How to Avoid Resort Fees in 2026 (and When You Can't)

You book a room advertised at $159. At checkout the total is $211. The difference is a resort fee you never agreed to, charged for a pool you might not swim in and wifi that used to be free. It is one of the most disliked charges in travel, and in 2026 the rules around it finally changed.

Resort fees are not going away. But you have more ways to dodge, reduce, or refuse them than the front desk will ever mention. Here is how to avoid resort fees in 2026, when you genuinely cannot, and what the new federal rule actually did.

What a resort fee actually is

A resort fee is a mandatory daily charge added on top of the advertised room rate, usually $25 to $50 a night. It supposedly covers amenities like the pool, gym, wifi, local calls, or a newspaper. Most of those things used to be included in the price of the room.

The reason they exist is simple, and it is about margins. Advertising a $159 room and adding a $45 fee later lets a hotel show up cheaper in search results than a competitor charging $204 all-in. On top of that, hotels historically did not pay booking-platform commission on the fee portion, so more of it stayed with the property. We broke down where your nightly rate really goes in what hotels actually make on your room, and resort fees are a big part of that story.

The 2026 rule changed disclosure, not the fee

Here is the part worth understanding. The Federal Trade Commission's rule on unfair or deceptive fees took effect on May 12, 2025. It requires hotels to show the total price, including all mandatory fees, up front and more prominently than any other price whenever they advertise a rate.

So in 2026, when you search for a hotel, the number you see should already include the resort fee. That is a real win. It ends the old trick of a low headline rate hiding a big add-on.

But read this carefully. The rule does not ban resort fees or cap them. It only forces hotels to tell you the whole price before you book. The fee still lands on your bill. You just get to see it coming, which means you can shop around it.

How to avoid resort fees in 2026

The short version. Compare all-in totals, book properties that do not charge one, use points or status where you can, and push back when an amenity you paid for is not available.

Compare the total, not the nightly rate. Now that the full price is disclosed up front, a $159 room with a $45 fee and a $189 room with no fee are easy to line up. The second one is cheaper. Sort by total cost, not the headline number.

Book hotels that do not charge one. Plenty of city hotels and most limited-service chains skip resort fees entirely. If two properties are similar, the one without the fee wins before you even factor in anything else.

Use points or elite status. Award stays booked with hotel points are often exempt from resort fees, and top-tier loyalty members frequently get them waived. If you hold status with a chain, ask.

Refuse to pay for what you cannot use. If the pool is closed for renovation, the gym is out of order, or the wifi does not work, the fee is charging you for amenities the hotel is not providing. Raise it politely at checkout and ask for the fee to be removed. Front desks have the authority to waive it and often will rather than argue.

Dispute a fee that was never disclosed. Under the 2026 rules, a mandatory fee that was hidden until checkout is exactly what the FTC targeted. If a property sprang an undisclosed fee on you, that is grounds to contest the charge with the hotel and, if needed, your card issuer.

When you genuinely cannot avoid them

Some destinations make resort fees close to unavoidable. Las Vegas is the clearest case. Nearly every Strip hotel charges one, often $45 or more a night, and there is no realistic no-fee option in the middle of the action. Beach and resort destinations in Florida, Hawaii, and the Caribbean are similar.

In those markets, the move is to factor the fee into the total from the start and choose based on the all-in number. A property with a $199 rate and no fee beats one at $159 plus $50, every time. The disclosure rule finally makes that comparison honest.

Where cashback fits

Resort fees eat into the value of a stay, so anything that puts money back helps. Booking through Best returns 10 percent of the room rate as cashback, and you see the full price, fees included, before you commit. On a four-night stay at $180 a night, that is $72 back working quietly against whatever the resort fee takes. It does not erase the fee, but it tilts the math back in your favor.

If you are traveling abroad, watch for a second silent charge at checkout too. Our guide to avoiding dynamic currency conversion covers the one that skims 3 to 7 percent off international bills.

Frequently asked questions

Are resort fees illegal in 2026? No. The FTC rule that took effect in May 2025 requires hotels to disclose the full price including mandatory fees up front, but it does not ban the fees or limit how much they can be.

How much are resort fees on average? Most run $25 to $50 per night. In Las Vegas and some resort destinations they reach $45 or more a night.

Can you get a resort fee waived? Sometimes. Elite loyalty members and points bookings are often exempt, and front desks will frequently drop the fee if an amenity it covers is unavailable during your stay.

How do I avoid resort fees when booking? Compare the all-in total rather than the nightly rate, choose properties that do not charge a fee, and use points or status when you have them.

Resort fees survived the crackdown, but the secrecy did not. In 2026 the price you see is the price you pay, which means the smartest thing you can do is simply compare the real totals and book the one that costs less.

Images: Hero hotel reception and resort pool via Pexels. Las Vegas Strip by Matthew Field via Wikimedia Commons, used under Creative Commons license.