Question: I've been charged a cleaning fee for a recent hotel visit, and something doesn't seem right.

I recently booked a few nights at the Grand Caribbean in Orange Beach, Ala., through an affiliate of Orbitz. The room was $95 per night. But imagine my surprise when I saw a much larger amount had been debited to my account.

Since this happened before our trip took place, I tried to cancel my reservation. But they wouldn't allow it.

I asked about the higher charge and was told there was a $166 cleaning fee. The online form did warn that there would be a cleaning fee but did not specify the amount. I assumed that it would be less than the nightly rate.

The Orbitz affiliate agreed to refund half of the cleaning fee. After our stay, I filed a dispute with my credit card company. They investigated and concluded that the fee was legitimate, pointing out that the fine print on the online form did specify additional fees.

I think that's preposterous. What if the fee had been $10,000 or some other ungodly amount that wiped out my entire account?

Bart Everson, New Orleans

Should a hotel be allowed to tack a $166 fee on top of its room rate? As a hotel guest, I would agree with you that a mandatory cleaning fee is excessive. But I've seen these extras in the past, and when they are clearly disclosed as part of the price of the room – and if you agree to it – then there's not much that can be done about them.

In your case, however, there is something that can be done.

Contacting the Orbitz affiliate was a good move. The fact that it immediately agreed to cut the cleaning bill in half was a sign that you had a strong case. But I might have been a little more persistent. Why remove only $83? Why not the whole amount?

I think it was your online agent's responsibility to quote a full price for the hotel room. Fuzzy wording in the fine print about "cleaning fees" isn't enough. And yes, under the terms of your stay, you could have been charged $10,000 to clean the room.

I've noticed a lot more surprise hotel surcharges lately. Guests are frequently broadsided with energy surcharges, cleaning fees, concierge fees and mandatory tips.

I contacted Orbitz on your behalf, and because the cleaning fee wasn't adequately disclosed, it agreed to refund an additional $83.

Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. Troubleshoot your trip through his Web site, www.csr.elliott.org.