Resort Fees Explained: Hidden Hotel Fees and How to Avoid Them

What resort fees, destination fees and urban fees are, what they cover, the new US and UK rules on showing them, and practical ways to avoid or reduce hidden hotel charges.

You find a hotel at what looks like a great nightly rate, click through, and the final price is far higher. The culprit is often a resort fee, destination fee, amenity fee or local tax. These charges have frustrated travellers for years, and recent laws in the US and UK have changed how they must be shown. Here is everything you need to know.

What is a resort fee?

A resort fee is a mandatory nightly charge that a hotel adds on top of the room rate. Hotels say it covers amenities such as Wi-Fi, pool and gym access, beach chairs, bottled water, local calls or a daily newspaper. Crucially, you pay it whether or not you use any of these things.

The same idea goes by many names:

Why do hotels charge them?

Mostly because a lower headline nightly rate ranks better on comparison sites and looks more attractive. Splitting the price also means the fee may not be included in some commissions or discounts. Regulators in several countries have treated this as misleading, which is why the rules changed.

The rules now: US, UK and Australia

United States: the FTC "Junk Fees Rule"

The Federal Trade Commission's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect in May 2025. For hotels and short-term rentals it requires that:

• The total price, including all mandatory fees such as resort fees, is shown whenever a price is advertised.
• The total price is displayed more prominently than other pricing information.
• Fees are described accurately.

What it does not do is ban the fees or cap them. Government taxes may still be shown separately before payment. So in practice, resort fees still exist, but they should now be folded into the total you see at the start of your search rather than revealed at checkout. Some states, such as California, have their own laws on fee disclosure as well.

United Kingdom: drip pricing ban

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 banned drip pricing from 6 April 2025. Businesses must include mandatory charges in the headline price. The Competition and Markets Authority's guidance specifically mentions resort fees and local taxes payable at hotels as charges that should normally be included, and the regulator has opened investigations into travel firms over how resort fees and local taxes are shown. This matters for UK travellers booking US or European hotels through UK websites.

Australia

The Australian Consumer Law has long required businesses to show a single total price where they advertise a component of the price. Australian booking sites should show mandatory fees in the headline total, and the ACCC has taken action against travel businesses over hidden or misleading fees. Taxes or fees collected at an overseas hotel can still catch Australian travellers out, so always read the price breakdown.

How much are resort fees?

They vary enormously. At budget and mid-range properties they might be a modest amount per night, while at big-name resorts in Las Vegas or Hawaii they can be a significant addition, sometimes plus tax on the fee itself. Over a week, a resort fee can add up to more than an extra night's stay. Always look at the total for the whole trip.

Resort fees vs tourist taxes

Tourist taxes (also called city tax, occupancy tax or bed tax) are set by governments. They are common in Europe, including Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam and Edinburgh, which has introduced a visitor levy, and in many US cities as hotel occupancy tax. They are often charged per person per night and sometimes collected in cash at the hotel. Unlike resort fees, the hotel does not keep them.

How to avoid or reduce resort fees

1. Filter by total price. Most major booking sites now let you see prices including fees. Make that your default view.
2. Read the price breakdown before you pay. Look for "resort fee", "destination fee", "facility fee" and "due at property".
3. Choose hotels that do not charge them. In Las Vegas and Orlando, some hotels, especially away from the main resort strips, do not charge resort fees. Our Las Vegas where-to-stay guide covers this.
4. Use loyalty points. Some programmes waive resort fees on award stays. Check the terms of your programme because policies differ and change.
5. Ask if amenities were unavailable. If the pool was closed or Wi-Fi did not work, politely ask for the fee to be reduced or removed. It does not always work but often does.
6. Factor fees into your comparison. A hotel at a higher nightly rate with no resort fee may be cheaper overall.

Other hidden hotel charges to watch

• Parking, especially in city centres and US resorts, can be expensive per night.
• Early check-in and late check-out fees.
• Extra-person charges for a third adult or older child.
• Credit card surcharges, now restricted in the UK for consumer cards.
• Incidental deposits held on your card. These are not charges, but they reduce your available credit. See our incidental hold guide.
• Minibar sensors that charge if you move an item.
• Package or "amenity" deliveries fees for receiving parcels.

Example: how a resort fee changes the total (hypothetical)

Hotel A looked cheaper per night but costs more overall. Taxes are often charged on the resort fee too, increasing the gap.

Questions to ask about fees

1. Is there a resort, destination, urban or facility fee?
2. What does it include?
3. Is tax charged on the fee?
4. Is parking included or extra?
5. Are there extra-person fees?
6. Are local taxes paid at the hotel?

Where resort fees are common

• US: Las Vegas, Orlando, Miami, Hawaii, Arizona resorts, and big city hotels in places like New York and San Francisco.
• Caribbean and Mexico: some resorts charge environmental or resort fees.
• Europe: resort fees are uncommon, but tourist taxes are widespread.
• Dubai: the Tourism Dirham fee plus service charges.
• Maldives: green tax and service charges.

The bottom line

Resort fees are not going away, but the new rules make them easier to spot. Compare the total price for your whole stay, read the breakdown before paying, and remember that the cheapest nightly rate is not always the cheapest hotel.

Prices, fees, taxes and booking rules change often and vary by hotel, date and country. Figures in this guide are typical ranges for planning, not quotes. Always confirm the total price and cancellation terms with the hotel or booking site before you pay.