Be sure to read fine print when booking hotels

NEW YORK — The next time you book a hotel room, read the fine print first.

New fees and novel freebies continue to pop up on hotel bills. Knowing what’s included — and what you’re willing to pay for — can make a big difference when it comes time to settle the bill.

More hotels are now charging for in-room Internet access while others are providing free computers in the lobby, coffee in the room and even breakfast. Some downtown hotels have gone so far as to add airport shuttles, aiming to steal business from properties closer to the terminal.

Often, budget hotels include more freebies while higher-end lodgings offer fewer.

Five-star lodgings “feel their customers can pay for it. They’re either on an expense account or have the wherewithal with disposable income,” says Joseph A. McInerney, president of the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the industry’s trade group.

The findings are part of a survey by travel research firm STR on behalf of the lodging association. STR contacted the 52,155 hotels in America and heard back from 23 percent.

One of the biggest growth areas in fees is inroom Internet access: 23 percent of hotels now charge for the service, up from just 15 percent four years ago.

If you don’t want to pay for Internet, go to the lobby. That’s where a whopping 78 percent of hotels — mostly upscale ones — offer complimentary Internet access on computers. This trend started in 2008 with Sheraton hotels, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., and has spread to most competitors, says McInerney.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but breakfast is another matter. Some 79 percent of hotels now offer complimentary breakfast.