Resort Fee

La Quinta Resort & Club turned into Bedford Falls? That's the idea behind the 1926 resort's holiday decorations inspired by the movie "It's a Wonderful Life. " After Thanksgiving, the Palm Springs-area hotel will have decorations in place and offer free screenings of the movie, a chance to roast chestnuts -- and a special room rate for California residents. The deal: The California Residents Rate at the resort with a PGA West golf course starts at $135 a night plus tax and requires a two-night stay.

Maybe I should take my tax preparer to Palm Springs for the weekend. Not because my tax preparer needs the rest, but because the way things are going, consumers like me will soon need an expert just to understand who's really charging us what. I'm talking about resort fees and hotel taxes. Those are issues in plenty of lodgings beyond Palm Springs, especially in Arizona. But Palm Springs is where I happened to be a week ago. I'd booked a room at the Saguaro Hotel in Palm Springs, a colorful revival of a former Holiday Inn on East Palm Canyon Drive.

Irish eyes truly smiling After reading Andrew McCarthy's article ["Optimism Is in the Air," Sept. 30], I was most pleasantly depressed. Having just been to Ireland in June, it snared my heart, and I long to return. The photos chosen provided the perfect contrast of present and past, and let nobody suggest these were doctored: It truly is that green. An entire series could be devoted to this wonderful country, whose inhabitants sing when they speak, and whose actual songs are as evocative as the country itself.

The rocky cliffs, hard-sand beaches and swirling ocean current along the curvy Palos Verdes Peninsula can easily be mistaken for Northern California. There are suited-up surfers off shore, but the land follows steep ups and downs as it hugs (and sometimes falls into) the Pacific. It's a good place for a close-to-home getaway, particularly for those who haven't yet explored what must be among the least touristy parts of Southern California. The bed: Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes opened three years ago on the site of what once was the Marineland aquarium that opened in the 1950s.

Scenes with a sense of 'Awe' The Travel section's summer photos really left me taking extra gasps ["The Awe Factor," Sept. 23]. All those lucky people, in those wonderful spots at the perfect moment. Thank you. Julie Kirby Glendale Forget hotels Regarding "Surprise - There's a 'Resort Fee' to Pay" by Catharine Hamm [On the Spot, Sept. 23]: As more of these surprise fees show up, more and more people will realize that they don't require that free newspaper, Internet access and fresh towels and bed linens each day, and will decide to rent apartments in the cities they are going to visit, using Airbnb or other sites.

In the Sept. 23 On the Spot column, reader Mae Chandran of Malibu wrote in to say she had been charged a resort fee of $40.32 at a Las Vegas hotel that "had to be paid before we could check in. " She hadn't known about the charge, so she tussled with the online booking agency and eventually got a small reduction in the price. But, she said in her letter, it really wasn't about the money; it was about the principle, and others agree. Three consumer advocates last month filed a letter of complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about the practice, which the FTC calls drip pricing.

Question: I recently booked two nights' stay at a hotel in Las Vegas and paid for it online. Upon checking in, my husband and I were taken aback when the desk clerk told us that a resort fee of $40.32 had to be paid before we could check in. After some discussion with the online booking agencies, I received a credit for 10% of the total fee. It is really not about the money. It really is the principle. I had no choice but to pay the fee. Is this a trend, and can anything be done about it?

The Ritz Carlton, Dove Mountain covers 850 desert acres of saguaro cactus in the foothills of the Tortolita Mountains north of Tucson. The resort, which includes a spa and pool area, has some nice packages with breakfast or resort credits to enhance a fall or winter desert getaway. The deal: The Ritz Carlton's website features lots of packages and special offers, but these two turned out to be good values when I tested them. The Bed and Breakfast rate serves up daily breakfast for two at the hotel's CORE Kitchen or by room service for just $10 more than the standard room rate.

Paradise Point Resort & Spa , the 44-acre island in Mission Bay in San Diego, was created by entrepreneur and movie producer Jack Skirball. It opened in 1962 under the name Vacation Village and charged just $8 a night. The hotel will mark its 50th birthday Oct. 11 with some nice savings for guests who want to sample this vintage venue. The deal: The resort, which sits on a man-made island, spent $20 million in 2009 renovating its 462 rooms. The grounds take full advantage of a landscaped island motif, with palm trees, lush gardens and lagoons.

The new TV show "Vegas," set to begin Sept. 25 on CBS, shows Dennis Quaid standing in front of the Golden Nugget, circa 1960s -- except it's a re-creation of the landmark casino on a set in Santa Clarita. The real Golden Nugget still stands, of course, and offers some amazingly low prices for fall and winter. The Fremont Street lodging and several other hotels are showing rates of $100 or less for a two-night stay. The deals: Room rates change pretty quickly in Las Vegas, but here's a sampling of prices I found Wednesday afternoon.