of life now.
Tipflation, taxes, and fees hidden in hotel prices have become a common way of life, but that doesn’t mean it’s not annoying. Whether it’s tipping, Ticketmaster fees, or hotels, it’s frustrating to know the price you saw when you searched for a hotel is not the same amount you’ll be charged when you actually book the room.
So why is this happening? It’s not hard to understand. Hotels want to make sure their prices are competitive so they advertise a lower rate than the true cost. Unfortunately, this means that when you go to check out, you’ll be met with a whole host of fees and taxes that weren’t included in the price you originally saw.
This could easily be fixed if Google and major booking services verified all prices and included the total in their search results. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case, and customers are often left trying to do the math and figure out the real cost of their hotel room.
To avoid this, one of the best things you can do is search for reviews of the hotel you’re interested in on TripAdvisor. Often, customers will mention any additional fees they were charged and you can use this to make an informed decision. Alternatively, you can also try using a VPN to pretend you’re browsing from a country that requires taxes and fees to be displayed up front.
It’s clear that taxes, fees, and tipflation have become a way of life, but that doesn’t mean it’s not annoying. If you do your research and read reviews, you can make sure you’re not hit with any hidden costs.