Incidentals (Hotel)

Incidentals on a hotel folio are the non-room-rate charges that accumulate during a stay: minibar items, room service meals, valet parking, spa treatments, gym/pool fees (if not included), premium Wi-Fi upgrades, in-room movies.

Hotels typically place a "incidentals hold" on the customer’s credit card at check-in — usually $50-200/day depending on the property tier — to cover potential incidentals. The hold is released or settled at checkout.

On the folio, each incidental gets its own dated line: "Day 2 — Mini Bar: $18.00", "Day 3 — Valet Parking: $45.00". Premium properties also tax incidentals; budget hotels often tax only the room rate.

Loyalty status frequently waives incidentals: Marriott Platinum/Titanium get free Wi-Fi and breakfast; Hyatt Globalist gets free breakfast and parking; Hilton Diamond gets free room upgrades and breakfast. These show as $0.00 lines on the folio with a "(Status benefit)" notation.