Can someone explain hotel taxes & fees on the island?

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Most do quote taxes as an extra charge, but 19% is rare - broken down or combined. The range usually seems to be 20 to 30%. ... I did email my booking site asking them to explain the 22.54% taxes.

What, you've never heard of a RESORT FEE?! (Or to use the vernacular from another industry, "Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price does not include tax, title, dealer prep, destination charges, loan origination fee, dealer installed options, and additional dealer markup.")
 
What, you've never heard of a RESORT FEE?!
Yeah, hate those. They should quote their real room charge honestly and let that compete honestly with the others as shoppers compare properties in their price rang.

But these charges are quoted as taxes.
 
Really, they quoted a US tax on a Mexican property? What percentage rate?


Sure, except the "city environmental clean-up tax" is a flat rate, and not what I asked about.
I apologize. I misread the posts. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima cuppa.

Cheers - M²
 
Okay, so I received an informative reply from the hotel today. The taxes are indeed 16% + 3%, but the booking site quoted combined taxes that also included the ENVIRONMENTAL FEE $25.35 MXN/day, so that's where the 22.54% came from. The booking site also added Sanitation services: MXN 20 per night would be collected, but I guess that was a mistake.

I heard that senior citizens were exempt from that new fees, then heard later that was canceled - but they agreed to waive it, so I guess so.
 
Why are you booking through a booking site anyways? Booking directly will usually fetch the same or better rate and you're not paying a middle man to cut into the property owners margin. The service and room you get will usually be better as well.
 
Why are you booking through a booking site anyways? Booking directly will usually fetch the same or better rate and you're not paying a middle man to cut into the property owners margin. The service and room you get will usually be better as well.
You hear that, and it sounds logical, but when I have compared in the past - I found little truth to the claim. Since you brought it up tho, I ran a new comparison. You may not agree with my cheap taste in hotels, but I like Hotel Mary Carmen, half block from the square, their yard turtles begging for treats, etc. I tried their site, but their reservations feature didn't work.

Ok, so I tried Suites Colonial at Hotels.com vs their site: $44 at the booking site vs $48 direct with hotel. FAIL

Alrighty, try Casa Mexicana. And I am being careful to select their home pages and not fall for google listings that look similar: $65 at booking site vs $72 at their home site. FAIL

I think the hotels have to contract with the sites to not quote better prices on their own pages than offered thru the booking sites.

Then too, I like the 10% rewards at Hotels.com and their satisfaction guarantees, which I have claimed at times when I was disappointed with stays, received, and used at different properties on new travels.

Ok, try Casa Mexicana:
 
You hear that, and it sounds logical, but when I have compared in the past - I found little truth to the claim. Since you brought it up tho, I ran a new comparison. You may not agree with my cheap taste in hotels, but I like Hotel Mary Carmen, half block from the square, their yard turtles begging for treats, etc. I tried their site, but their reservations feature didn't work.

Ok, so I tried Suites Colonial at Hotels.com vs their site: $44 at the booking site vs $48 direct with hotel. FAIL

Alrighty, try Casa Mexicana. And I am being careful to select their home pages and not fall for google listings that look similar: $65 at booking site vs $72 at their home site. FAIL

I think the hotels have to contract with the sites to not quote better prices on their own pages than offered thru the booking sites.

Then too, I like the 10% rewards at Hotels.com and their satisfaction guarantees, which I have claimed at times when I was disappointed with stays, received, and used at different properties on new travels.

Ok, try Casa Mexicana:
I believe you are correct about the contract. I never find cheaper rates direct from the hotel, and sometimes the difference is a lot.
 
Why are you booking through a booking site anyways? Booking directly will usually fetch the same or better rate and you're not paying a middle man to cut into the property owners margin.
That's not necessarily true. The hotels sell these rooms at a discount to the brokers because they expect them to be otherwise unoccupied. I once booked a room in Houston through Hotels.com and near the end of my stay I found I needed to stay another day. The charge for the additional day in the same room, booked direct, was a lot more than what I paid through the booking site.
 
I believe you are correct about the contract. I never find cheaper rates direct from the hotel, and sometimes the difference is a lot.
Yeah, while it may sound logical to expect a better deal avoiding the middle man - those middle men thought of that long ago as well and contracted against it, I think.

Here in the states, I try to remind myself to check AAA and AARP discounts that you won't find on Hotels.com and similar, and sometimes those save booking on the hotel's own site.
 
Couple years ago i stayed at suites bahia a couple nights. It was $45 a night thru booking.com. i walked into suites bahia and asked if they could match it they said no. I walked out booked it and went back in. I think the lowest they said maybe $65 a night.
 

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