Hotel Resort Fees in 2026: The 5-Second Check That Spots Them Before You Book

The FTC junk fee rule has been in effect for over a year. New York City's stricter version kicked in on February 21, 2026. And yet, somehow, the average resort fee on a US hotel booking in May 2026 was 38 dollars a night. Up from 35 the year before.

What gives.

The rule didn't ban resort fees. It only required they show up in the headline price. So hotels did what hotels do. They raised the headline, kept the fee, and let booking platforms compete on whether the displayed number is the real one. Some platforms do this well now. Many still hide the fee behind a "see total" link three clicks deep.

Here's how to find the real all-in price in five seconds. Plus a list of the hotel chains and cities where resort fees are still the worst, and a few brands that quietly killed them.

What the FTC Rule Actually Changed

The federal rule, which took effect May 12, 2025, requires hotels and booking platforms to display the total price including all mandatory fees more prominently than the nightly rate. That means resort fees, destination fees, mandatory service fees, and any other "you have to pay this" charges have to show up in the headline number.

What it doesn't do is cap the fee, ban it, or require itemization on the listing page. The hotel can still charge a 50 dollar a night resort fee. They just have to roll it into the displayed price.

New York's local rule goes a step further. From February 21, 2026, hotels in NYC have to disclose the all-in total in any advertisement, not just at booking. That includes the rate displayed on their own websites and on metasearch results.

Both rules excluded taxes. So state and local hotel taxes still get added at the end. Those range from about 10% in some southern cities to over 18% in Chicago.

The 5-Second Check

Before booking, do this. Open the hotel's booking page on the platform you're using. Look at the price displayed at the top of the listing. Now scroll to the price breakdown before payment. Compare.

If the headline price matches the pre-tax total, the platform is showing you the all-in. If the headline is lower than the pre-tax total, mandatory fees are still being hidden somewhere.

The gap is your resort fee. If it's small, the hotel probably has a modest 5 to 15 dollar urban destination fee. If the gap is 40 dollars or more a night, you're looking at a resort fee property where you should reconsider.

This works on every major booking platform. It works on hotel direct websites. It works on Best, where we display total pricing on the listing card. It works because the math doesn't lie even when the marketing does.

The Cities Where Resort Fees Are Still Worst

Pricing data we tracked through Q1 2026.

Las Vegas. Average resort fee of 51 dollars a night across the Strip in May 2026. Up 6% from last year. Caesars and MGM properties anchor the high end. The Venetian and Wynn both moved to 55 in March.

Orlando. Theme park hotels average 42 dollars in resort fees. Disney properties don't charge them. The Universal-area hotels do, and they've been raising them quietly.

Miami Beach. Average 38 dollars. Almost universal on the oceanfront properties. The hotels two blocks inland charge less or none.

New York City. Average 32 dollars, dropping fast since the February 2026 rule. About 18% of NYC hotels eliminated their destination fee rather than rebrand it. The rest folded it into the headline price.

Honolulu. Average 46 dollars. The Waikiki resort fee is one of the most predatory in the US. It often includes things like "in-room coffee" and "use of beach chairs" that should be free.

The Brands That Quietly Killed Resort Fees

A few hotel groups have eliminated resort fees across their portfolios since the FTC rule. The smart move. Their headline prices look 30 to 50 dollars cheaper than competitors, and they pulled bookings during the transition.

Marriott eliminated destination fees at most of its non-resort properties as of January 2026. Their actual resort properties still charge. Hyatt did similar at their Centric and Place brands.

Citizen M never had resort fees. Neither did Yotel or Pod Hotels.

On the boutique side, the Ace Hotel group eliminated all destination fees in 2025. So did Standard Hotels.

The chains that still charge widely. Hilton's resort properties, almost all of MGM and Caesars, the Hard Rock chain, and the Disney non-Disney park hotels.

What to Do If You're Already Booked

Three options if you discover a resort fee after booking.

First, call the hotel and ask if they'll waive it because you won't be using the amenities the fee covers. This works occasionally. Hilton Honors members with Diamond status have decent luck. Most travelers don't.

Second, dispute the charge after checkout. If the resort fee covers amenities you can prove you didn't use, like the gym or beach chairs, you have a case. Document everything. Submit a complaint through the hotel's corporate guest relations, not the front desk. Then file with your credit card. Chase and Amex side with the traveler on resort fee disputes more often than not.

Third, write a review. We don't usually recommend leaving a negative review as a strategy, but resort fees are the one thing where public pressure works. Hotels reading their TripAdvisor scores will adjust faster than they'll respond to a corporate complaint.

The Smart Booking Strategy

Filter for total stay cost, not nightly rate. Most platforms have this filter, though it's often buried in the sort options. On Best, the default sort is total cost including all fees. Most metasearch tools still default to nightly rate, which is the metric hotels game.

Compare two prices side by side. A 180 dollar a night hotel with no resort fee beats a 150 dollar hotel with a 50 dollar fee. The math is simple but the visual ranking on most platforms hides it.

Cashback applies after fees. If you book through Best at a hotel charging a 40 dollar resort fee, the 10% cashback applies to the room rate, not the fee. So a 200 dollar room with a 40 dollar fee earns 20 dollars back, not 24. Still useful, but resort fees are the one charge cashback platforms don't take the sting out of.

What Comes Next

Three states have introduced their own junk fee bills for hotels in 2026. California's would cap mandatory fees at 15% of the room rate. Massachusetts is debating an outright ban on undisclosed fees in advertising. Texas, surprisingly, is moving fastest on disclosure requirements similar to NYC's.

The trend is clear. The FTC rule was the floor, not the ceiling. Hotels that build their pricing around resort fees are going to keep getting squeezed by state-level rules over the next two years.

Until then, the burden is on travelers to spot them and avoid them. The five-second check above does most of the work.

FAQ

Are hotel resort fees illegal in 2026?

No. Hotels can still charge resort fees. The FTC rule requires they be disclosed in the headline price, not banned. Some states are debating outright caps or bans, but none are in effect as of June 2026.

Can I refuse to pay a resort fee at checkout?

Technically yes, but it can get complicated. The hotel can refuse to release any incidental authorization on your card. Better to dispute the charge with your credit card after the fact if the fee wasn't disclosed properly.

Do all-inclusive resorts charge resort fees?

Usually no, because the resort fee idea is built into the all-inclusive pricing. But check the booking fine print. A few Cancun and Punta Cana all-inclusives still tack on a separate "destination fee" on top of the package.

Which booking platform shows the most accurate all-in price in 2026?

Booking platforms vary widely. The major ones all comply with the FTC rule in the US, but some are clearer than others. Best shows total cost including resort fees on the listing card by default. Always do the five-second check before paying.

Do resort fees count toward hotel loyalty point earnings?

Almost never. Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt all explicitly exclude resort fees from their point earning calculation. So a 200 dollar room with a 40 dollar fee earns points on 200, not 240. That's worth knowing when comparing chains.

Images: Hero hotel reception via Unsplash. Las Vegas Strip neon via Unsplash. Receipts via Pexels. All images used under their respective free licenses.