Hotel pricing can be a bit of a mystery. Like the way planes work or the existence of double rainbows. That being said, the actual prices shouldn’t be a mystery. Shouldn’t being the key word. But because the world we live in is less than ideally transparent, we’re stuck with some pretty shady hotel prices.

The problem is because of those little annoying gremlins we call taxes and fees. Here’s what happens. You go online, you find a nice hotel, the price looks good, and you book it for 3 nights. Say the hotel room is on sale for $300. Using the powers of our mathematical genius, 3 nights at $300 makes out to $900. So that’s all you have to pay, right? Wrong. In most cases, once you’ve selected your dates, and are about to put in your credit card info, you’re faced with the real price, which is often anywhere from 15 - 30% higher than what you expected.

Sucks, eh.

Often you don’t realize what you’re actually paying until it’s too late.

Some sites cleverly (read: sneakily) do one or more of the following things.

3 Ways Booking Sites Play With Your Heart And Mess With Your Mind

• They don’t tell you up front that the price you’re seeing is exclusive of taxes and fees, hoping that once you’re ready to hand over your credit card information you won’t even realize that they’ve added it in. They’re assuming that you don’t have the mathematical capability to realize that the price has shot up and that you’ll just pay anyway.
• Sites break up the rate exclusive of taxes and fees and then in minuscule font at the bottom disclose the taxes and fees that you’ll be paying on top of the rate. When was the last time you read fine print (unless you’re a lawyer or going through a lawsuit)? Imagine if you had to read the fine print on every iTunes update. You’d sooner finish a Russian novel. 
• They don’t tell you that there are taxes and fees at all until you stay at the hotel and the hotel ends up charging you for it. That’s a pretty cruddy way to start a vacation.

Now imagine if this happened in the real world. It’d probably go down a little like this:

You: “Excuse me, how much is this watch?”

Store owner: “It’s $2000.”

You: “Ok. I’ll take it.”

Store owner: “Please hand over your credit card. I’m going to charge you $2000. (under his breath) And an extra $500 for taxes and fees.”

You: “Excuse me, what was that?”

Store owner: “Oh nothing. Now, please sign here.”

That would never happen in a real bricks and mortar store. But it is happening on virtually every other booking site online. This is wrong.

How We’re Shaking Up The Travel Industry

At ImpulseFlyer, we’re all a bunch of travel nerds and understand how frustrating it can be to deal with this sort of shady behaviour. That’s why ALL of our prices include taxes and fees. What you see is what you get.

The common theory in the travel industry is that if a site shows prices inclusive of taxes and fees, then they’ll appear more expensive than their competitors and no one will book through them. We think the opposite. We know that you won’t be fooled by this sort of base trickery. All the members-only prices you see within ImpulseFlyer will be inclusive of any fees and taxes. No nasty surprises. And if there are any other fees, we’ll make it VERY clear on the site so you know what you’re in for.

We focus on providing the best service possible for our members – and at the core of that service will always be honesty and transparency. Booking luxury holidays should be fun, not painful like a brazilian or going for your prostate exam.

Talk To Us

If you have any comments or suggestions on how we can improve our service at ImpulseFlyer, please shoot an email to Gabby, our Customer Delight Manager at contactus@impulseflyer.com. She’ll be more than happy to help you out with anything at all. Need a restaurant recommendation? What electrical converter to bring? Are bathing suits optional? She’ll help you out.

Were you the kid in school who insisted everyone play Bloody Mary? Or maybe you’re that very special person who finds Halloween romantic? Either way, if you prefer some eerie excitement to the usual tourist spots, then check out these 5 highly bizarre destinations. 

They’re creepy the way wax dolls and small girls in white dresses are.

1. Island of Dolls - Santana Barrera’s Chinampa

Located in the La Xochimilco channels, Mexico, this floating garden is one giant creep factory. To remember the young girl who drowned here, thousands of dolls in various states of decay are hung upon the trees. The installation was originally created by a resident who found the playthings from the canals themselves.

The best departure point is the Embarcadero Cuemanco ferry terminal. Note: It’s a four-hour round trip ride.

2. Winchester Mystery House

With 160 rooms, 4 wings, and a layout so confusing you’d think M.C. Escher designed it, the Winchester Mystery House is the eerie brain child of Sarah Winchester, the Winchester Rifle heiress. After losing her husband and young child, Sarah Winchester became convinced that her family was being haunted by the spirits of American Indians, Civil War soldiers, and others killed by Winchester rifles. The medium who imparted this wisdom told her that the only way to escape this curse was to build a massive house for these spirits.

And so began the construction of the Winchester Mystery House.

It is open to the public and paranormal activity has been noted.

3. Kostnice Sedlec a.k.a. the Church of Bones

Located in the Czech republic, the Sedlec Ossuary has been a popular place for burials thanks to a monk who took part in the crusades. In the 15th century, a large church was built and because the cemetery was already crowded by the plague, bodies were exhumed and used to create a crypt. Over 40,000 skeletons make up the decor inside this church.

Around the 1870s, a carpenter by the name of Frantisek Rint created sculptures and candle holders out of the bones and skulls of the exhumed.

4. Easter Island, Chile

One of the world’s greatest mysteries happens to be Easter Island. 887 moai, or the iconic large stone statues, stand upright with stoic faces. It’s as if they know something we don’t.

The tallest of the moai is 10 metres high and weights 82 tons. 

5. Manchac Swamps, Louisiana

Known as the haunted swamp, the Manchac Swam in Louisiana evokes frilly-dressed vampires, voodoo, and if you’re a fan of True Blood, Alexander Skarsgård. 

In 1915, 3 hamlets disappeared in a hurricane. Rumour has it that an imprisoned voodoo queen had cast a curse on the swamp and that was the reason for all the destruction.