Picture this: You’ve finally found the perfect hotel deal for a weekend getaway. The advertised rate is a completely reasonable $189 per night. You click through, enter your details, and excitedly land on the final checkout page, only to see your total jump to $355.
What just happened? You just met the notorious resort fee.
What is a resort fee?
A resort fee, also known as a destination fee or amenity fee is a mandatory per-night surcharge added by a hotel on top of the advertised base room rate. This fee typically is to cover services like Wi-Fi, pool access, and fitness center use.
If you’re wondering why your hotel bill suddenly looks like a grocery receipt filled with unexpected line items, you aren’t alone. Uncovering these hidden charges is a major frustration for anyone trying to stick to a travel budget. In this guide, we are going to break down exactly what these fees are, why hotels charge them, how the laws are finally changing, and how you can spot the true total cost of your stay before you ever hand over your credit card.
The Name Game: Resort Fees, Destination Fees, and Amenity Fees
You might be searching for “what is a destination fee hotel” only to realize your receipt says “facility fee.” Are these all different things?
The short answer is no. Resort fees and destination fees are exactly the same thing in practice. They are just different names that hotels use depending on where they are located and how they want to market the charge to you.
Because a hotel sitting in the middle of a concrete downtown area can’t logically charge you a “resort fee” with a straight face, they simply rebrand the charge. They call it a “destination fee” or an “urban amenity fee.” It is a clever name change designed for the exact same purpose: to show you an attractive, lower price in your initial search results, and then add the real cost of the room right at the last moment.
Here is a quick breakdown of what hotels call these charges versus what they actually are:
| What hotels call it | What it actually is |
| Resort fee | Mandatory nightly surcharge at resort properties, on top of the base room rate |
| Destination fee | Same charge, rebranded for city hotels that can’t justify calling it a “resort” fee |
| Amenity fee | Same charge, used when hotels want to emphasize what’s supposedly included (Wi-Fi, gym, pool) |
| Facility fee | Same charge, framing it as access to the building’s infrastructure rather than named amenities |
| Urban fee / urban amenity fee | Same charge, used in dense metro markets like NYC and Chicago |
| Resort charge | Identical to a resort fee — just slightly different wording on the same bill line |
| Daily fee | Generic label some properties use to obscure the nature of the charge entirely |
What Are You Actually Paying For?
When you are hit with a mandatory destination fee, it is natural to ask: “What is included in a resort fee?”
Hotels usually justify these nightly surcharges by claiming they cover a bundle of on-property services and perks. Commonly, a hotel will state that your fee covers:
- In-room Wi-Fi and premium high-speed internet access
- Access to the fitness center or gym
- Pool use and pool towels
- Local phone calls from your room
- In-room safe usage
- Daily newspaper delivery (digital or print)
- Sometimes a small daily beverage credit or two bottles of water
The most frustrating part for budget-conscious travelers? You are required to pay these fees regardless of whether or not you actually use any of those services.
Even if you never step foot in the gym, use your own smartphone data instead of the hotel Wi-Fi, and never touch the in-room phone, you still have to pay the fee. It is a non-negotiable part of the room rate that is simply separated out on the bill. And yes, it is a per-night charge. If a hotel charges a $40 resort fee and you stay for five nights, you are paying an extra $200 on top of your room taxes and base rate.
The Real Cost: A City-by-City Breakdown of Destination Fees
So, how much do resort fees actually cost?
According to a 2025 study by NerdWallet that looked at over 400 hotels, the national average for these fees is around $33 to $35 per night. However, depending on where you are traveling, they can range anywhere from a modest $15 to well over $100 per night for high-end properties. On average, these fees make up about 11% of the total nightly cost of a hotel stay.
The trend started in traditional vacation hotspots, but we are now seeing massive “destination fee creep” into non-resort cities. Places like Chicago, Washington DC, and Phoenix are aggressively normalizing urban destination fees throughout 2025 and 2026.
Here is a look at the average resort and destination fees in major U.S. cities, based on 2025–2026 data:
| City | State | Avg Resort/ Destination Fee (USD)* | Resort Fee Range* |
| Las Vegas | NV | $52 | $6 – $62 |
| Phoenix | AZ | $45 | $20 – $90 |
| San Diego | CA | $44 | $8 – $80 |
| Austin | TX | $38 | $23 – $62 |
| New York | NY | $38 | $14 – $75 |
| Los Angeles | CA | $37 | $10 – $52 |
| San Francisco | CA | $37 | $15 – $53 |
| Miami | FL | $37 | $5 – $67 |
| San Antonio | TX | $37 | $1 – $70 |
| Denver | CO | $34 | $21 – $41 |
| Atlanta | GA | $32 | $23 – $47 |
| Tampa | FL | $32 | $2 – $42 |
| Chicago | IL | $30 | $12 – $53 |
| Orlando | FL | $30 | $4 – $62 |
| Indianapolis | IN | $29 | $29 – $29 |
| Charlotte | NC | $27 | $25 – $28 |
| Nashville | TN | $25 | $5 – $37 |
| Dallas | TX | $24 | $2 – $40 |
| Houston | TX | $18 | $1 – $36 |
*Based on 2025 – 2026 data
Las Vegas is the undisputed archetype of the resort fee. The entire model of advertising cheap base rates and making up the difference with mandatory $30 to $60 daily fees was perfected here. Other cities have simply copied the Vegas playbook.
What makes Las Vegas resort fees uniquely frustrating is that local taxes are often applied on top of the mandatory nightly charge. For example, a $50 per night resort fee can actually show up as $56.63 on your final checkout screen, because Vegas taxes are added to the fee itself. A fee on a fee, which makes quick math in your head nearly impossible.
If you want a full breakdown of how Las Vegas resort fees work (and how to spot the real total upfront), check out our Las Vegas Resort Fees guide.
Why Do Hotels Charge Resort Fees? The Business Behind the Fees
If everyone hates them, why do hotels charge resort fees in the first place? It all comes down to clever accounting, marketing, and the way the travel industry works behind the scenes.
1. Lower Prices in Search Results When you go to a search engine or travel website to compare hotels, you naturally sort by the lowest price. If Hotel A includes all its costs in a $150 room rate, and Hotel B charges a $110 room rate plus a $40 destination fee, Hotel B will show up higher on the list. Hotel B looks like a better deal until the very final step of checkout. It’s a way of keeping the advertised base rate low while still collecting the necessary revenue from all guests.
2. Reducing Commission Payouts When hotels sell rooms through third-party booking sites (Online Travel Agencies, or OTAs), they usually have to pay a commission percentage to that site. However, these commissions are traditionally calculated on the base room rate alone. By taking a chunk of the room cost and classifying it as a “resort fee” paid directly at the front desk, the hotel reduces the amount of commission they owe to the booking platform.
3. Tax Advantages In some jurisdictions, room rates are taxed at a different, often higher, percentage than standard services or amenities. By separating out a “facility fee,” hotels can sometimes navigate local tax codes to their advantage.
The Law is Catching Up: The 2025 FTC Rule
For years, travelers have been fighting back against hidden charges, and the government has finally started to step in.
In January 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized a major rule addressing these exact pricing tactics: the FTC Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (16 C.F.R. Part 464). The compliance date for this rule is required by May 12, 2025.
What this rule essentially does is mandate all-in pricing. It requires that the total price of the hotel stay be shown upfront, whenever any price is displayed to a consumer. The old practice of advertising a $200 room and tacking on a $50 destination fee right at the checkout button is now technically illegal.
However, it is vital to understand what the rule does NOT do:
- It does not ban resort fees entirely.
- It does not cap how much a hotel can charge for a destination fee.
- Hotels can still charge you for Wi-Fi and pool towels via a daily fee.
The rule simply dictates that hotels and booking sites can no longer hide the fee. They must show you the full, mathematically accurate price at the beginning of your search.
Some states are taking matters into their own hands to go even further. California’s SB 478 is currently the strongest example of state-level all-in pricing legislation, strictly forbidding bait-and-switch advertising. Meanwhile, advocacy groups like Travelers United have ongoing lawsuits against major chains like Hyatt, Hilton, and Sonesta for consumer protection violations in Washington D.C., signaling that the fight over transparent pricing is far from over.
Despite these rules, there is still a real-world compliance gap. Many online travel agencies and hotel websites still manage to bury these fees in small text, or they technically disclose them but do so in a way that is incredibly confusing for the average person booking a quick trip.
How to See the True Total Cost Before You Book
Las Vegas resort fees, urban destination fees, and mandatory facility charges are frustrating because they are excluded from the headline room rate. The key to staying on budget is knowing exactly how to find the total, actual cost before you confirm your reservation.
Here is a step-by-step guide to protecting yourself from checkout surprises:
Step 1: Always sort and filter by “total price,” not “starting from.” Many online booking platforms still default to showing you the base rate. Dig into the settings or filters on the site and check the box that says “show total price including taxes and fees.” At Super.com, we make it easy—when you search, we display the total price up front, with all mandatory taxes and fees included. No mental math, no unexpected add-ons. That way, you can compare options confidently and budget with peace of mind.
Step 2: Look for the fee disclosure before the payment screen. The industry standard for bad actors is to hide the final fee on the checkout screen, but that’s far too late for comparison shopping. Scan the hotel’s property page closely to see if a daily amenity fee is mentioned.
Step 3: Check recent guest reviews. Go to sites like TripAdvisor or Reddit and search the hotel’s reviews for the word “fee.” Looking at posts from January and February of the current year will give you the most accurate, up-to-date information on what the front desk is actually charging right now.
Step 4: Call the hotel directly if you are unsure. If the booking site is unclear, pick up the phone. Ask the front desk directly: “Is there a mandatory resort fee, and how much is parking?”
How Super.com Handles Fee Transparency
At Super.com, we know our members want to find the best possible deals without being ambushed by hidden costs. We are clear and upfront about how hotel pricing works.
When you check out on our platform, we separate the pricing so you know exactly what is happening. We show you the mandatory fee before you purchase, and we clearly separate what you pay now versus what you pay at the hotel.
Fee transparency means you can clearly see:
- What you pay today to Super.com
- What you are required to pay directly to the property at the front desk
- The total, actual stay cost
The resort fee itself is set by the hotel, not by Super.com. But by clearly marking amounts as “due at property,” you can evaluate the true total cost of your trip before you complete your reservation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes. Resort and destination fees are a per-night charge that scales with the length of your stay. A 5-night stay at a hotel with a $40/night fee means $200 will be added to your final bill at the front desk.
In most cases, no. These fees are mandatory. There are rare exceptions: achieving top-tier loyalty elite status at chains like Marriott or Hilton, booking award stays with points at certain brands, or simply choosing to stay at hotels that do not charge them. Negotiating at check-in has a very low success rate.
Yes. They are functionally identical. A destination fee is simply a rebranded resort fee used by city hotels that do not have traditional “resort” amenities.
It is the hotel’s way of keeping their advertised base rate low in search engines while still collecting extra, mandatory revenue from all guests. It also helps hotels save on the commissions they pay to booking sites.
No. Super.com does not charge hidden booking fees. We clearly separate the room rate, taxes, and any hotel-mandated resort fees so you can see your total cost.
On the final checkout screen, look at the price breakdown. We explicitly list what you pay today to secure the room, and what specific taxes and resort fees will be “due at property” when you arrive.
If the hotel charges you a different fee amount than what was disclosed on your booking confirmation, you should first politely dispute it with the front desk manager. If the issue persists, contact Super.com support with your receipt so we can help escalate the issue.
This depends on the rate type you select (prepay vs. pay-at-hotel). Regardless of how you pay for the room, almost all hotels require a credit card at check-in for an incidental deposit hold, which usually ranges from $100 to $200. This hold is refunded after checkout if you don’t make room charges or cause damage.
At the end of the day, understanding resort, destination, and amenity fees helps you plan your trip budget with confidence—no last-minute sticker shock required. While these nightly charges won’t disappear overnight, staying alert to the true total cost is the key to smarter booking. At Super.com, we’re committed to showing you what you’ll pay today and what’s due at the hotel, so you’re never left guessing. That’s real transparency, and it’s the peace of mind every traveler deserves.
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