Travel experts reveal ridiculous hidden holiday charges that could catch you out – including £22 to use the hotel iron

GOING on holiday is rarely cheap, but there are some costs that can be avoided.

Hidden costs are everywhere when travelling, with hotels, restaurants and other holiday service providers keen to squeeze as much as they can out of tourists.

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Some hotels will charge people to use the irons in their rooms[/caption]

In an article for Yahoo Finance, travel experts revealed the most ridiculous hidden charges they were made to pay while out on their holidays.

Hotel Fridge

Everyone knows the items in the hotel minibar can cost a fortune, but few people will be aware that you can be charged for chilling your own drinks in the same fridge.

However, that’s exactly what happened Raj Mahal, the founder of the travel booking site PlanMoreTrips.

During a stay in Las Vegas, he stored some of his own drinks in the hotel minibar, only to find he had to pay for the privilege on check out.

He said: “I was at the MGM Aria Resort, where they have advanced minibars that employ sensors that can detect when an item is moved or the size or weight changes. We brought our own alcohol and used the mini-fridge to keep it cool and when we checked out, MGM charged us a $25 (£22) a day ‘personal use fee’.”

Setting the table

When visiting a restaurant, most people would expect to be sat at a clean and made-up table for their meal.

However, in Italy, you could have to pay more to have a tablecloth beneath your plate.

That’s exactly what happened to Lanie van der Horst, founder of the family travel blog Make More Adventures. 

She said: “One day in Italy, my friends and I were waiting to be sat outdoors and the waitstaff told us to wait a few minutes so that they could set up our table. When the bill came, there were multiple charges for the table being set, including the use of two tablecloths.”

Ironing your clothes

Making yourself look nice in your own clothes shouldn’t cost you anything, but some hotels will make you pay even for that.

Matt James, founder of Visitingly.com wanted to straighten out some of his clothes after arriving at a hotel while on a business trip.

However, he was told that ironing his clothes was a “luxury” and he had to pay more than £20 for the joy.

He said: “I was traveling on business and needed to look my best, so I decided to use the hotel iron to press my clothes. When I went to check out, I was shocked to see a $25 (£22) fee on my bill. The hotel explained that the fee was for using the iron, and that it was a ‘luxury’ item.”

Meanwhile, this travel money expert revealed the five costly mistakes travellers make with holiday cash.

This card mistake will also cost you more money than you should be paying.

Alamy

One person said they were charged for a tablecloth at a restaurant in Italy[/caption]