TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Dutch Side Lodging Taxes

Looking at our proposed bill for hotel lodging Dutch Sideand have to taxes added.

Tax 5%
Service Tax 15%

Are those the typical taxes for Dutch lodging? Just curious

The actual tax is 5%. Some places will add on the 15% or so SERVICE CHARGE and it is NOT a TAX. I would not say they are typical as not every place adds it on. If a place is adding on 15%, I would NOT add any daily/weekly gratuity for housekeeping. If there is just the 5% TAX, daily/weekly tipping for housekeeping is at your discretion.

JD is correct. Some places add 15% SERVICE CHARGE and try to pass it off as taxes. Dutch side lodging taxes are 5%. Places like Beachside Villas add only 5% taxes and leave it up to your discretion to tip, which we always do. I also agree with him that, other than maybe a dollar or two, I would NOT tip the maid when they charge me 15%.

Good to know, im hip to the dining service charge but not the lodging. Rather they just buold that in and pay folks well. I hope they all get it like the cruise workers.

On the Dutch side it’s fairly common to pay a 15% service charge and the 5% gov tax. If is a full service hotel with hotel amenities I don’t mind paying it. But condos types no way it would be appropriate
Or reason to charge. I still tip my favorite housekeeper.

At the Flamingo and Royal Palm the 15% is charged to cover Pool, Wifi and housekeeping. Something owners don't have to pay but RCI, II and renters do.

I thought they added a "resort charge" for "renters" and still added on the 15% service charge?

As an owner, you do not tip housekeeping? We rent from owners and always tip housekeeping. Not sure how that would be covered in your AMF, but then again, anything is possible with Diamond Resorts.

On top of the TS tax of $50 a week? That's NUTS!

I think that is just in the case of renting as a hotel room. When we rent from an owner we do pay the $50/week TS tax but no 15% service charge or even 5% tax.

Must be a senior moment. I thought we paid the $50 when we were TS bound. But that's a while ago, and memory fades.

Yes, timeshare tax is $50/week but if someone rents directly from the resort as a hotel room, they tax is not charged but the 15% is.

SO an exchange (RCI or II) person pays 15% of what? There is no charge for the room other than the TS tax of $50. Renters I understand.

Correct

They pay the mandatory 50 a week TS Tax and a daily mandatory resort fee and no 15% SC or 5% tax. Renters pay the 15% SC and 5% tax and no $50 TS Tax. Pretty sure renters also have the resort fee too but that might be covered in the 15% SC.

We always tip the housekeeping staff after our stay. Just something we like to do along with bringing something special from home to ones we know that are always there. After owning for over 18 years we have made many friendships with the staff there.

"I thought they added a "resort charge" for "renters" and still added on the 15% service charge?"
Could be.

Now I am more confused....SO no 15% for exchangers (II/RCI) as I thought....but a resort fee? Is this unique to Flamingo/Royal Palm or common practice for some resorts. I've exchanged into SBR and just paid the TS tax of $50...but I haven't exchanged into SBR in a couple of years

Becoming more common. Some resorts charge for wifi and some provide wifi free but you can upgrade to a better connect for a fee. Some have an add on energy charge. It's up to the resorts as to what they do.

When I was at Divi in June, I paid the $50/weekly "timeshare tax" plus a daily resort fee of $10.50. So $123.50/week.

Surprised you had to pay the daily resort fee as an owner.

Divi instituted the resort fee a couple of years ago in lieu of charging for wifi and other amenities.

Still surprised. Wifi and other resort fees should be free for owners too as it is with Flamingo and Royal Palm. But our MF's are higher so that is probably all factored in.