Understanding Hotel Porterage: What You Need to Know for Our Event

As we finalize the details for our upcoming event, we want to ensure you have a clear understanding of all aspects of your hotel stay, especially a standard, but sometimes overlooked, fee: hotel porterage.

Porterage is a common practice, particularly in unionized hotels like the one hosting our event. It essentially covers the cost of handling and transporting luggage and other items within the hotel premises by the hotel staff (the porters) or by you as well.

What is Hotel Porterage?

Porterage is a mandatory, per-person, per-package, or per-item fee applied by the hotel for the movement of luggage and any other packages.

  • It is applied to virtually everything that moves in and out of the hotel's common areas and storage.

When Does the Fee Apply?

This is a key point we want to emphasize: The fee is applied regardless of who moves the item.

Situations When Porterage Fees Are Applied?

  • Arrival: Luggage/packages are brought into the hotel.

  • Departure: Luggage/packages are taken out of the hotel.

  • Hotel staff carries your luggage to/from your room.

  • You carry your own luggage to/from your room.

  • Event packages/delivery items are received by the hotel.

This is a contractual fee, often included in group bookings, which covers the availability of the service and the union contract. It is an all-or-nothing charge based on the hotel's collective bargaining agreement.

Why We Cannot Waive or Adjust the Fee

We understand that mandatory fees can be frustrating, but we want to be completely transparent:

The Hotel is a Union Hotel. The porterage fees are part of the hotel's contract with its union and are not within our control as the event organizers. As a large group, we are contracted under their established group policies.

How to Find and See the Charges

Fee Details: You can find the specific details and rates for these charges on the hotel's fee page, these fees adjust every July. Fees are typically estimated based on the type, size, and weight of the item being handled.

  • Billing: The porterage fees will be added to your personal bill. They may appear:

    • At checkout.

    • Or, up to one week after checkout as the hotel completes its internal paperwork and processing.

We encourage you to budget for these fees as you plan for your stay. We look forward to seeing you soon!

You can view the Lotte hotel fee list here.

Hotel Fees