BEWARE OF THIS SCAM "RESORT"!
I booked through a third-party website and was never informed of any additional “resort fee.” After charging my card for incidentals, the hotel withheld $30 as a separate hotel fee that was never disclosed to me at the time of booking.
When I called to ask where I had agreed to this charge, I was told that because I booked through a third party, the fee had supposedly been disclosed verbally at check-in, which it wasn't. A fee that is not properly disclosed upfront is illegal under Canada's consumer protection laws, including the Competition Act.
The business model seems straightforward: advertise a lower room rate to attract customers, spring an unexpected fee on them later, and hope they won't notice or won't bother disputing it after they've already paid for their stay. This is an unacceptable way to do business.
Even though Mastercard ultimately reversed the charge, that doesn't excuse these practices. Check your statements, question unexpected fees, and don't be afraid to dispute charges you never agreed to. I'll be reporting my experience to the Better Business Bureau and encourage other affected customers to speak up as well.
"Undisclosed resort fees are illegal in Canada because “drip pricing” — advertising a low price and adding mandatory fees later — is prohibited under the Competition Act, strengthened by Bill C‑59 (2024). Hotels may charge resort fees, but they must be clearly disclosed upfront in the first displayed price."
Edit: Just checked, they have a D- on the BBB website, go figure lol
Edit 2: I had no idea the BBB was just a private company. I reported them to the Competition Bureau Canada. For everyone saying "this is normal", no, it's not
