I recently booked hotel rooms for a family visit. Hotel.com gave me 10% off so I went with them.
However, after my reservation been confirmed, I went to Travelocity (bad B$ habit of compare and shop!!!) and found out even if I book the same room with the same rate ($169/night), it's $30 cheaper.
As I found out:
1, Hotels.com charge more extra person fee.
2, Travelocity charge less tax.
I can understand why the extra person fee is different. It might be under certain type of agreement between the hotel and the website. However, why the tax is so different???
Is it because the sever of these two websites are located in different states? Or is it one is charging me MA tax and the other is DC tax? If they overcharged me, can I claim tax credits?
Full Version: Hotel tax
The hotel tax rate should be the rate the municipality where the hotel is located, not where the site is located, nor where you are physically based.
The only possible way the tax rate itself could vary, is if the municipality charges a hotel tax based on rate. So, maybe a hotel room that is under $100 is a rate of 20%, $101- $200 is 22%, $201- $400 is 25%.
Most like the tax itself will be lower because the amount of the purchase is less. Let's say the hotel tax is 20%. If the room at hotels.com was $200 x 20% hotel tax = $240 per night. But the room at travelocity was $100 x 20% hotel tax = $120. It seems like less that but that is only because not only are you saving money on the room rate, the amount of tax is less because the product cost is less too.
The only possible way the tax rate itself could vary, is if the municipality charges a hotel tax based on rate. So, maybe a hotel room that is under $100 is a rate of 20%, $101- $200 is 22%, $201- $400 is 25%.
Most like the tax itself will be lower because the amount of the purchase is less. Let's say the hotel tax is 20%. If the room at hotels.com was $200 x 20% hotel tax = $240 per night. But the room at travelocity was $100 x 20% hotel tax = $120. It seems like less that but that is only because not only are you saving money on the room rate, the amount of tax is less because the product cost is less too.
Since 1994, The City of St. Louis requires a 3.5% sales tax on hotel and motel receipts for the convention funds. 
Even professional jocks get taxed on the money they make for each game that takes place in St. Louis. These are just BS fees, along with a 1% tax on earnings, to help the poor and stupid folks have money for other purposes.
Even professional jocks get taxed on the money they make for each game that takes place in St. Louis. These are just BS fees, along with a 1% tax on earnings, to help the poor and stupid folks have money for other purposes.
Thanks for the input, guys. I called Hotels.com (angry customer?) and the guy on the phone told me the fee (hiring lawyers, accounts) is just slightly higher for them so they put it in "tax and fee".
And don't forget before August/31st, order 3+ nights from Travelocity with your mastercard and get back $50. 
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.