Diners in Hawaii face surprise charges that can add up to 23% to their bill, combining an 18% takeout fee with a 5% resort fee, leading to frustration and calls for greater transparency.
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Diners in Hawaii face surprise charges that can add up to 23% to their bill, combining an 18% takeout fee with a 5% resort fee, leading to frustration and calls for greater transparency.
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Unfortunately, much of this isn’t specific to Hawaii. I figure I’m paying 20% on top of the final price. I would prefer it to be a tip to employees, but if restaurants want to take that money for themselves as a fee, maybe the employees will stop working there.
Just another reason to not visit Hawaii….their “no tourist” attitude is working. What a great way to boost your economy.
I suspect that the “take out” orders include the service charges since the cost is now comparble like the restaurants. Summer vacations in Waikiki is already high season with higher cost for hotels, car rentals and food. Shocked to see an 18% increase on the total bill as a service charge for a party of 13. Service was satisfactory so we did not mind a gratuity of 20% for the waitress. My family will not be eating at these restaurants.
The politicians should pass a law to curtail so many of these extra charges.
I’m sure the service charge for take out is just to replace the tip the workers get from dining in. People tend to not tip for take away, but the cook is still cooking just as much, and the expediter working just as hard, no matter where you eat it. They rely on the tips.
The service charge for 13 is pretty standard where I live. Has been for as long as I can remember.
I tip for takeout also, the materials to package the food in also are an expense to the employer, as well as the employee handling your order should be entitled to a Thank you, and a little extra. I usually review the receipt for a “service charge” and base any tip on that amount. 18% or more means much less cash in the servers hands.
I pay a tip, even for takeout.
So just dine somewhere else. The smart restaurants would advertise a no fees approach
As a small business owner I find these fees abhorrent. Any business trying to add junk fees to my bill will never be visited again and I’ll certainly post a review about my experience. I’m not a big fan of what I perceive as an already over regulated business environment but I’m all in favor of laws that forbid these shady practices.
Some believe that most, if not all, of the problems facing Hawaii have it’s roots in the local governments, it’s a place to begin. Leaving the State government from blame would be missing an integral portion of what has occurred and continues to. Even a total cleansing of all levels of government won’t help, a new slate might effect the necessary, only to quickly be replaced with the same reprehensible types to begin the dishonest choices and ruin yet again. Blame should include the Voters too!
Hawaii is facing serious issues in the travel industry due to the apparent mismanagement by local leaders. Their decisions have led to widespread dissatisfaction among travelers, who are now dealing with the repercussions of these mistakes. Hawaii will soon go bankrupt at this rate
The State of Hawaii has been living far beyond its means for quite a long time, prior to Covid, and with no end in sight. Many things could be initiated immediately to help, it’s doubtful that any politicians would be willing. Bankruptcy has loomed over Hawaii for far too long, when and how will it all end? Audit, Audit, and cut away the bloated policies that help dramatically increase the deficit, then continue to cut away more!
guess I wont be eating there and Guess there will be No tips.
No need as they’ve already built in an 18% tip on to-go orders!
IMO this tactic will probably spread in response to Hawaii’s luxury tourist plan where to some money don’t matter. IMO nobody likes or cares to be overcharged or taken advantage of so what happens Hawaii when the luxury tourist decides to quit coming?
It’s inevitable that the Wealthy will enjoy Hawaii without many of the “normal and average people” around. Unfortunately for Hawaii, it’s those “normal and average people” that actually contribute to the economy more than the Wealthy shall. When the tipping point weighs towards the Wealthy, remember that they are Wealthy because of their frugality, they eventually shall migrate to where they are more comfortable, with their friends on the French Riviera, Coastal Italy, or another Uber Popular Place. It’s almost as if Hawaiians don’t understand the Upper Most Class, further dooming their Economy until Bankruptcy is a Reality. Who do they “think” will be left holding the proverbial bag? You all haven’t seen anything yet!
True and we can’t even afford go to Disneyland any longer being on a fixed income. Hawaii will never be on our “plate again”. Keep shooting yourself in the foot and soon you’ll have nothing to stand on.
Wait, Wait , Wait. If patrons, customers reduce the tip accordingly then do the cooks, wait staff get less tip income? If it is considered a service fee then does the resort obtain the fee and use it to cushion all said workers wages? Who really does this benefit? IMO just a way to justify overcharging the patrons.
What ever you do Don’t reduce tips. In most all restaurants servers are paid a reduced hourly wage because of potential tip income. As well they have to “tip out” which means pay the “back of the house” (hostess, busers, cooks) a set percentage of the BILL total (not tip total) Usualy in the range of 5-10%.
If you choose to “stiff” the server, they still have to pay the back of house that tip out, so they pay out of their pockets for this.
Eg, $200 bill, 5% tipout = $10. You leave a $10 tip …. your server gets nothing. You leage a $15 tip, the server gets $5. Leave no tip, server pays $10 of their own money to back of house.
Never scrimp on a tip because of managements outrageous fees…servers need those tips to make a “living wage”.
I’m not subsidizing someone’s paycheck bc they choose to work for a cheap employer. All of these servers just need to walk out on their employees and see how long it takes for them to start paying them a wage that doesn’t depend on the generosity of total strangers. You know what your wages are when you accept the position so don’t expect me to make up any shortfall.
Are you charged a resort fee if you check for hotel availability or prices at the front desk also. What’s the difference. IMO just wrong. Just because Europe, Vegas nickel and dime tourist don’t make this right. Hopefully these tactics are clearly posted prior to entering the restaurant giving the patron the option to decline. Being told after seating and told by wait staff after the fact IMO isn’t cool. Please look on travel sites that review restaurants to consider where to to go prior to your trip. IMO if every consumer refused to pay over a certain thresh hold then merchants wouldn’t price product so high.
Best way to fight the cooperate greed is to boycott them. Consumers must stand together
Jeff and Rob have it right. Buyer (or Diner) beware. We never eat-in while in Hawaii – we are Always out for breakfast or lunch or dinner or all three. We’ve always seen some type of fee listed on the menu, or at the table, or were told by our server about another. It’s the price to pay for enjoying the experience. Like many reasonable BOH readers who can do the math without getting uptight, we subtract from what we would tip up to the 20% threshold (yes, we like to appreciate the places that give us joy) or add to get to that threshold. Simple. Mahalo.
I have recently read a reply stating that the Caribbean, in direct reference to my post the Dominican Republic, Punta Cana specifically, raising rates significantly like Hawaii. That person, Randy, certainly has it all wrong. My wife and I are going, instead of Hawaii, for 10 nights in February 2025. We have booked the honeymoon suite with a private infinity pool, all you can eat and drink, including airfare and transfers. It’s at a Jimmy Buffet Resort in Punta Cana and cost us just under $2300 US Total! Compared to what we would typically spend in Hawaii, we can take 3 of these vacations and still have plenty of money left over. And to think, the people are happy that we are there. If you spend some time looking there are awesome deals, if not it’s still cheaper than Hawaii, more friendly too.
I know this for sure… When I’m back home come Dec, I’m checking menus Online first before I go… Couldn’t believe that one surcharge. Bad enough you’re dropping $350-$400 for 2 or 3 at a really good spot but when you’re not even Staying there and you get resort fee’d… ???
Best Regards!
Experienced credit card fee and imposed tip when receiving the bill. They were not disclosed before ordering. I refused to pay both and the manager accepted that. I’m OK with paying these fees if they are disclosed beforehand and I choose to continue eating at that restaurant.They just should not be a surprise at the end of the meal and they need to be reasonable because they could put any fee they want after you eat and that’s not fair.
We haven’t dined out in years, but back then when I saw the ” Mandatory Gratuity Fee” on the credit card tag while getting ready to sign it, I automatically deducted the amount from any cash Tip I’d planed on leaving. I would hope the business did give the Mandatory Gratuity Fee to the employee, not pocket the money themselves.
We ate at the Beach House on Kauai last year and were surprised by a $3 fee for the manager, which we had to pay before we were allowed to get our car from the valet. Of course, we never saw the manager. So, very few restaurants for us, and more farmer’s markets and food trucks, which are very good by the way.
Additional charges are always a concern for travelers, of course, but more specifics would help me to fully grasp the extent to which surcharges are applied in restaurants across Hawaii. Citing one restaurant, Oasis on the Beach, and then referring to restaurants in general and “some” commenters on social media doesn’t really tell me whether this is a big problem or not.
The photo from the restaurant’s FB page is confusing, as that beach spot gets spectacular sunrises, not sunsets. The restaurant isn’t open at that early hour, and most people are rarely up for a glass of wine before breakfast, anyway—even on vacation. 🙂
In reference to the new California law, “Mandatory fees charged by restaurants, bars, and other select food vendors are exempted from SB 478’s requirements so long as the fee is clearly and conspicuously displayed wherever prices are shown (see SB 1524).”
Recently we went through the Burger King drive-through for quick snacks and beverages. The small soda was $4+, small fries the same. Small shake $7. We have been residents for over 20 years and were shocked by the price increases.
What if the restaurant is fully occupied and you opt for a to go order. Are you still charged the 18% service fee? I guess pay 5% resort fee or cover charge or get stiffed with a 18% service fee. Might as well call the resort fee a reservation fee. After deducting from your original tip all these unexpected fees makes it complicated and too much math to figure out. When it is said and done the tip is closer to no tip at all. Places like this will IMO start charging for restroom visits too. Just one hassle to wreck a start of a vacation. If this don’t signify the Aloha Spirit. No wonder so many people say it’s gone.
This isn’t exclusively a Hawaiian issue we just returned from Las Vegas all restaurants were including same type of fees.
Oh wait isn’t Las Vegas considered the 9th island?
I live in Las Vegas. Although I rarely eat at a resort, I have Never encountered a resort fee or a mandatory tip for take-out. Your “all” is extremely misleading.
Sherri Sherri Sherri seriously you live in the city that invented “Resort Fees”. Also since you live in LV how many resorts are offering free parking these days. I believe it’s none.
Europe is a very large area, are there some places that charge, without prior notifications, for bread, butter, etc. It’s possible. Many Countries have decided that this practice of defrauding tourism will now be Illegal. It may still occur, when reported and found to have occurred the restaurant, etc. is closed permanently. Tourism is a great way to make money for businesses and governments, bad press loses repeat visitors. Bad practices are simply bad all around.
Hawaii is in a self induced death trap. Everything that you are witnessing has been years in the making. From poor planning to shortsighted policies, it’s only going to get worse. How bad will it get? Only time will tell but there’s palpable tension on the islands. The citizens need to hold their elected officials accountable first and foremost. They aren’t doing anything for the natives which is making the resentment towards tourists even worse. With that said the tourists are also to blame. I have seen countless interactions with tourists and locals where the visitors are extremely rude, demanding, and entitled. They think that by complaining they will get their way, the world doesn’t work that way folks. If you want a better experience I suggest you check your ego at the airport gate…
When I encounter those fees, it comes right off the tip. Yeah it may not be the servers fault but it’s not mine either. It’s the restaurant. I just make a note on the bill regarding the other bogus charges so the server can show the manager.
Just as Hawaii continues the full time war against STR’S, these fee’s a born. A deterrent to this is cooking for oneself and friends, it makes sense along with Dollars! Unless, and Until, these fee’s are rescinded everyone should Boycott. Soon enough, the way things are going, an additional fee for cleaning the floors and grease trap will be added to the bill. Seems like, for the most part, these fee’s are born of State Values, 🤔 😳 🙄 I believe that it’s time to book my next 2 vacations, Florida in November and, the second is more neutral, Jimmy Buffet’s Resort in Punta Cana. The Dominican Republic, where there’s not any hidden fee’s or surcharges to ruin your vacation! Hawaii? Probably a “thing of the past!”
Apparently, the “resort fee” is bogus. I read that Waipouli Beach Resort has stated Oasis is not part of the resort. Either way, why should diners have to pay a resort fee? They’ll never get my business again. I call shenanigans.
I say get used to it tourists. If you’ve been to Europe lately you would know that every restaurant charges for everything that you have assumed would be free. For example, in Portugal you will see bread, butter and olives on the table when you sit down. Do not assume these are free! They will charge you for every pad of butter and if you take a piece bread you from the basket you pay for the whole basket. So Hawaii is not so different. This is the global tread. Enjoy the islands and pay the price.
Strangely enough a friend and her husband were in Portugal 6 weeks ago, the bread and butter, along with the olives, were free! The government stepped in due to these hidden abuses, outlawing them. Even Greece has outlawed these types of abuses, it’s bad for Tourism!
Our first trip to Europe was in 1995. At that time, and on every trip since, the bread has always been an additional charge if you take any of it. This is not a new practice there.
New practice or not, without any type of notice it becomes fraud if you pursue it. That also gives tourists a good reason to vacation somewhere else, that’s why some countries decided to make it illegal unless there’s plenty of notice informing the public.
Recently visited the World of Wine museum in Porto, Portugal (totally worth the visit).
Upon finishing our lite meal at the main restaurant, a totally different server approached us to offer 20% off our bill if we tipped 20%. WTH?! We were so confused, we just paid the markup.
Hidden fees and tipping culture is a menace that needs to be stopped! If expenses are an issue for a business, just raise the prices. When dining out at home in Hawai’i, pricy food is something we just live with.
We had read about this practice before we went to Portugal in 2023. Spent a month there, and this never happened. Everything was (relatively) inexpensive, anyway, so not big deal.
We’ve lived PT on Kauai for over 15 years, and have never been to Oasis. Or even thought about going there. You all want something nice and a bit different in Kapa’a? Try Fish Bar Deli. Pro tip: try to get a seat at bar between 5 and 6 – the cocktails are 50% off, and very good, even for this beer drinker.
Additional fees on checks while eating out is getting out of hand. I was reading reviews on a hotel we were considering on St Thomas, but nixed the idea after they add an 18% tip on every meal and drinks order; even the buffet where you serve yourself. The servers were also not very helpful as they know they get that tip no matter how poor their performance is. We pay cash at a local restaurant now after they charged us a fee to use our credit card without any notice posted.
Look…the problem is not the restaurants charging outlandish fees, it’s the government issuing bills for more taxes. Then the convenient comes in like the “savior” requiring transparency. CA has several taxes involved with running businesses. Hawaii the same.
All the more reason to support local farmer’s markets and fish mongers. Cook your own dinner it will be tastier and healthier and comes with no added fees from which you receive absolutely nothing.
Brad, this isn’t reasonable or possible for most visitors. The majority of hotels and resorts do not have kitchens. The ones that do, command a large premium typically. Me personally, I agree with you and always do my best to stay at resorts with kitchens and or BBQ grills on the property. However that isn’t the case or possible for most. Plus some people want to go on vacation and truly get the vacation experience and might not want to cook their own meals for once. Restaurants and resorts implementing all of these bogus fees is a major stretch.
Aloha! Fees, fees, fees,. Hawaii is out to fix their mistakes with someone else’s money. Everyone would love to have prices like 1990, but aren’t willing to work for those wages. Get it however you can. By the way, threatening to go to the Caribbean? Didn’t work. The influx of people showed them they could charge more too. Price it and see. After everyone gets over their made spell they’ll go back. A few hundred bucks isn’t going to keep them away.
So as a visitor to the islands (or elsewhere) who needs to control the cost of my trips, what am I to do? Let’s face it, eating every meal “out” especially with a family really adds up in both money and time. This has always been one of the big reasons we opt for an STR with a kitchen. Now that STRs are under fire it has really impacted our Hawaii travel. These shady fees that pop up with everything you do only make it worse and act as a deterrent to us vacationing in the islands, which we have been doing since the 70s.
Aloha to you too….
Timeshare deeded owners coming to HI for over 25 years. In the bpast overlooked lots of the many issues and negatives about visiting the islands. Now getting to thee point where we are not as exicited about our visits anymore. Too many negatives popping up.
To the diner that reduces tip due to unanticipated fee(s), you might bear in mind this unnecessarily impacts the server and not the restaurant. I’d like to think this would be obvious.
Take this up with the Hawaiian government and with the HTA. These junk fees should be illegal and actual prices reflected in the menu. It’s fraud to put a “disclosure” in seven-point font, on the last page of the menu, in a double-asterisk footnote, that your bill will be jacked 18% higher due to a “fee.”
An “unanticipated“ fee is fraud. This is restaurant’s and the Hawaiian government’s responsibility to correct — not innocent diners, locals, tourists, and consumers.
Kevin, eventually it does effect the restaurant. Reducing or Eliminating the tip has a ripple effect, the labor market in Hawaii is tight and no one wants to replace good employees. Does everyone who lives in Hawaii need to be reminded 🤔 you caused all of this by the way that you voted.
I have noticed several random fees on dining in Maui. Health insurance surcharge, other type of three letter word fees. When this occurs, I typically off-set my tip if the service is average or less. If service is good I typically tip favorably. I always write a note on the receipt/cc bill, stating, “Fees should be upfront & on your menu,” Mahalo
These fees are popping up everywhere–we were charged a 5% “linen fee” in London for our tablecloth & napkins!
If your country embraces capitalism so much then let it take its course. A fool and their money are easily parted…..vote with your wallet. Just dont support that establishment.
Its an island, of limited size and resources, in the middle of the Pacific. Its going to cost more than average to live or stay there. We’ve found efficient ways to visit (purchased our own car on island for example).
Its not the caribbean, and never will be, so don’t always compare that orange to this lovely pineapple, or to the apple that is Europe.
When a place becomes popular then capitalism takes over (many caribbean islands since the 90s for example), the price goes up….its the nature of the system. Supply and demand. It’s how you make your money/pensions on the mainland so dont expect anything different in paradise.
Paradise Lost! The D.R. is every bit as Beautiful as Hawaii ever will be, Without any gouging fees. Competition is what differs between Hawaii and most other destinations, the D.R. has plenty and the costs have not significantly risen. Other places know the benefits of Tourism, Hawaii only sees the Green of Greed, as the bottom falls out, who will be left holding the bag? The State? Get Real!
Such fees are disingenuous. As a former Executive Chef (no longer in the business because of the insanity of the business), if there is an expense that is affecting the cost of operation, those costs should be included when the menu is planned and pricing is calculated.
These bogus “fees” simply reflect the fact that such service industries have historically “rode on the back” of underpaid employees, and with the wage increases over the past few years, the industry can’t cope with integrating the cost.
Well I think you can solve your tourist problem by keep on adding fees so that you will have no tourist to worry about. What do you think?