel. In order to “encompass a simplified and inclusive stay,” the Hotel de Anza charges a $14.95 nightly “amenity fee.” Huh?
I find it pretty ludicrous that a downtown San Jose hotel charges this sort of fee. I mean, sure, you can probably nickel and dime the people coming to the Silicon Valley who have expense accounts and don’t care.
But the items on the list of “signature amenities” and “guest room amenities” are what really made me shake my head.
Seriously? An Extra Charge for a Desk and Power?
I wish I would have taken a look at the paper before heading up to my room, as I probably would have had words with the front desk right then and there. But I headed upstairs to get settled first.
One of the first things I noticed was how nice the desk is. It is a stylish, and has a nicely placed power panel in the corner. But then I looked at the paper and noticed that a “work desk equipped with power outlets and USB outlets” was listed. Excuse me?
That’s just insulting. The hotel is already reaching when they put together the list of what they offer, but to add the desk to the list of “signature amenities”? Ludicrous. I guess if I refuse to pay, they’d come up and haul it away?
I figured I’d try out the Late Night Snack Box, just because it’s listed as an amenity and actually something unique that this fee supposedly covers. My guess was that it would be a small selection of packaged snacks such as cookies, popcorn, and the like. Guess I gotta put that $14.95 to use?
Expectations were definitely not met when this was delivered:
Yes, it’s a green apple, a small cookie, string cheese, and a sandwich of cheap ham and cheese. Brilliant.
To boot, the High Speed WiFi (another listed amenity) was atrociously slow, so slow that I really struggled to upload photos to WordPress and stream Netflix. I’m literally in the Silicon Valley, and you can’t have excellent internet?! Unacceptable.
Getting the Fee Removed
Since I was staying on a free night award, I fortunately had an easy avenue for requesting the removal of the resort/amenity fee. I probably would have tried even if this wasn’t a perk of Hyatt award stays. A quick request at the desk at check-out confirmed that the amenity fee hadn’t been added to the folio. Thank you.
I thought about discussing my thoughts on the amenity fee, but I didn’t see any real point in doing so with the young guy manning the desk solo. He has no control over what the hotel charges.
If enough people take this up with Hyatt, my hope is that they will begin to make a change corporate-wide. It’s ridiculous that a hotel in downtown San Jose can get away with charging fees like this. Even more so when they try to pass of things like a desk with power as a “signature amenity”.
I wasn’t charged for it, but the Homewood Suites by Hilton Orlando-International Drive/Convention Center listed “Walt Disney World” on their list of amenities
https://www.pointswithacrew.com/i-think-ive-found-the-most-ridiculous-hotel-amenity/
Really? You’re going to try to claim Disney World as “your” amenity?
But then I saw one even more ridiculous – “Electric Service”
Cmon now
Ha!! I’d forgotten about that post. So funny. And sad.
It is time for legislation about price advertising…this kind of scam has become widespread and downright fraudulent. If a “fee” or any other item that results in a cost to the consumer it must be included in the total price advertised regardless of where that ad occurs. If, however, such a fee is optional then it would not have to be included in the listed price for the item or service. The only exception would be taxes imposed by a government entity. I have ceased using Hilton because they have become so egregious with this. I had one of these… Read more »
Most of the time they are disclosed before final booking. It is just deceptive if you use an OTA and miss the detail, as the fee isn’t charged until you arrive, and you may think you’ve already paid the balance of what will be due.
That SFO resort fee issue sounds messed up. Why would they even think to add that??
I was recently in Denmark and the law there states that the advertised price is what you actually pay, including taxes. Whatever price you see listed is what you pay. Makes things a lot simpler.
Next “amenity” will be things like a bed, water in the toilet bowl, and carpet
Exactly. We’re quickly headed toward complete absurdity.
[…] We just wrote about a way to find out if your hotel will charge a fee and how much. The things included in these fees are ridiculous, ranging from a free cup of coffee, towels at the pool to a credit at the overpriced hotel restaurant. However, Travel Update may have discovered the craziest item for which a hotel has ever charged a fee. […]
Thank you for the warning, comments, and photos. I live 50 miles south of downtown San Jose. Hotel rates and fees in California are to the point where I do day trips to places that are 200 miles away for things like educational or job related classes, visits to friends and relatives, fun trips to zoos/museums, sporting events, concerts, or funerals. I don’t enjoy spending eight hours of my day in a car, but I save my hotel money on necessities and emergencies. Long gone is a hotel stay before an early flight or after a late arrival. That is… Read more »
Rates are insane, especially in the Bay Area. I live 5 hours north of SFO, so a night in the Bay is a necessity now and then.