Crazy: Luxury Hotel Adds Mandatory “Housekeeping Surcharge”

Hotel unbundling continues, with one luxury hotel chain in Canada adding a mandatory “housekeeping surcharge” and “baggage fee” at one of its premier properties.

Luxury Hotel Adds Housekeeping Surcharge, Baggage/Porterage Fee

Check the fine print at the Fairmont Château Whistler and you might be very surprised:

Housekeeping Surcharge:
We will charge an additional mandatory daily Housekeeping Surcharge of $5.00 CAD per room, plus applicable taxes, for Housekeeping services, of which $4.50 CAD is a gratuity that is distributed to the housekeeping team and the remaining $0.50 CAD is retained entirely by the Hotel (and not distributed as wages, tips or gratuities to any Hotel employee). We will post the mandatory daily surcharge, plus applicable taxes, in the same billing arrangements manner as requested for applicable room and tax charges. This surcharge may change from time to time without notice.

Baggage/Porterage Fee:
We will charge an additional mandatory Baggage/Porterage Fee of $7.00 CAD per person, plus applicable taxes, for Arrival and Departure days, of which $6.30 CAD is a gratuity that is distributed to the bell services team and the remaining $0.70 CAD is retained entirely by the Hotel (and not distributed as wages, tips or gratuities to any Hotel employee). This fee is applicable to all guests travelling on a chartered vehicle of 8 passengers or more.

Wow…so housekeeping is no longer included in your room?!

LB, the reader who sent me this, pushed back and was told that the housekeeping is indeed a mandatory fee at Fairmont Château Whistler and that while not every Fairmont charges this, it is passed on at other properties as well (I have not been able to find which other properties).

The bellmen gratuity is only mandatory if you arrive by a vehicle of eight or more passengers such as mini busses to motor coaches, which strikes me as much more reasonable than a fee to clean the room on top of the nightly room rate.

But really, if we are going to start seeing housekeeping fees separated, you really do have to wonder what is next?

Pillow fees?

Hot water fees?

Duvet fees?

Electricity fees? (oh, wait…)

How silly this all is…and this shows as well that the foolishness is not limited to the USA.

image: Fairmont Château Whistler