Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
54
12 TIPS ON ACCOMMODATIONS
The government of the Cayman Islands imposes a 10% surcharge on
all hotel room rentals, which is included in the price.
Hotels also charge a room tax. Sometimes the room tax depends on
the quality of the hotel—it might be r elatively low for a guesthouse
but steeper for a first-class r esort. When booking a r oom, make sure
you understand whether the price y ou've been quoted includes the
room tax (which is different from the 10% hotel room surcharge), so
that you avoid an unpleasant surprise when it comes time to pay the
bill.
Furthermore, most hotels routinely add 10% to 12% for “service,”
even if you didn't see much evidence of it. That means that with tax
and ser vice, some bills ar e 17% or ev en 25% higher than the price
that was originally quoted! Naturally, you need to determine just how
much the hotel, guesthouse, or inn plans to add to your bill at the end
of your stay, and whether it's included in the initial price.
That's not all. S ome hotels slip in little hidden extras that mount
quickly. For example, it's common for many places to quote rates that
include a continental br eakfast. S hould y ou pr efer ham and eggs,
however, you will pay extra charges. I f you request special privileges,
like extra to wels for the beach, beach chairs, or laundr y done in a
hurry, surcharges may mount. It pays to watch those extras and to ask
questions before you commit.
HOTELS & RESORTS Many budget trav elers assume they can 't
afford the big hotels and resorts. But with so many packages out there
and frequent sales, even in winter you might be pleasantly surprised.
The rates given in this topic are “rack rates”—that is, the officially
posted rate that y ou'd be giv en if y ou just walked in off the str eet.
Almost everyone ends up paying less than the rack rate through pack-
ages, bargaining, and discounts. Think of the rates in this topic as
guidelines to help you comparison-shop.
Some hotels ar e often quite flexible about their rates, and many
offer discounts and upgrades whenever they have a big block of rooms
to fill and fe w r eservations. The smaller hotels and inns ar e not as
likely to be gener ous with discounts, much less upgrades. A good
travel agent may know which hotels have reduced their rates and can
help you save serious money.
CONDOS, VILLAS & COTTAGES Particularly if y ou're trav eling
with y our family or a gr oup of friends, a “housekeeping holiday ”
can be one of the least expensiv e ways to v acation in the Caymans.
And if y ou like priv acy and independence, it 's a good way to go
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