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Hotel cost can be among the biggest budget travel challenges. But even if you manage to find a good rate, you cannot avoid the taxes.  In many places, those now exceed 13 percent of the room rate.

You’ve used search engines to find a base price for rooms in your destination city. You have learned that online booking can cut your bill in half, and can be a real money-saver in certain circumstances. Perhaps you take advantage of hotel promotions and you’ve learned that places with empty rooms are ready to make deals.

The hospitality industry makes lots of money from services that are completely independent of your room rate. These are charges that are easy to side-step and must be given some thought when you check-in.

Avoid the Mini Bar  

Would you ever pay $5 for a bottle of water from the bar? How about a $6 bag of peanuts?

A few travelers are tempted to take the expensive water and then replace it the next day with a reasonably-priced bottle purchased elsewhere. It usually doesn’t work, because inventory is taken each day and some honor bars are equipped with motion sensors.

Buy your own drinks or snacks elsewhere and leave the overpriced items for the next guest. You can get mineral water for $1 and a bag of peanuts for $2 from the nearby supermarket.

Refrain from ordering room service

Another blow-a-hole-in-the-pocket charges is the food and beverage order service offered by the hotel. If you flip open the pages of the menu, you will notice that the prices are overly charged. Would you pay a whooping $24 ++ for a plate of fish and chips or $35++ for a set breakfast meal?

You can save 75% by eating out. 

Skip the In-Room Movies

“In-room movie” may be tempting as the selection is wide and the service offers viewing of the most recent movies. But those selections are overpriced offers on your screen.

For the price of some in-room movies, you can rent three or four titles at your hometown rental store when you get home, or buy the DVD and play it on your computer.

These costs add up quickly, but there’s an even more compelling reason to tune out: in-room movies are often the source of billing mistakes. Order one movie, and guests sometimes are charged for two or three.

It’s best to stay out of the hotel movie service altogether.

Stay off the Phone and internet access

This one is less of a problem than in previous years, because many travelers now carry their own mobile phones. But the temptation still sits on your nightstand.

Hotels have a varied and bewildering array of surcharges and fees for using their phones and internet access. Some charge for local calls. Some put premium charges on long distance in addition to the standard rates. Internet access cost $20  day and it is not as if you are likely to use it the whole day.

If you don’t have a mobile device, buy a pre-paid calling card for your long distance conversations. Ask about fees for calling the local pizza parlor or your in-town friends, too. Search for internet cafes in the area if you need to send out or check urgent emails.

Avoid hotel spa and massage services

Hotels may offer state-of-the-art massage parlours and spa services. However, that comes with a price. Such services usually charge patrons 3 times the amount and that too come with double taxes, including service charge.

If you need to seek such services, find out if the area offers any from the tourist centre or the internet during pre-departure and check-in research.   

We all know room service is usually overpriced, yet sometimes the convenience outweighs the cost. But if it becomes a habit, it can eat a chunk of your budget. Explore facilities are complimentary and the services that are located around the hotel area such as dining, grocery shopping, movies and entertainment. 

Tags: extra hotel frills to avoid, hotel costs to avoid