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You might want to inspect your bill closely the next time you stay at a hotel. Thanks to the plunging economy and the decline in travel, hotels have come up with all sorts of ingenious new ways to make money, as you may have noticed. Take, for example, the pool or exercise room that you had no intention of visiting anyway. You may end up seeing a "facility free" or "resort fee" appear on your bill, even though you went to Denver on a business trip, not to swim laps, and you've never heard anyone even use the words "resort" and "Denver" in the same sentence. You're perfectly aware that drinking a miniature-sized can of soda from the mini-bar will end up costing you $10. These days, though, you may also get slapped with a $1 "mini-bar restocking fee," which accounts for the 3.2 seconds or so it took someone to replace that $10 can of soda you just consumed.

Other tricks from the trade: Some hotels are charging valet parking fees even if you didn't plan to use the valet and had been thinking you could save some money by parking your own car. (Try getting out a block or two from the hotel and lugging your bags on your shoulder the rest of the way; maybe you'll escape notice.) Other places are adding a fee for the in-room safe, regardless of whether you actually use it or not. There's a "baggage holding fee" for leaving your suitcase with the bell staff after checking out at some hotels; others are adding a fee to your bill for every towel you use at the pool and every package that's left for you at the front desk. There are now "tray charges" being tacked on to room service bills at some spots. Oh, and that hotel that boasted free Wi-Fi a couple of years ago? Be prepared to pay $19.99 a day to get online and check your email. Or go to the "business center" and pay a fee for that instead. Your choice!

Not all the charges are outrageous. Some hotels are adding a mandatory housekeeping tip, which may not be the worst idea in the world given how many people assume that a handful of stray pennies—coins they couldn't be bothered to physically lift off the top of the dresser and put in their pockets—constitutes a "tip."

And you may not have to pay every last fee. Try complaining and the hotel may be willing to remove some of them. One thing that apparently hasn't changed much in the last year or so: Making a big scene and berating the manager of the hotel lobby can occasionally go a long way.

Paying for the Pool: Hotels Are Piling On Fees [WSJ]
14 Annoying Hidden Hotel Fees [Forbes]