This week Peter is answering your questions from Twitter and your emails, but don’t forget you can talk to Peter too. Peter will be standing by to take your calls this Saturday, March 31, (from 10am to 1pm ET) on his Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio Broadcast.
You can talk to him at 1-888-88-PETER (1-888-887-3837), email peter@petergreenberg.com, or tweet questions to @petersgreenberg (use #askPeter)
This week, Peter is tackling a few of his favorite subjects–eliminating hotel resort fees and the importance of having an updated passport. He’s also revisiting the hostel experience and the European vacation with a few new thoughts. As always, his answers just might surprise you.
Larry C. @thelarry7 tweeted: What are your thoughts on daily resort fees? I’m on vacation now in Tampa. Between $20 for valet and $20 for a resort fee, that’s another $200 for my trip.
Peter responded: Is that a rhetorical question, Larry? If you want my idea on resort fees, blow them up, bury them. They are an insult. It’s nickel and diming that’s unnecessary in this world. What organizations don’t understand is that when the accountants run the asylum, everyone goes crazy. The accountants are trying to generate short-term revenue but they’re engendering long-term ill-will.
A hotel should price its product for what I’m going to be paying. Don’t make me go to my wallet every 15 minutes, and don’t ever use the asterisk (*) that accompanies all inclusive rates. Asterisks are another indication that a property lying.
If a hotel plays fair, I’ll pay more. Customers are not fools, we’re not stupid, we’re just angry. We’re looking for clarity. And when we get clarity we’ll come back. When we get clarity, we tell our friends. We should get rid of the resort fees across the board, they’re an insult.
Hotels should learn from what just happened in the airline business. The Department of Transportation now requires airlines to disclose what you’re going to be paying in the advertised price instead of discovering a fare will actually cost another $180 due to taxes and fees.
Watch out for hidden fees, Peter shows you how in his video on Avoiding Hotel Fees and Demanding Disclosure.
