Holiday Inn Express adds automatic surcharge and customers risk paying more on 'preferred' rate chan
MEMBERS of the Holiday Inn Express hotels' rewards program may be hit with a surcharge at check-in.
The automatic fee could leave some hotel guests paying more on preferred rates when redeeming membership points.
Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express are part of the IHG brand of hotels.
The hotel company has its own rewards program, IHG One Rewards.
As with many similar programs, travelers who sign up for IHG rewards can earn points every time they stay at a participating brand hotel.
Points can then be redeemed toward hotel stays.
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The program even offers travelers the opportunity to use a combination of points and cash.
Points are only redeemable for the cost of the hotel stay, taxes, and fees.
But guests who use points for a "free" stay will likely be hit with a surcharge at check-in.
Some hotels charge resort fees and other hotel-specific surcharges that the points don't cover.
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Those fees will need to be paid directly to the hotel.
HUNKERING DOWN ON FEES
Meanwhile, a group of US Senators has proposed new legislation to combat hidden hotel fees.
Hidden Wi-Fi surcharges are among the ones the Hotel Fees Transparency Act is targeting.
Other little-known fees include those for use of a hotel's gym facilities.
"Too often, Americans making reservations online are being met with hidden fees that make it difficult to compare prices and understand the true cost of an overnight stay," Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar said in a press release.
Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas added: "This commonsense legislation requires hotels and other short-term lodging providers to display and advertise the total price of their room, so Kansans can be certain that the listed price is what they will pay at check out."
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