InterContinental New York Times Square adds a ‘resort fee’

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The InterContinental New York Times Square, a popular choice for Head for Points readers, has become the latest New York hotel to add a ‘resort fee’ to its rates.

According to the website:

The Daily Destination Fee of $30.00 USD plus applicable taxes allows our guest to enjoy: $25 Food & Beverage Credit per day, $15 Laundry/Dry Cleaning Credit per day, Premium High Speed Internet Service, Free Local & International calls, Gulliver Gate Museum pass, VIP pass for discounts at The Shops at Columbus Circle, Time Warner Center

If you use the credit against breakfast then you are almost even, although there are no shortage of places nearby to get a good breakfast for a lot less than $25 (including the diner used in Seinfeld, the name of which I always forget). You are in more trouble if you have already booked a ‘bed and breakfast’ rate as you are then arguably forced to eat in at night.

This fee is not made clear on ihg.com until the final booking page. Given that taxes are also excluded from the headline price, it is now getting a bit silly. You have the IHG website quoting you $620 per night which suddenly becomes $750 per night when taxes and the ‘destination fee’ are added.

Meanwhile, the lawsuit between IHG and the hotel owner is continuing. The landlord wants to dump InterContinental as the operator but IHG is resisting this. I would be wary of making any cash bookings for this hotel well in advance.

The other InterContinental in New York, The Barclay, does not have a ‘destination fee’ (yet?).

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