You couldn't beat it.. the hotel was a Holiday Inn .. which, of course, they don't tell you when you book until you pony up the credit card. $41/night. With taxes and fee.. $51. Great hotel.. nice comfy pillowtop mattress, quiet, good location.. especially if you want to shop (I don't!)
Taxes and fees... if you ever take a look at your bill after a trip (rental cars are the worst) you'll see taxes and fees make up a sizable portion of your expense. Local taxing authorities LOVE to tax travelers.. that's how they pay for baseball stadiums or other huge projects to don't benefit the traveler at all.
Chicago's room tax.. which is used to fund their marketing for the city.. is about 15%. In addition, some of the booking groups charge a fee to use their system.
I thought I was getting a heck of a deal on a flight from Lansing to Orlando a couple years back.. the 'fees' were $50 a ticket.. I bought two.. if I'd known that.. I would have just booked it thru Northwest and taken the frequent flyer miles.
Lesson learned.. check your fees before you hit "BUY" and if you're my sister, make sure you book your tickets on the weekend you actually want to fly.. you'll save yourself some HUGE problems.
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