A traveler booked an EasyJet Holidays vacation package, and was angry when he found out just how many fees the hotel had, including an alleged $32 fee per person per hour for use of the heated pool. At first I was livid when I read this story, but the more I look into it, the more I’m on the fence…
In this post:
Traveler furious over cost to use amenities at hotel in Morocco
The “Consumer Champions” section of The Guardian has a story that piqued my interest:
My partner and I paid £2,150 for a week’s all-inclusive break in Marrakech with easyJet Holidays.
We chose the Jaal Riad Resort Hotel because of its pool and spa. When we arrived, we were told that use of the heated pool cost £24 a person an hour, the Jacuzzi £24 for 20 minutes, and the hammam was £16 for 20 minutes.
Nowhere were these extra fees listed when booking. EasyJet Holidays rejected my complaint and referred me to a line buried at the bottom of the list of facilities that said charges may apply. We were planning on using the pool regularly but could not afford it. If we had known, we would have booked elsewhere.
The Guardian concludes that this is potentially unlawful, given that these amenities were prominently marketed as part of the holiday experience, and extra charges were not clearly disclosed.
In a statement, EasyJet shared that “we always strive to make it clear that use of hotel facilities may incur additional charges.” The company claimed it was reviewing the description to “further highlight that the use of the spa facilities is chargeable,” and it also offered a £500 goodwill payment, but presumably only because of the publicity this got through The Guardian.
Is this story really as ridiculous as it sounds?
When I first read this story, my jaw was on the floor. For one, charging to use the pool? That seems ridiculous. Furthermore, the prices are next level — $32 for using the pool for an hour, $32 for 20 minutes in the jacuzzi, and $22 for 20 minutes in the hammam?!
However, I think there’s a little more to this story. The story specifically mentions how there’s a fee to use the heated pool, without mentioning that there’s also a non-heated pool.
Based on my research — and honestly, this isn’t easy, because the hotel’s website has very little information — it seems that what’s going on here is that there’s an unheated outdoor pool, and a heated indoor pool. The indoor pool seems to be part of the spa facilities, as are the hammam and jacuzzi.
While I wish it weren’t the case, it’s not at all uncommon for hotels to charge for use of the spa facilities, even for hotel guests. Perhaps what I find most offensive here is the pricing — I don’t know where on earth they’re coming up with these amounts, because they’re ridiculous.
Based on the hotel’s website having such little information, it sure seems to me like this is a hotel that’s primarily looking to fill rooms through online travel agencies and vacation packages. And that also certainly creates a system whereby they’re maybe more incentivized to see how much revenue they can get out of each guest, rather than offering the best experience possible, in hopes of getting return guests.
The truth is that in general, hotels don’t do a great job disclosing which experiences cost extra, and which are included. I’ve certainly stayed at some hotels costing $1,000+ per night, where I’m then asked to pay extra to use the spa pool, for example, even though that’s not explicitly stated on the hotel website.
Am I a fan of that practice? Of course not. However, I also don’t find this to be that out of the ordinary. Of course no one wants to swim in an unheated pool in Marrakech in winter. But I also think that travelers should do their research when it comes to what they can actually expect from a hotel, before booking. One should never assume that spa facility access is included with bookings.
Bottom line
A traveler booked an EasyJet Holidays vacation package to Morocco, only to be frustrated after finding out the cost to use various amenities — we’re talking $32 for using the pool for an hour, $32 for 20 minutes in the jacuzzi, and $22 for 20 minutes in the hammam. Those prices are wild… but they seem to be part of the spa facilities, and it’s common for those things to cost extra.
I absolutely do think this hotel is intentionally ripping guests off by charging insanely high fees for these things, as it doesn’t seem like they get many direct bookings. So while I’m not at all a fan of that practice, and while I wouldn’t want to stay here, I think this is also a good reminder that one should never assume that all hotel amenities — and especially spa facilities — are included with stays.
Of course I can totally see how this could ruin a vacation, if you’re going to Morocco in winter with the intent of using a pool, only to end up in this situation.
What do you make of this EasyJet Holidays hotel situation?
Its not only Easy Jet that makes offers that are either false or that the hotel (chain) does not honour. We have examples closer to home.
Before they were bought by Hyatt, the Playa Resorts were owned and managed the La Romana Adult All-Inclusive Resort in the DR among other properties in Mexico and Jamaica. As owners they encouraged direct booking and advertising stated "CALL FOR RESERVATIONS: 833.844.5866
BOOK DIRECT AT: HILTONBYPLAYA.COM" stating...
Its not only Easy Jet that makes offers that are either false or that the hotel (chain) does not honour. We have examples closer to home.
Before they were bought by Hyatt, the Playa Resorts were owned and managed the La Romana Adult All-Inclusive Resort in the DR among other properties in Mexico and Jamaica. As owners they encouraged direct booking and advertising stated "CALL FOR RESERVATIONS: 833.844.5866
BOOK DIRECT AT: HILTONBYPLAYA.COM" stating "Book Direct and Receive All Your Hilton Points". Hilton has been refusing to honor this offer and has stated that it was a "third party booking".
I haven't given up but it does show that it's not just Morocco. Perhaps this is why Playa moved to Hyatt?
Has anyone else taken advantage of this offer in the past? With success?
I have to say, I'm a little surprised Ben that you'd defend this. Based on the statements in your own story, it would not be at all easy for an 'ordinary traveler' to find out the heated pool is part of the spa facilities.
As a number of people have pointed out above, the UK has stricter false advertising rules than the US, so I suspect easyJet realised they were on the wrong side...
I have to say, I'm a little surprised Ben that you'd defend this. Based on the statements in your own story, it would not be at all easy for an 'ordinary traveler' to find out the heated pool is part of the spa facilities.
As a number of people have pointed out above, the UK has stricter false advertising rules than the US, so I suspect easyJet realised they were on the wrong side of this one.
That said, I do question what expectations anyone should have if booking a holiday through a company like easyJet. Additional charges should not come as a shock - this particular case just seems excessive.
Spa facilities at almost all hotels are extra, this really is a non story. Usually on the websites advertising the hotel there will be an asterisk by the list of services indicating which are chargeable. We Europeans should be grateful that none of these places charge a resort fee, as in America. Then you'd be charged $30 a day just for using the main pool.
"Then you'd be charged $30 a day just for using the main pool."
But you'd get access to five local digital newspapers, 10% off a bike rental, and one (1) "free" printout of your boarding pass! How is that not worth US $30 per day?!!!!!11!!!1111111
/s
I get that you are American, and Americans always seem to argue in favour of companies being greedy, but in this case, on the hotel website that you link to, the hotel clearly mentions they have an indoor pool and this is separate from their description of spa facilities.
'Hotel services and spaces
Free Wifi
Balcony
Free parking
Indoor pool
Spa and wellness center'
Based on this description, I...
I get that you are American, and Americans always seem to argue in favour of companies being greedy, but in this case, on the hotel website that you link to, the hotel clearly mentions they have an indoor pool and this is separate from their description of spa facilities.
'Hotel services and spaces
Free Wifi
Balcony
Free parking
Indoor pool
Spa and wellness center'
Based on this description, I would not consider the indoor pool to be a spa pool and would never expect this to cost extra.
And you Europeans don't have logic.
They would have listed WiFi and Parking without the word "free".
"They would have listed WiFi and Parking without the word 'free'."
By your (idiotic) logic, the balcony should cost extra as well.
No, I interact with Americans all the time. It isn't being in favor of firms being greedy. We tend to support the notion that we honor the contracts we agree to. We don't expect government to treat us like stupid dolts who can't fend for ourselves. Plus, we are in favor of not adding unnecessary extra vowels to words like favor.
"Plus, we are in favor of not adding unnecessary extra vowels to words like favor."
Ooohhh, he went there.....!!!!
I do not agree with you. Even if the heated pool and hot tub were in the spa it would not be charged. Consider that many luxury hotels have lavish locker rooms in the spa and the hot tubs are usually there. That's like saying they are going to charge for the gym which is often at or in the spa too. Usually the spas only charge for additional services that are not self-service. Even so, the hotels should in general do a better job of disclosure on the confirmation.
There is no perfect solution.
If the spa is free and unlimited for everyone: It gets overcrowded, which completely defeats the purpose of a spa (relaxation).
If it's free but requires booking a 90-minute slot: Everyone will book a slot just because it's free. It becomes impossible to get a reservation, and you're capped on your time.
If you have to pay: People spend less time there because it's expensive, but at least a short...
There is no perfect solution.
If the spa is free and unlimited for everyone: It gets overcrowded, which completely defeats the purpose of a spa (relaxation).
If it's free but requires booking a 90-minute slot: Everyone will book a slot just because it's free. It becomes impossible to get a reservation, and you're capped on your time.
If you have to pay: People spend less time there because it's expensive, but at least a short visit won't break the bank and you actually get some peace and quiet.
Which option do you prefer?
That’s why we need laws to prevent such rip off bs.
The hotels that you talk about charging extra for the spa or spa pool aren't marketed as all inclusive hotels. It's misleading advertising, for which the UK has strict rules about.
False advertising. Should change the rate to "Semi-all inclusive" or "Sort-of-all inclusive" or "All-inclusive but not really".
Ben, your take on this contradicts yourself.
Just because he said travelers should do their research, but that researching is difficult? That's not a contradiction. Something being difficult doesn't mean it shouldn't be done.
Another sneaky fee . Like an airline charging $ 32. to use the lav .
It… Depends. (No, seriously, wear Depends; save a lot!)
Undefensable .
When I visited Marrakech in the late 1980s, my city centre hotel cost less than £1 per room per night. It was sparklingly clean and much better than my student self could have afforded in Europem
Times have changed.
I'm going to join the chorus here - if you couldn't figure it out easily (it sounds like the website might not have been explicit), I don't think you can reasonably expect your "average" traveler relying on a package trip to do so, either. Stop trying to excuse this.
I'd add that this strikes me as an unconscionable rate - it sounds like you could break $100/hr for a family of four. At least the TWA Hotel is "only" going to run $70 for 1:45.
Incidentally, the reason why I never booked the TWA hotel. The pool charge is ludicrous.
I have a general policy for those unspecified "surprise" charges that are becoming so common. If a hotel charges them (parking is the worse and most common) I simply leave the hot water running for my entire visit. I think of it as an unspecified charge of my own that is buried in my fine print somewhere.
A parking charge is fine if you're in Manhattan. Not so much when you're a Fairfield Inn located just off the Interstate.
Or the heat on as hot as possible when you leave works too.
Ben, sadly as you are an American you don’t really understand how the rest of the world has very different standards on consumer protections. As basically the US has a zero appreciation of consumer rights I’m guessing you don’t understand the principle of implied services, for example let’s use the US version of unlimited data on internet plans. In the rest of the known western universe unlimited means exactly that…unlimited, whereas in the US it...
Ben, sadly as you are an American you don’t really understand how the rest of the world has very different standards on consumer protections. As basically the US has a zero appreciation of consumer rights I’m guessing you don’t understand the principle of implied services, for example let’s use the US version of unlimited data on internet plans. In the rest of the known western universe unlimited means exactly that…unlimited, whereas in the US it means SFA. If the US finally got its sh$t together on basic understanding of consumer rights and maybe even understood the Kings English on occasion, maybe then you would understand why people get pissed odd on this bait and switch rubbish. Maybe one of the reasons the EU and Australia for instance love to stick it to companies that have forked tongues.
Hmm. One could also question the rates for using other spa amenities.
I’m no expert, but a heated, indoor pool in a hot climate surely = spa and is very likely going to cost extra?
As Ben notes in the piece, it was a winter trip, which can get pretty chilly, from very cool in the days to downright cold in the evenings, so not sure if a reasonable person would conclude that means the heated pool is a spa.
Just up the road in the Atlas mountains is a pretty decent ski hill. With snow even!
So winters in Morocco are cold at least near the mountains in the south.
"Based on my research — and honestly, this isn’t easy, because the hotel’s website has very little information "
"But I also think that travelers should do their research when it comes to what they can actually expect from a hotel, before booking"
Don't those two statements somewhat contradict each other? You, a seasoned traveler to the nth degree, had real trouble figuring out the truth here. Seems like it would have been hard for Mr and Pa Kettle to do the same
Totally agree - it's clearly far too well buried when it's not even obvious to Ben.
There's no contradiction here. A contradiction would be saying, 'People should do their research, but they shouldn't do it.' Pointing out that research is difficult yet necessary isn't a contradiction at all.
The contradiction comes from implication of responsibility.
The first statement implies this is the fault of the hotel, and not something we could reasonably ask the couple to do. The second implies that the onus of blame falls on the couple
@James k : The first statement only points out that researching is difficult. Your interpretation of this statement is "The hotel makes it difficult to find information, so you can't blame travelers if they book without knowing the conditions." But that's not what it actually says.
By the way, on easyJet Holidays' webpage for this hotel, it clearly states: "Just so you know, use of the spa facilities – including the indoor pool – is...
@James k : The first statement only points out that researching is difficult. Your interpretation of this statement is "The hotel makes it difficult to find information, so you can't blame travelers if they book without knowing the conditions." But that's not what it actually says.
By the way, on easyJet Holidays' webpage for this hotel, it clearly states: "Just so you know, use of the spa facilities – including the indoor pool – is a chargeable extra, which you can arrange at the hotel and pay for on site."
Unless that was added recently, the information wasn't difficult to find at all. And even if it was a recent addition, TripAdvisor is packed with reviews mentioning the fee for the heated pool. Finding this information is actually very easy. But even if you think that it's not easy, you can totally say that it's both difficult and necessary at the same time.
Don’t let the splinters get you from sitting on the fence on this one!
HA! Thanks for this. Adding to this to my list of clever responses.
Excellent comment .
When will the English ever learn that "all-inclusive" does not mean that everything is included in the price? Fine print, dunderheads. Read it.
"...all-inclusive" does not mean that everything is included..."
That's like saying "'all-inclusive' does NOT mean 'all-inclusive,' it just means 'semi-inclusive.'"
All-inclusive is simply a meal plan. It means your meals and drinks are covered. It doesn't mean you suddenly own the hotel, with free rein over unlimited massages, Dom Pérignon, and caviar. That's not false advertising, it's just common sense.
It's incredible how beat down by being ripped off Americans are that they view other's confusion or outrage as naivete.
All inclusive did, at one point, mean all inclusive. To most consumers outside of the US and US traveller dominated locations it continues to.
In the US you seem to have this stockholm syndrome where you defend being misled when purchasing a product.
To be fair, all inclusive almost never means all inclusive. Spa treatments, for example, are almost never included. I would say just about all all inclusives do have at least a few exclusions. If this one had been clear that those services were in the spa, I think most people would have at least looked into whether they were included in the all inclusive.
The meaning of 'all-inclusive' hasn't changed. It has always been a meal plan and has always meant "all your meals and drinks are included in the price."
A meal plan is about food and has nothing to do with spas, massages, airport transfers, babysitting, dry cleaning, or conference rooms. You obviously don't get all the rooms and all the services for free just because you checked "Meal plan: all inclusive" on the hotel website when you booked.
"When will the English ever learn that "all-inclusive" does not mean that everything is included in the price? Fine print, dunderheads. Read it."
That sort of bullshit might bo OK in the USA, but England (rightly) has strict laws against misleading or deceptive advertising. Which this was.