Imagine booking a beachfront resort at a seemingly great rate – only to see your final bill far higher. That’s often the result of a mandatory resort fee: a hidden daily charge some hotels add on top of the advertised room rate.
A resort fee is not optional; it is simply tacked on at checkout for so-called amenities (Wi‑Fi, gym access, towels, etc.).
In practice these fees can be tens of dollars per night. For example, NerdWallet found that the average U.S. resort fee in early 2023 was about $42.41 per night (roughly 11% of the room cost) .
TripSavvy explains that resort fees “include items and privileges ranging from local telephone calls to internet access to the coffee maker in your room” . In short, hotels repackage basics (pool use, gym, parking, etc.) as extra charges, increasing the advertised rate after you’ve committed.
Where and Why Resort Fees Are Charged
Resort fees are most common in popular tourist destinations – especially in the United States. Las Vegas casinos are notorious: nearly every big Strip hotel adds a daily fee.
For instance, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas tacks on a $56.69 per night resort fee. So do the Bellagio, Aria and Wynn/Encore (around $56–$57 each) . Even MGM Grand now advertises a $50 daily resort fee .
A Las Vegas review notes that “most resorts tack on resort fees of up to $60 a night” for basic amenities like Wi-Fi or gym access. These high fees are often not obvious until booking is complete (see image below).
Hotels in Las Vegas often feature flashy pools and lounges – but beware the resort fee. For example, The Cosmopolitan’s pool (shown above) comes with a mandatory $56.69/night resort fee . Bellagio, Wynn and others similarly add ~$50–$60 per night even if the room itself looked cheap.
Travelers should always check the all-in price, since hotels sometimes use a lower base rate plus a high resort fee (a classic bait-and-switch).
Outside Vegas, other U.S. hotspots follow suit. Popular Hawaiian hotels routinely charge daily fees for “resort amenities.” Across Maui, Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island, guests often pay substantial daily resort and cleaning fees – in some cases totaling half the room’s base cost . (For example, a $300 room plus a $50 fee must now be advertised together as $350 .)
In the Caribbean, many seaside resorts add an “activity” or amenity fee on top of the quoted rate. TripSavvy notes these are usually smaller (say $10–$20 per day), but one well-known resort even charged an amount equal to 10% of the total stay as a hidden fee. By contrast, most European hotels include all taxes in the posted price, so surprise resort fees are rare there .
In summary, if you’re traveling to a touristic destination – Las Vegas, Orlando, Cancun, Punta Cana, Maui, etc. – chances are the hotel may charge a daily fee beyond the room rate. These fees (often called resort, facility or destination fees) vary by region but share the same effect: inflating the final price.
Why Resort Fees Spark Outrage
Hidden resort fees have long angered consumers and regulators as a deceptive practice. They effectively bait customers with a low headline price then spring extra costs at the last minute.
In recent years the backlash has grown. Analyses suggest Americans pay $3–4 billion per year in hotel resort fees alone . Travelers have filed class-action lawsuits and complaints against chains for not disclosing these fees.
For example, state attorneys general sued Hyatt in 2023, accusing it of “charging illegal hidden fees” (advertising rooms at artificially low rates and then adding mandatory resort or amenity fees) .
Omni Hotels quietly settled with Colorado and Pennsylvania in 2024 over “hidden, 11th‑hour resort fees” . Even major franchises like Hilton, Wyndham and Hyatt rank among the industry’s worst offenders for such fees .
In response, regulators are cracking down. In late 2024 the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) adopted a final “Junk Fees Rule” covering hotels, short‑term rentals and ticketing.
Effective May 12, 2025, the rule prohibits hiding mandatory fees. Hotels must now “clearly and conspicuously disclose the true total price inclusive of all mandatory fees” whenever they advertise a room . In practice, this means the price you see first must include any required resort fee.
Travel+Leisure summarizes the change: “charges like hotel resort fees … must be included in the upfront price the traveler sees before booking” . In other words, you will still pay the same amount in total, but the full rate must appear from the start. For instance, Expedia confirms that under the new rule “the total you see on the search page includes all taxes and fees” .
Some U.S. states have gone even further. California’s SB478 (in effect July 2024) bans advertising any price that omits mandatory fees. It explicitly requires resorts and hotels to factor the resort fee into the advertised room rate .
This means a listing of $200 must now include, say, the $30 resort fee, rather than adding it later. (Other jurisdictions like New York have similar transparency laws pending.) The bottom line: by 2025 transparency is the law in the U.S., and firms that violate it can face steep fines or consumer lawsuits.
Examples of Resort Fees Around the World
- Las Vegas Strip (USA): Every major casino-hotel has one. Bellagio, Wynn/Encore and ARIA each charge about $56–57 per night . The Cosmopolitan, Circa and Caesars Palace are in the same range. MGM Grand’s fee is $50 .
- Hawaii (USA): Most hotels and even vacation rentals in Waikiki, Maui, etc. add daily fees for resort-style amenities. Combined resort+cleaning fees can approach 50% of the room price . A recent FTC example: a $300/night room plus $50 resort fee must now be advertised as $350 up front .
- Caribbean: Many all-inclusive resorts include everything in the base rate, but non‑all‑inclusive hotels may tack on an “activity fee” (often $10–$20/day). For example, one Barbados resort quietly charged up to 10% of the total stay as a resort fee .
- Other U.S. destinations: Cities like Orlando, Miami Beach or New York sometimes see resort/destination fees (especially beachfront or Times Square hotels). Even urban “destination fees” (labeled as city or facility fees) are cropping up in downtown hotels to cover perks like Wi-Fi or gym use.
- Europe and elsewhere: Generally, European and many Asian hotels do not use separate resort fees. Instead, local taxes and VAT are typically included in the quoted rate. In Europe you may pay a small tourist tax (e.g. €1–€5 per night), but this is disclosed in advance and is standard, not a hidden resort fee .
How to Avoid or Minimize Resort Fees
Thankfully, travelers today have tools and strategies to dodge these surcharges:
- Check fees before booking: Use online resources like ResortFeeChecker.com or Expedia/Booking.com to look up a hotel’s fees in advance. (TripSavvy notes that this site covers ~2,000 properties and is especially useful for U.S. destinations .) Always read the fine print on a booking page. Many booking sites now display the fee or note “upfront pricing” (as Expedia promises) , but you should still verify the total.
- Use loyalty and points: Frequent-traveler programs can eliminate fees. Many chains waive resort fees for reward stays. For example, Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt never charge a resort fee on award bookings . Holding elite status can help too – Hyatt Globalist members (top-tier) have resort fees automatically waived . In fact, as one industry report notes, “often the only way to avoid paying for a resort fee is to be a loyalty member” . (Notably, Booking.com even changed its commission policy in 2020 so hotels now pay commission on any resort fee, which may pressure hotels to drop the fee altogether .)
- Pay with reimbursing credit cards: Many premium travel credit cards offer broad travel credits or reimbursements. If a card’s travel credit covers hotel incidentals, you can charge the resort fee and essentially get it refunded. For example, Chase Sapphire Reserve (and other cards) will reimburse travel-related fees automatically . Some co-branded hotel cards also cover incidental fees.
- Book carefully via OTAs or direct: Some online travel agencies now allow you to see the entire fee breakdown. For example, Expedia shows the total cost (including taxes and fees) at booking and collects it up front . (Booking.com has a similar all-in pricing guarantee and even enforces commissions on fees .) If an OTA isn’t clear, you can call the hotel directly to ask. TripSavvy advises phoning the front desk before arrival: if you’ll skip the included perks (like spa or gym), politely request that the fee be waived – managers sometimes oblige, especially on the spot .
- Choose accommodations without fees: If avoiding fees altogether is your goal, stay at alternative lodgings. Budget hotels, B&Bs and vacation rentals typically don’t charge a “resort fee.” (Be aware that short‑term rentals often have a separate cleaning fee, and all hotels have taxes, but those are usually transparent early in booking.) You can also search filters on booking sites for “no resort fee” hotels. Sometimes staying off‐resort (e.g. an off‐Strip motel in Vegas) saves you the daily surcharge.
- Book all-inclusive packages: In some destinations (like the Caribbean), an all-inclusive package may be better value. A higher upfront room rate might cover everything (meals, drinks, tips) so you won’t face surprise fees. Compare carefully – all‑inclusive deals often advertise a single price with no hidden extras.
Recent Progress and Final Tips
The good news is that new regulations and consumer pressure are shifting the game. Thanks to the FTC’s 2024 rule, transparency is becoming mandatory. As Expedia now emphasizes, “travelers want transparent pricing” and “what you see is what you’ll pay” – the total on the page really is final .
The goal is to prevent anyone from being “saddled with mysterious fees” later . In fact, case law and enforcement have already begun to change hotel behavior. After the FTC announced its proposal in 2023, many chains updated their websites so that the advertised price includes the resort fee (often listing it on the rate page) .
For the savvy traveler, the key is vigilance. Always look at the total (room + fees) before booking, and compare different booking channels. Join loyalty programs and use points when you can.
And if you feel you’ve been charged incorrectly, remember that regulators encourage complaints. The FTC explicitly says you can file a complaint if a hotel still tries to hide fees . As one consumer advocate put it, upfront transparency is powerful – when travelers see the full price immediately, they can “make informed decisions and avoid being misled” .
In the end, resort fees are now on the radar of both governments and savvy tourists. By using the latest tools, laws and booking strategies, you can often avoid or reduce these charges.
When you balance the amenities offered against the fee, sometimes it makes sense to skip them (or negotiate them away). What matters is that you see the full price from the start. Thanks to new rules and increased consumer awareness, hidden resort fees are finally losing their bite – but only if we keep watching our totals carefully.
