Hotel Resort Fees 2026: Amounts by City, FTC Rule, How to Avoid
Last checked Nov 6, 2026 Reviewed by Dana Whitlock
A resort fee is a mandatory nightly charge on top of the room rate, and since May 12, 2025, the FTC rule requires US lodging prices to show it up front. The rule does not ban the fee: the FTC says it requires businesses to "clearly and conspicuously disclose the true total price inclusive of all mandatory fees."
- Rule in force
- May 12, 2025
- Fees we confirmed
- $28 to $65 a night before tax, reading Faena's $65 as nightly
- Hotels in our table
- 20 in six markets, two with no fee
- Charged
- Per room, per night
- Banned
- No, not by the FTC or New York City
- Tax on the fee
- Yes where hotels state it, such as 13.38% on the Las Vegas Strip and 18.712% in Waikiki
In this guide
Resort fees by city
Fees at the 20 hotels below ran from $28 to $65 a night on November 6, 2026, and two of them, Rosen Shingle Creek and Halekulani, charged nothing. Each fee is the hotel's published figure before tax. Fees are set by property, so two hotels in one city can differ by more than $30 a night. The 7-night column is simply the fee times seven, so you can see what it adds to a week.
| Property | Market | Hotel calls it | Per night | 7 nights | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wynn Las Vegas | Las Vegas Strip | Resort fee | $55.00 | $385.00 | Wynn policies | Nov 6, 2026 |
| The Venetian Resort | Las Vegas Strip | Resort fee | $55.00 | $385.00 | Venetian fee page | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Resorts World Las Vegas | Las Vegas Strip | Resort fee | $55.00 | $385.00 | Resorts World FAQ | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Fontainebleau Las Vegas | Las Vegas Strip | Resort fee | $55.00 | $385.00 | Guest guide, July 2026 | Nov 6, 2026 |
| The STRAT | Las Vegas Strip | Resort fee | $49.95 | $349.65 | STRAT FAQ | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Plaza Hotel & Casino | Downtown Las Vegas | Resort fee | $39.00 | $273.00 | Plaza FAQ | Nov 6, 2026 |
| El Cortez | Downtown Las Vegas | Amenities fee | $30.00 | $210.00 | El Cortez policies | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Royal Lahaina Resort | Hawaii (Maui) | Resort fee | $45.00 | $315.00 | Royal Lahaina FAQ | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Kaimana Beach Hotel | Hawaii (Oahu) | Resort fee | $45.00 | $315.00 | Kaimana FAQs | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Wayfinder Waikiki | Hawaii (Oahu) | Amenity fee | $37.00 | $259.00 | Wayfinder FAQ | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Halekulani | Hawaii (Oahu) | None | $0.00 | $0.00 | Halekulani FAQs | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Waldorf Astoria Orlando | Orlando | Resort charge | $50.00 | $350.00 | Waldorf charge page | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Rosen Shingle Creek | Orlando | None | $0.00 | $0.00 | Rosen, About us | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Margaritaville Times Square | New York City | Resort fee | $49.95 | $349.65 | Margaritaville FAQ | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Hard Rock Hotel New York | New York City | Destination fee | $40.00 | $280.00 | Hard Rock policies | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Arlo Midtown | New York City | Urban fee | $37.00 | $259.00 | Arlo fee page | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Warwick New York | New York City | Facility fee | $35.00 | $245.00 | Warwick services page | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Faena Hotel Miami Beach | Miami Beach | Resort fee | $65.00 | $455.00 | Faena policies | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Loews Miami Beach | Miami Beach | Resort fee | $50.00 | $350.00 | Loews FAQ | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Casa Faena | Miami Beach | Resort fee | $28.00 | $196.00 | Casa Faena, same page | Nov 6, 2026 |
Most of the Strip hotels we could confirm charge $55: four of the five, and the five rows average $53.99 a night on November 6, 2026. That average covers those rows, not the Strip. No MGM Resorts or Caesars hotel is listed, because we could not confirm a property's fee on its own page that day, so Bellagio, MGM Grand, Caesars Palace and their sister hotels are missing. A hotel-offer disclaimer on Caesars' site says room reservations are "subject to a daily resort fee between $45-$60 plus applicable tax," without naming a hotel, and its hotel terms say rates exclude "mandatory resort fees" unless stated otherwise.
We don't repeat blog averages for Las Vegas, because they rest on no primary source we could check. Use the fee for your hotel on your dates.
Are resort fees banned?
No. The federal rule regulates how a price is shown, and the FTC says it does not prohibit "any type or amount of fee or specific pricing strategies." Headlines saying New York City banned hotel fees overstate its rule too: 6 RCNY 5-15 is titled "Hotel Fee Disclosures" and sets no ban or cap.
It is an unfair and deceptive practice and a violation of this part for any business to offer, display, or advertise any price of a covered good or service without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price.
The FTC's own example is a resort with a $199 nightly rate and a $39 daily fee, and its verdict is short: "The required resort fee must be included in the total price." The FTC's FAQ says the rule covers hotels, vacation rentals and home shares, along with third-party platforms and travel agents. That FAQ is staff guidance.
The FTC has used the rule against a booking app, though its release mentions no hotel resort fee. On July 2, 2026, it announced a $35 million settlement with travel app Hopper, alleging that tip and VIP Support fees were added without consent and left out of a "total price." The complaint cites the FTC Act and, only for short-term lodging bookings since May 12, 2025, the fee rule. The $35 million settles the whole complaint with no split, and the court entered the order on August 20, 2026.
Hotel chains themselves have faced enforcement in Texas, under state consumer protection law, not the FTC rule. On December 30, 2025, the Texas Attorney General announced a $1.25 million settlement with Hyatt, which ended a suit alleging "mandatory and unavoidable fees" charged "in addition to daily room rates." The terms require Hyatt to disclose fees added to a room's price. The release calls this the sixth such settlement, after Marriott, Omni, Choice Hotels, Hilton and Booking.com.
| Rule | In force since | What it requires | Bans the fee? |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTC, 16 CFR Part 464 | May 12, 2025 | Total price with mandatory fees. Taxes may be left out until the final amount | No |
| New York City, 6 RCNY 5-15 | Feb 21, 2026 | Same total, for NYC hotels and for anyone advertising a hotel to an NYC consumer | No |
| California, AB 537 | July 1, 2024 | Room rate must include required fees, except government taxes and fees, Business and Professions Code 17568.6 | No |
| Minnesota, 325D.44 subd. 1a | Jan 1, 2025 | Prices for goods and services must include mandatory fees, not hotel-specific | No |
| Virginia, Code 59.1-608 | July 1, 2025 | Advertised price must show the total with mandatory fees, government taxes and fees excluded. Subsection C adds that a hotel complies if its offers disclose any automatic and mandatory gratuity percentage. We found no guidance on how that treats resort fees | No |
| Colorado, HB25-1090 | Jan 1, 2026 | Advertised price must show the maximum total, government and shipping charges excluded, not hotel-specific. A seller that follows applicable federal pricing rules also complies | No |
This table is not a complete list of state laws. New York City's notice also names Massachusetts as applying its total-price rule to anyone advertising to its consumers, though we could not open the state's own text on November 6, 2026. In any other state, check your attorney general's site. New York State's S363 passed the Senate on May 12, 2026, and sat in an Assembly committee when we checked.
New York City's rule adds one thing the FTC's lacks: a disclosure of the hotel's card hold or deposit policy, which starts on January 22, 2027. Until then, see how long a hotel card hold lasts. Because the city's rule reaches anyone advertising to an NYC consumer, a New Yorker booking a hotel in another state is covered as well.
What does a resort fee cover?
A resort fee covers whatever that hotel lists, and you usually pay it whether or not you use the list. Wi-Fi, fitness rooms and calls are common. The rest varies a lot:
- Parking: Wynn, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the Plaza and El Cortez all list parking. Resorts World's list doesn't, and its FAQ publishes separate self-parking and valet rates.
- Credits: Hard Rock Hotel New York lists a $20 daily food and beverage credit, and Royal Lahaina a $20 spa credit per room, per day.
- Beach gear: Loews Miami Beach lists up to four beach chairs a day and timed use of kayaks and paddleboards.
- Theme park shuttle: Waldorf Astoria Orlando lists shuttle service to Walt Disney World theme parks and Disney Springs.
- Discounts: The STRAT's list leans on discounts, such as a reduced Tower entry fee and 20% off SkyJump.
Before you judge a fee, price what you would really use. A $39 fee with parking is a different deal if you arrive by rideshare.
Is a destination fee the same as a resort fee?
Yes, in practice: a destination fee is the same kind of mandatory charge under another name. Hard Rock Hotel New York charges a "$40 destination fee per night (plus tax)," and New York City's notice groups "destination fees," "resort fees" and "hospitality service fees" together as junk fees. Our table shows the same charge as an "urban fee" at Arlo Midtown, a "facility fee" at Warwick New York, a "resort charge" at Waldorf Astoria Orlando and an "amenity fee" at Wayfinder Waikiki.
The label changes nothing in the rule. What counts is whether you must pay, because the FTC's total price covers mandatory charges under any name.
What will the fee add to my bill?
Example: 4 nights at $200 with a $55 fee on the Strip
- Room, 4 nights: $800.00
- Resort fee, 4 × $55: $220.00
- Tax on room, 13.38%: $107.04
- Tax on fee, 13.38%: $29.44
- Total: $1,156.48
That $200 room really costs $289.12 a night, and the fee with its tax adds $249.44 to the stay. The total the FTC rule requires would be $1,020.00, because it may leave out tax, so that total can sit $136.48 below what you pay. The rule also requires the final amount before you pay, so the $1,156.48 should appear at the last step. Put that figure into our calculator that adds up a whole trip.
How do I avoid a resort fee?
Plan around it before you book, because hotels treat the fee as mandatory once you arrive.
- Compare final totals. Take the amount at the last booking step for each hotel, tax included. A $180 room with a $55 fee costs more than a $220 room with none.
- Choose a hotel without one. Rosen Shingle Creek says "you never pay a resort fee," and Halekulani says "There are no resort fees at Halekulani." We found no chain promising that at all its hotels, so check by property.
- Look for a rate plan that drops it. Margaritaville Times Square says its fee "may be waived at times for corporate, group, or promotional rate plans." The Plaza ran a package that waived its fee through September 30, 2026. That offer has ended.
- Use points where the program covers it. See the table in the next section.
- Use top-tier casino status. Caesars Rewards lists "No resort fees on any hotel stay" for Diamond and Seven Stars members, where applicable, for one room per stay.
- Ask, but don't count on it. A waiver is the hotel's choice, and the FTC rule doesn't require one. The FTC's FAQ gives the example of a hotel that charges the fee at check-in but "waives the fee if a guest notices and challenges it," and says that hotel must still include the fee in its total price.
Hotels with no resort fee, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando: "you never pay a resort fee"
- Halekulani, Waikiki (Oahu): "There are no resort fees at Halekulani"
We list a hotel here only when its own page says so.
An all-inclusive rate is another route to one price, but it has trade-offs of its own.
Which loyalty programs waive it on points?
Wyndham Rewards covers the fee on most free nights, and Marriott Bonvoy makes you pay it. Those are the two programs whose terms we could read on November 6, 2026.
| Program | Fee on points stays | Wording | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy | You pay, except all-inclusive resorts | Resort fees "are the responsibility of the Member" | Program terms, section 3.2 |
| Wyndham Rewards, most hotels | Covered | A free night includes "local taxes and resort/facility fees" | Program terms, effective Oct 29, 2026, III(C-1)(4) |
| Wyndham Rewards, Caesars properties | You pay | A free night is "excluding resort/facility fees" | Same terms, III(C-2)(3) |
We don't list Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards or Choice Privileges, because we could not confirm their wording on the programs' own terms pages on our check date. Check the award terms before you count on a waiver.
Do you get a resort fee back?
Usually not for amenities you skipped, because hotels charge per room night, not per use. Wynn adds the fee "for each complimentary (if applicable) and purchased room night," and says some amenities are "subject to availability and guest demand." The FTC rule covers how prices are shown and gives guests no refund right of their own, although the FTC says violators could be ordered to refund consumers.
Raise it at the front desk before checkout if the fee was missing from the price you saw, or if the amount differs from your confirmation. Keep a screenshot of the final booking screen. If a hotel or booking site hid the fee, you can report it to the FTC, and New York City's rule carries fines from $525 for a first violation.
What changed
- Jan 22, 2027New York City's deposit and hold disclosure takes effect.
- Nov 6, 2026Table first checked, all 20 rows.
- Aug 20, 2026Court entered the order in the FTC's case against Hopper, announced July 2, 2026, the first case we found that cites the fee rule for lodging bookings. The FTC release mentions no hotel resort fee.
- Feb 21, 2026New York City's 6 RCNY 5-15 took effect, apart from the deposit and hold disclosure.
- Jan 1, 2026Colorado's HB25-1090 took effect.
- Dec 30, 2025Texas Attorney General announced a $1.25 million settlement with Hyatt over alleged mandatory hotel fees, under Texas consumer protection law.
- July 1, 2025Virginia's mandatory-fee law took effect.
- May 12, 2025FTC Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect.
- Jan 1, 2025Minnesota's mandatory-fee law took effect.
- July 1, 2024California's AB 537 took effect.
How we checked
We read the FTC rule text, New York City's notice of adoption and rule page, California's bill text, the Minnesota and Virginia statutes and Colorado's bill page and signed act on November 6, 2026. That day we also searched for amendments to the FTC rule, court challenges to it or to New York City's rule, and new state laws, and found no amendment or challenge. That was a search, not a court docket review.
Fees come from hotels' own pages, and the table lists only hotels whose pages showed the fee that day. The 13.38% rate comes from hotels' terms; Clark County's rate page shows the 2017 increases, and we did not read the county code. We have not stayed at these hotels or booked these rates, so we show published figures only. We recheck the table each quarter and after any FTC, state or city change.
Questions
Are resort fees a scam?
The FTC rule allows them when they are disclosed, though New York City's regulator calls them junk fees and describes hiding them as "drip pricing." A fee left out of the advertised total breaks the FTC rule. A fee shown in the total is simply part of the price, so judge it as you would the room rate.
Is the resort fee per person or per room?
Usually per room. The Fontainebleau Las Vegas charges it "to each individual room per night," and the Plaza "per room, per day." Two rooms means two fees, which matters when you work out what a family trip costs or split a group trip.
Do I pay a resort fee on a free or comped night?
You can. Wynn's policy applies the fee to complimentary nights, where applicable, as well as purchased ones, so read the offer's terms before you assume a free night costs nothing.
Is there a way to check a hotel's fee before booking?
Yes. The final booking screen is the reliable check, because US hotels and booking sites must show the total price and the final amount before you pay. The hotel's policy or FAQ page usually names the fee and what it covers.
Sources
Further sources we read and dated; the ones linked in the text above are not repeated here.
- FTC, Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees to take effect May 12, 2025, ftc.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- NYC Mayor's Office, release on the hotel fee rule, January 2026, nyc.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- FTC v. Hopper, Complaint, D. Mass. 1:26-cv-13058, July 2, 2026, ftc.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- FTC v. Hopper, Stipulated Order entered by the court, August 20, 2026, ftc.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Minnesota Laws 2024, chapter 111, revisor.mn.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Code of Virginia 59.1-609, limitations and exclusions, law.lis.virginia.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Constitution of Virginia, Article IV, Section 13, effective date of laws, law.lis.virginia.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Colorado HB25-1090, signed act (adds C.R.S. 6-1-737), leg.colorado.gov, checked Nov 6, 2026
- The Venetian Resort, Hotel terms and conditions, venetianlasvegas.com, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Plaza Hotel & Casino, Hotel, plazahotelcasino.com, checked Nov 6, 2026
- Plaza Hotel & Casino, All-inclusive room package, plazahotelcasino.com, checked Nov 6, 2026
Reviewed by Dana Whitlock, editor at Pilot Travel Deals. How we check