This week I had the privilege of staying in my first 4-Star hotel. Four-Stars are supposed to be somewhat luxurious in appearance and have great service. But man was I in culture shock.

When I walked into the lobby, someone was playing on a grand piano with numerous suits-and-ties watching with interest. I showed up after driving for six hours with jeans, and two duffle-bags over my shoulders.

As nice as the hotel was, I noticed a few things. One, things I normally didn’t have to pay for at cheaper hotels had a charge. And two, I didn’t feel at all welcome.

The Hidden Costs

If I would have stayed at a regular Holiday Inn, I would have had free parking, free Wi-Fi, and a complimentary breakfast.

Since I was staying at this particular hotel, however, I had to pay parking. And I had to pay about $10 a day for Internet. For breakfast (they deliver it to your room), you have to pay the cost of the meal, delivery charge, gratuity, and tax.

The charges seemed so excessive that I was really afraid to do anything in my hotel except sleep. I didn’t want to wake up with a “calling the front desk” bill or something.

As a result of these hidden costs, I was constantly aware of where I was and what I was doing in this hotel. In other words, I couldn’t enjoy myself without worrying completely.

The “Unwelcome” Feeling

Since the hotel was somewhat classy, I felt out of place. I paid my share like everyone else staying there. Why did I feel different?

I think in a way, it had to do with the various charges and how everything seemed to come at a cost. I was “welcome” as long as I continued to hand out my credit card.

How Does This Relate to Blogging/Websites?

There are a lot of sites out there promising the premium 4-Star treatment on the web. If you pay a certain amount a month, you have access to “all” the privileges. That is until that “all” only becomes one of several premium packages.

By slapping readers with various hidden charges, it’s somewhat of a burden. I hate going to websites where I click on a link and it starts immediately asking me for my credit card information. It feels like a bait-and-switch or foot-in-the-door sales tactic. I don’t like it.

My advice is if you are going to charge for something, charge for it all up front. Please don’t make a website be a slippery slope of hidden charges where a reader will feel slighted or even scammed.

Conclusion

Getting the 4-Star treatment is nice, but in my case, the price wasn’t included up front as there were various hidden charges. To put this in perspective, I’m currently staying in a two-bedroom suite with a kitchen and free Internet for a fraction of what I paid at the 4-Star. Am I going to feel more welcome here than at the 4-Star? Perhaps not, but at least I won’t be worrying about what I can or cannot do.

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