In recent years, drip pricing has become a hot topic in the lodging
industry. You may not know what it is, but chances are that
you've experienced it. It often happens like this: you pick the
perfect destination and find a great
hotel deal, but when you go to book it, that great deal, which now
includes additional fees suddenly
isn't so great. What happened? The
answer may be an unfair and deceptive practice known as drip
pricing.
What is Drip Pricing?
Drip pricing occurs when a company advertises a low daily room
rate to attract customers; then, during the buying process, it adds
on one or more additional fees such as "resort,"
"amenities," or "facilities" fees. The issue is
not the fee itself—which often go toward internet access,
access to the swimming pool or gym, parking or shuttle
services—but the failure to clearly and transparently
disclose the fee as part of the advertised room rate. Hotels that
persist with this practice may gain many new customers in
