Hotel booking services often come with far too many hidden costs

There is nothing like finding a high-end resort show up on a hotel booking services website deal.

Pricline, Expedia, and other travel booking services that you can find on the internet can save you a lot of money but in the end, is it worth it?

Take for example my current stay at the Walt Disney Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Fl. This hotel can typically book for as high as $500.00 a night if not more but click on one of Priceline.com’s deals and you could find it anywhere from $116.00 to $205.00.

If you are a frequent traveler to Disney World then you have seen the swans and the dolphins statues atop the green triangle hotel that sits conveniently in walking distance to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. It may seem like you struck gold with this deal but, maybe not.

Like many resort style hotels or just about any hotel in the Disney World area, you will likely be hit with fees that you missed in the fine print. One of those is the resort fees that can range from a simple $20.00 per night all the way up to $45.00. I suppose charging a “resort” fee if you are a resort makes some sense but there are some hotels nearby that charge a $25.00 “resort” fee that are simply nothing more than a hotel.

Priceline points out before you book that the hotel charges that fee so you can tack on the additional costs but there are often others that you don’t catch until you roll up to the door. Like the internet fee or the more important parking fee.

At the Dolphin Resort they charge a $30.00 resort fee and on top of that they charge a $27.00 parking fee. Both are daily fees. The parking is located in a self parking lot that leaves you a bit more of a walk.

At the Waldorf Astoria located on Disney Property, a room deal might end up around $200.00 for a basic room but there is a $30.00 resort fee per night and a parking fee that can cost you as much as $80.00 per day if you are not paying attention. I left the hotel parking garage several times only to learn that you had to pay to get out each time and were charged by the hour. All the while my room was being charged the $30.00 a day rate as well. Know before you go.

Overall there are great deals no matter where you go but finding great deals can quickly turn into nightmares for the budget consious who didn’t plan for an extra $30 to $60.00 charge per night.