Nickel-and-diming customers has, unhappily, become the status quo in the travel industry. So irritating and, worse, often deceptive — a penalty cloaked as a benefit. My plea to the entire industry — hospitality, airlines, cruises, tours and others — is to increase base rates to cover all the components that a reasonable traveler would want and expect to be included. Like complimentary bottled water in hotel rooms. Like a pillow and a hot meal when flying. Like all fees and taxes upfront in the price.

I am turning my laser this week to those annoying hotel fees that can be unexpected budget-busters. Some of these charges are so hidden that you aren't aware of them until you check out. When you don't have time to contest them. Faced with ever-expanding operational costs, hotels are determined to extract every cent possible from their guests without raising the core rates. But although this a la carte corporate mentality may be driving revenue, it's also driving guests away.

Imposing fees to achieve a short-term-profit has gotten some of the big boys in legal trouble. Hilton Hotels and Wyndham Hotels have lost costly class-action suits in court over nondisclosure or inappropriate fees. So if you don't understand all of the charges that appear on your bill, ask for an explanation prior to departure. One good reason to allow an extra 15 minutes for hotel checkout.

Following are some of the most annoying charges you may incur.

The cancellation/early departure fee: Hotels used to allow you to cancel your reservation before 6 p.m. on the day of your scheduled arrival. No longer. Although policies may differ from chain to chain, expect to be hit with a room charge plus sales tax and occupancy fees (for a room you never occupied) if you fail to cancel from 12 to 72 hours before arrival. The same penalty applies if you depart the hotel without staying for the duration of your reservation. The details should be in the fine print of your reservation. Read it.

Parking fee: Ask in advance about options of where to park your car when you arrive at a hotel. Hotels routinely get away with charging on your bill $20 or more per night (don't forget tips) for mandatory valet parking, even if there's a convenient hotel parking lot just steps away.

Minibar fee: Some hotels charge a fee for permitting its guests the convenience of having a minibar in their room, whether they use it or not. And nowadays, just lifting an item to examine it will cause a sensor-sensitive automatic charge. Bring your own snacks and stay away from these greatly overpriced gotchas.

Safe fee: A really infuriating fee is the one that may be charged for just having a safe in your room, regardless if you never open it. Some hotels are billing $3 a day for this privilege. Not fair.

Towel fee: Can you believe the effrontery of a hotel charging for use of towels? Yep, you could be offered a towel (and lounge chair!) poolside and then find out that the cabana boy added $5 or so to your account without advising of the charge. What's next? A surcharge for clean sheets?

Baggage storage fee: Hotels are looking for every source of revenue, and even the baggage room is no longer sacrosanct. Ask in advance if there is a charge for storing your bags for a few hours. You may have no alternative, but at least you'll be informed.

Energy surcharge: An energy surcharge is couched in terms to instill guilt in guests, something to do with conservation, global warming, and the like. It's just another attempt to squeeze your wallet and bears no relation to the amount of energy you consume while staying at the hotel.

Mandatory gratuities: This one really bugs me although I've rarely encountered it personally. Tips for housekeepers and bellmen should be at the discretion of guests, not assessed as a mandatory fee without prior consent of guest. Why doesn't management just pay its employees a proper living wage?

Shuttle fee: Guests do not expect to pay for the hotel airport shuttle bus, apart from a tip to the driver. Until lately, the "free" shuttle has actually been complimentary. Now, you may find upon checking out that you were charged for that airport transfer.

Groundskeeping fee: This one, absurdly, is popping up at resorts. In fact, take special care in advance of booking any resort. Ask for a detail of all the automatic charges you may expect during your stay. My belief is that sticker shock wears off the longer you have to contemplate the figures, creating a vacuum in which irritation can simmer.

Telephone fees: Since savvy travelers use their cell phones or Internet phone services, depriving hotels of longtime revenues, telephone surcharges are more in evidence than ever. Don't pick up that landline, or your bill will reflect egregious rates for those brief local or long-distance conversations.

Resort fee: This over-reaching charge covers many of the facilities for which you booked the resort — gardens, pool, beach access, gym. Be annoyed but don't be surprised to find a charge of $10 to $25 for the availability of certain facilities, again whether you use them or not. And rubbing salt in the wound, the hotel will collect tax on this preposterous fee.

To avoid anger and angst upon checking out of a hotel, determine all the relevant fees and taxes before you book and before you check in. Get them in writing if you can, in order to pre-empt unpleasant financial surprises. Hate when that happens.

Irene Croft Jr. of Kailua, Kona, is a travel writer and 40-year veteran globetrotter. Her column is published in this section every other week.