ATTENTION: Read the small print very carefully. While the receipt says that all taxes are included in the marked price—and on the Arlo’s Airbnb homepage it is written, “No service fee. Arlo SoHo covers the service fee for their guests”—as soon as you arrive, the very pleasant front desk receptionist asks you to pay a $100 deposit from which they will later deduct the “urban fee.” What urban fee? This SOUNDS like a local tax, like the local taxes charged in many hotels all over the world. However, New York City does not itself charge such a fee (they charge the expensive local taxes, already factored into the list price on your receipt). So where does the money go? Directly to the hotel. If that’s the case, and it’s obligatory, then why is this money called an “urban fee,” and why is it separated from the list price? This is the subject of a New York Times article from 2018, showing the practice is relatively new but proliferating: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/22/business/luxury-hotels-urban-areas-cities.html. Simply put, having guests pay this hidden fee is a way of misleading them about the price. It makes them more competitive, since you think you’ll be paying less. People might choose to book another hotel or Airbnb. I understand that it’s competitive out there, and businesses are struggling to pay their leases, employees, etc.—but misrepresenting your price and passing this on the customer as a seemingly legitimate tax later is dishonest. After I complained to the manager, showing her my receipt, she refunded my “urban fee” as a “courtesy.” The hotel is at a great location. The rooms are decent (though the carpet was a bit sticky), and the staff was otherwise nice. It’s the misleading “urban fee” that is unacceptable.