Hotel Resort Fees: The Hidden Charge That's Costing You Hundreds

You found a great hotel rate — $129 per night in Las Vegas, $189 in Miami Beach, $149 in New York. You book it, you show up, and at checkout you discover the bill is $50–$80 per night higher than you expected. The extra charge? A "resort fee," a "destination fee," or an "amenity fee" — a mandatory daily charge that was technically disclosed somewhere in the fine print but was never included in the advertised price.

Hotel resort fees have become one of the most pervasive and infuriating forms of consumer deception in the travel industry. According to research by consumer advocacy group Travelers United, U.S. hotels collect an estimated $3–4 billion per year in resort fees — money extracted from travelers who booked based on advertised prices that didn't reflect the true cost of their stay.

What Resort Fees Actually Are

Resort fees originated in Las Vegas in the late 1990s as a way for casino hotels to charge for amenities like pool access and gym use without raising their advertised room rates. The strategy worked so well at keeping advertised prices low while boosting revenue that it spread across the hotel industry — and today, resort fees are charged by hotels that have no resort amenities whatsoever.

A "resort fee" at a downtown business hotel in Chicago might cover: Wi-Fi (which most hotels now provide free), a bottle of water in your room, access to a fitness center, and a newspaper you didn't ask for. The fee for these "amenities" might be $35–$50 per night — charged whether you use any of them or not.

"Resort fees are the hotel industry's version of the airline baggage fee — a way to advertise a low price while extracting far more from consumers who have already committed to a booking."

The Legal and Regulatory Landscape

The FTC has repeatedly expressed concern about resort fees, calling them a form of deceptive advertising. In 2023, the FTC sent warning letters to several major hotel chains warning that their resort fee practices may violate federal consumer protection law. The Biden administration's broader junk fee initiative specifically called out hotel resort fees as a target for regulatory action.

However, as of 2025, there is no federal rule specifically prohibiting resort fees or requiring them to be included in advertised prices. The hotel industry has successfully lobbied against mandatory all-in pricing requirements, arguing that consumers can find fee information if they look for it.

At the state level, several states have taken action. Nebraska and Minnesota have passed laws requiring hotels to disclose total prices including fees in advertising. The FTC's broader junk fee rulemaking, if finalized, could address hotel fees as well.

How to Avoid or Dispute Resort Fees

Use resort fee tracking tools. Websites like ResortFeeChecker.com and the hotel fee section of Consumer Reports maintain databases of hotels and their resort fees. Check these before booking.

Book directly with the hotel and ask for a waiver. Many hotels will waive resort fees for guests who ask politely, especially loyalty program members. Call the hotel directly (not the reservation line) and ask if the resort fee can be waived. A significant percentage of guests who ask receive a waiver.

Use hotel loyalty status. Elite members of hotel loyalty programs (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, Hyatt World of Hyatt) often receive resort fee waivers as a benefit of their status. If you travel frequently, concentrating stays with one brand to build status can pay off.

Dispute the charge if it wasn't clearly disclosed. If you were not clearly informed of the resort fee before booking and it was not prominently displayed in the advertised price, you may have grounds to dispute the charge with your credit card issuer. Document the advertised price you saw, the booking confirmation, and the final bill.