What Are Resort Fees—and How Can You Avoid Paying Them?

We’ve all been there. It comes time to check out after a sweet little vacay, and when reviewing the folio, that hotel room that looked like a steal online suddenly costs an extra $35 to $60 per night thanks to a “resort fee.” And increasingly, even urban hotels without sprawling pools or beachfront cabanas are charging them. It’s easy to feel hoodwinked, but resort fees are almost commonplace these days. So what exactly are they, why are travelers still paying them, and is there any way to avoid them entirely?

In theory, resort fees are designed to cover extra amenities bundled into a hotel stay, like Wi-Fi, gym access, beach towels, fitness classes, bottled water, warm cookies during happy hour, “complimentary” access to business centers, or continental breakfasts. But in practice, the fees have become one of the most controversial pricing tactics in the travel industry, particularly because travelers often don’t realize they exist until late in the booking process.

“We could easily get lost in the continuous government battles against resort fees, but most of those fights are less about the fees themselves and more about how they’re displayed in the booking process,” says Tanner Saunders, Senior Hotels Reporter at The Points Guy. “Until recently, it was much more common to hear of travelers arriving at a resort and learning about a $50-per-night fee that was buried in the fine print.”

That’s beginning to change. In recent years, several states and local governments have pushed for stricter pricing transparency laws requiring hotels and booking sites to display mandatory fees upfront rather than revealing them just before payment. Still, the fees remain widespread across the industry—especially at luxury resorts and major tourist destinations like Las Vegas and Hawaii.

Courtesy of Portola Hotel & Spa

And while travelers may assume resort fees only appear at sprawling beach properties, they’ve increasingly spread to city hotels as well. Some brands now market them under softer-sounding names like “destination fees” or “urban amenity fees,” even if the included perks amount to little more than Wi-Fi and discounted bike rentals. The good news? There are a few ways travelers can sometimes avoid paying them.

“One great way is to book with points, if possible,” Saunders says. “Loyalty programs like Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt waive resort fees for award bookings.” Certain elite status tiers can also help. Hyatt Globalist members, for example, receive waived resort fees on eligible stays.

All-inclusive resorts also frequently skip resort fees altogether, since amenities are typically folded directly into the nightly rate. Of course, the best practice to avoid resort fees is to call the property directly and inquire, so that sticker shock doesn’t hit you upon arrival, or worse, when settling up your final bill. 

As for simply asking the hotel to remove the fee? It’s possible—though hardly guaranteed. “The fail rate is high,” Saunders admits. “But I know folks who have pulled it off,” especially when amenities included in the fee weren’t actually available during the stay.

If there’s one strategy travelers should keep in mind, it’s this: if you’re paying the fee anyway, make sure you actually use what’s included.

“If you can’t beat the resort fees, make sure you get the most out of them,” Saunders says. “Ask to see what’s included when you check in and go for it.” At properties like The Royal Hawaiian, indulging in their complimentary banana muffins, or making sure to indulge in the complimentary water bottles and fruit at the gym. It’s all built into the cost, after all.