"Travel In The US Is Dead": Influencer Rants About $500 Resort Fee At Hawaii Hotel

A TikTok influencer recently sparked debate after blasting a Hawaii hotel for a surprise $500 "resort fee" added to her bill. The influencer, who was on her honeymoon, shared her frustrating experience, claiming that the unexpected charge made her feel misled and taken advantage of. In a video, the influencer expressed her disappointment with the hotel's transparency regarding the additional fee. She stated that the resort fee wasn't clearly mentioned during the booking process, and she only discovered it when she received her final bill.

"Travel in the US is dead and it's all because of corporate greed. On my honeymoon, my last stop is Honolulu. I stayed at a resort and saw a $500 charge added to my bill at checkout. It says there is a daily resort fee of $52 plus tax per room per day," she said in a video.

Notably, the resort fee covered amenities like a fresh flower and coconut greeting, morning yoga for two, freshly baked muffins, refillable water bottles, cultural activities, and high-speed internet for Marriott Bonvoy members. The creator noted that high-speed internet was the sole benefit of being a Marriott Bonvoy member. However, she pointed out that many basic facilities, such as beach chairs, incurred extra costs. At the beach, guests had to sit in the sand, while chairs at the pool came with a $200 reservation fee.

"Why pay $200 as a guest, on top of what I'm already paying, and on top of a resort fee for things I don't want, just for a chair? The fee you already paid does not include it. The hotel itself is also disappointing. When a hotel could give something out for free, like these chairs, they instead charge because they can," she added.

Watch the video here:

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The influencer's rant quickly gained traction online, with many users expressing their own experiences with surprise resort fees. Some defended the influencer, sharing similar stories of unexpected charges at hotels and resorts. Others criticised the influencer for not doing her research before booking.

One user wrote, "Opaque pricing (hidden fees) should be illegal. It should be considered fraud."

Another commented, "If paying 75 dollar to sit on a chair, that chair is mine and it's coming home."

A third said, "Corporate greed hidden fees is something we should absolutely address but also native Hawaiian has been warning us. Telling us to boycott Hawaii as a travel destination because of how much capitalism has destroyed the island and drive away people who are native to the island. It's a lesson for all of us really, to do a bit of research before booking for holidays at any particular destination."

A fourth added, "I realized as an American, save up money for the flights to Europe, Asia, etc because the experience is 1000x better than US ever could for the same price."