The article began with information from a 1904 article but it is a newly writen piece. Some interesting parts:
The lodging industry stands to earn more than $1.75 billion this year in surcharges alone, which means extra fees are likely to be with us for years to come.
The inflated cost of some surcharges raises the ire of many guests: $5 to have a package delivered to your room, $20 for Internet connection, $30 or more for mandatory valet parking. ......
Other surcharge surprises include additional fees to pay with a credit card, a charge of $1–$3 for the in-room safe (whether you use it or not), and even a fee to use the in-room coffeemaker. "Resort fees" of $25 a day or more are commonplace. And some hotels, especially in the Caribbean, are still tacking on energy surcharges—despite the absence of an energy crisis. The list is as long as it is upsetting.
Now that is a lot of money in surcharges!!! And people still don't get the value of B&Bs!!!
Interesting note about the additional fees to pay by CC - and we are all warned that this is a big NO NO.
In room safe - been hit with this one a time or two and I refuse to pay it if I did not use it and they have always removed it from my bill.
Regarding Energy Surcharges - have not seen these at any hotels since 2001 BUT my garbage bill has yet to remove a fuel surcharge that was tacked on during the $4 a gal days.