This is your wake-up call: Sneaky hotel fees you can avoid

Have you ever checked out of a hotel, and been astounded by your final bill? You knew what your room rate was, but by the time they got done adding all their fees and taxes, the total skyrocketed!

It's not uncommon at all. In fact, the sneaky fees are the way that hotels make a ton of money. In many respects, a hotel room is a commodity. After all, you need a place to sleep and the rest is largely optional. Sure, chains have been trying to differentiate themselves with extra-super-special beds and other comforts in the rooms. But there is only so much a traveler is willing to pay for a hotel room, and there are about a zillion options.

So the real money isn't necessarily made with your room fee. It's made with all the extras, which are often almost all profit for the hotel. Some of them are easy to avoid: If you don't want to pay $8 for a bottle of beer, you don't touch the mini bar. Others aren't so easy to avoid because they're often hidden in fine print and guests don't know which they can refuse and which they can't.