More of us are on the lookout for undisclosed extra fees at hotels, ranging from resort fees to unexpected energy surcharges. But now, we apparently need to be aware of intentionally mislabeled fees and charges. 

Take the case of one Marriott-branded hotel in Texas. The Fairfield Inn and Suites in Plano tried to hide parking charges as mandatory city fees. And they levied these charges against guests, some of whom didn’t even have cars. Sometimes these fees seem small, in this case about $2.87, and most guests don’t notice it, or question it. 

But one guest did and actually reached out to the local tax assessor and questioned the hotel collecting a non-existent tax. 

The guest was right, and the hotel had to remove the fee. 

The moral to this story: don’t just look for unknown and unexpected charges on your hotel bill, but rather look for how they are labeled, or in this case mislabeled. And even a $2.87 fee, multiplied by the number of rooms at a hotel and the nights each guest stays, mounts up.