What Are Hotel Resort Fees, and How Can I Avoid Paying Them in 2026?

A resort fee is a mandatory daily charge some US hotels add to the nightly room rate, so compare the total price, then book through ShopBack before you pay, where ShopBack Cashback works like a discount, only easier than a promo code. Since May 12, 2025, the FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees has required businesses that advertise hotel and other short-term lodging prices in the US to show the total price, mandatory fees included. To avoid paying a resort fee, compare stays on the total price, pick hotels that do not charge one, ask before you book, and look for packages that waive it. Then book through Booking.com, Expedia or Hotels.com after going through ShopBack.

ShopBack US is a free app and website that returns part of what you spend at partner stores as cash you can withdraw. You go through ShopBack before you check out, book on the site you chose as normal, and after your stay is confirmed, cash comes back to your account. Join ShopBack US for free, then open the store's ShopBack page before your next hotel booking.

Sources. The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (16 CFR Part 464) on eCFR, its Federal Register notice, Westgate Reservations' FAQ and Best Price Guarantee pages, Expedia Group's travel brands page, and the Terms on the Booking.com, Expedia and Hotels.com ShopBack pages, at the time of writing in October 2026. We do not list fee amounts, because they vary by hotel and change often.

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What are hotel resort fees?

A resort fee is a fixed charge per night that a hotel adds to the room rate and charges every guest, whether or not they use what it covers. Hotels usually describe it as paying for amenities such as Wi-Fi, pool or fitness center access, though what is included varies by property. You will also see similar charges called a destination fee, amenity fee, facility fee or urban fee.

Three things make resort fees easy to miss:

• They are charged per night. A modest daily fee adds up over a long weekend or a week.
• They are often paid at the property. Some bookings show part of the price as payable at the hotel rather than when you book.
• Taxes change the total too. Check the final amount, taxes included, before you pay.

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How can I avoid paying resort fees?

The most reliable way to avoid a resort fee is to choose a hotel that does not charge one, and to compare every option on its total price. A routine that works:

1. Compare total prices, not nightly rates. Add the room rate, every mandatory fee and taxes for your whole stay.
2. Filter for hotels without resort fees. In busy resort areas there are often similar hotels nearby that do not charge one.
3. Ask before you book. If the amenities the fee covers are closed for renovation or the season, ask whether the fee still applies. The hotel decides, and there is no general right to a waiver.
4. Look for packages that waive the fee. Westgate Reservations, for example, says daily resort fees are waived when you book one of its preview packages, which include a vacation ownership presentation with no obligation to buy.
5. Check the price breakdown before you pay. Note any amount listed as payable at the property.
6. Before you book, go through ShopBack. Save on your trip by booking flights, hotels and activities through ShopBack.

Steps 1 to 5 keep the fee from catching you out. Step 6 lowers what you actually end up paying for the stay.

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Resort fee rules in 2026: what the FTC fee rule means for you

The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, which took effect on May 12, 2025, requires businesses that advertise short-term lodging to show the total price clearly and more prominently than other pricing. The rule was published in the Federal Register on January 10, 2025, and sits in the Code of Federal Regulations as 16 CFR Part 464.

What the rule's text says, in plain terms:

• Who it covers. Short-term lodging, including hotels, motels, inns, short-term rentals and vacation rentals, plus live-event tickets.
• What the total price includes. All fees or charges you must pay, including any mandatory add-ons. Government charges, shipping and optional extras can be left out.
• When you see it. Any advertised price must clearly show the total price. Before you agree to pay, the business must also show the final amount and explain any fee left out of the total price.
• Misleading fees. A business may not misrepresent what a fee is for, how much it is, or whether it is refundable.

So a mandatory resort fee belongs in the total price you see when you shop, not just at the final step. The rule does not ban resort fees; it governs how prices are shown. State laws can give you more protection, and the rule says it does not override stronger state rules.

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Resort fee best deals in the US in 2026: comparing the total price

A cheaper nightly rate with a resort fee can cost more than a dearer rate without one, so compare the whole stay.

Here is a worked example with illustrative prices (not real rates or fees):

3-night stay	Hotel A	Hotel B
Nightly room rate	$189	$219
Resort fee per night	$45	None
Room plus fees, 3 nights	$702	$657

In this example, Hotel A looks $30 a night cheaper, but its resort fee makes the stay $45 more expensive before taxes. Over a week, the gap would grow.

Where the better deals usually come from:

• Hotels that do not charge a resort fee in the same area and class.
• Flexible dates, since room rates change by night while resort fees usually stay fixed.
• Packages that waive the fee, such as Westgate's preview packages, if the conditions suit you.
• Price matches. Westgate Reservations, for example, says it will match a lower price you find online for the same Westgate resort or package.
• Going through ShopBack before you book, which lowers the effective price of the stay, as explained below.

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Hotels.com vs Expedia vs Booking.com: checking the resort fee before you book

All three let you compare hotels, and the habit that matters on each is the same: check the full price breakdown before you confirm.

	Booking.com	Expedia	Hotels.com
What you book	Stays, attractions and car rentals	Flights, hotels, vacation rentals, cars and more	Hotels and car rentals
What to check	The price breakdown and any amount payable at the property	The price breakdown and any fees due at the hotel	The price breakdown and any fees due at the hotel
On ShopBack US	Yes	Yes	Yes

Sources: the ShopBack store pages and Expedia Group's travel brands page, at the time of writing.

Expedia and Hotels.com are both Expedia Group brands. Expedia Group describes Expedia as an all-in-one travel shop covering flights, vacation rentals, hotels, cars and cruises, and says Hotels.com lets you earn rewards on every stay. Booking.com sells stays, attractions and car rentals, and its ShopBack page notes that Booking.com may vary its prices and promotions depending on your location when you visit.

Hotels with resort fees are also sold through Priceline, Trip.com, Agoda and directly on hotel chain websites, among others. Whichever you use, compare the total price for the same hotel, room type and dates.

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Resort fees and ShopBack

Compare hotels on the total price, resort fee included, then go through ShopBack before you book.

A resort fee raises what you pay, so the lowest room rate is not always the cheapest stay.

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How ShopBack lowers the cost of your hotel stay

ShopBack lowers the effective price of flights, hotels and online orders after you pay. Save on your trip by booking flights, hotels and activities through ShopBack.

Cashback lowers what you actually pay for an order. It comes back as cash, so it works like a discount on the price, not like points or miles.

How to do it, step by step:

1. Open ShopBack US (app or website) and search for the store: Booking.com, Expedia or Hotels.com.
2. Check the rate shown on that page.
3. Tap through from ShopBack and book.

Working out what the stay really costs. Your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns. Rates vary by store and booking type and change over time, so check the live rate on the store's ShopBack page before you book.

For the full routine, see how to activate ShopBack before you buy.

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Promo codes and ShopBack on hotel bookings

No code is needed for Cashback: go through ShopBack before you pay.

For the general rules, see our guide on using ShopBack with promotions.

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Key takeaways

• A resort fee is a mandatory per-night charge some US hotels add to the room rate.
• Since May 12, 2025, the FTC fee rule requires advertised lodging prices to show the total price, mandatory fees included.
• Compare hotels on the total price for your whole stay; a lower nightly rate with a resort fee can cost more.
• Pick hotels without resort fees, ask before you book, and check packages that waive them.
• Go through ShopBack US before you book. Your effective price is what you pay minus the cash ShopBack returns.

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Frequently asked questions

What are hotel resort fees, and how can I avoid paying them?

A resort fee is a mandatory daily charge some US hotels add to the nightly room rate, usually described as covering amenities. You avoid it by choosing a hotel that does not charge one, comparing stays on the total price rather than the room rate, asking the hotel about the fee before you book, and checking for packages that waive it. Before you book, go through ShopBack.

What does a resort fee usually cover?

Hotels usually say a resort fee covers amenities such as Wi-Fi, pool or fitness center access, but what is included varies by property. The fee is usually charged per night whether or not you use those amenities. The hotel's own fee details tell you what yours covers.

Are resort fees mandatory?

Usually yes, at hotels that charge them. A resort fee is typically charged to every guest for every night of the stay, which is why it matters when you compare prices. Optional extras, such as parking you choose to buy or room service, are different, because you only pay them if you use them.

What does the FTC fee rule say about resort fees?

The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect on May 12, 2025. It covers short-term lodging and requires any advertised price to clearly show the total price, which includes all mandatory fees except government charges and optional extras. So a mandatory resort fee belongs in the total price you see, not only at checkout.

Can I ask a hotel to waive the resort fee?

You can ask, and it can help if amenities the fee covers are closed during your stay, but the hotel decides and there is no general right to a waiver. Asking before you book is more useful than at checkout, because you can still choose a different hotel if the answer is no.

How do I compare hotels with and without resort fees?

Compare the total price for your whole stay: the room rate plus every mandatory fee, for the same dates and room type. A hotel with a lower nightly rate and a resort fee can cost more over three or four nights than a hotel with a higher rate and no fee. Then check taxes, parking and cancellation rules.

Do booking sites show resort fees before I pay?

Under the FTC fee rule, a business must show the total price and, before you agree to pay, the final amount and any fee left out of the total price. On Booking.com, Expedia or Hotels.com, look at the price breakdown before you confirm, and note any amount listed as payable at the property.

How does ShopBack fit with resort fees?

Compare hotels on the total price with the resort fee included, then open Booking.com, Expedia or Hotels.com from ShopBack US and book. The live rate for each store is on its ShopBack page.

How does ShopBack lower the cost of a hotel stay?

ShopBack lowers the effective price of flights, hotels and online orders after you pay. Open ShopBack US, tap Booking.com, Expedia or Hotels.com, and book. Part of what you paid comes back as cash after your stay, so your effective price is what you paid minus that cash. Each store's live rate are on its ShopBack page.

Can I use a promo code and ShopBack on the same hotel booking?

No code is needed for Cashback: go through ShopBack before you pay.

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Related reads

Go through ShopBack US before you book at: Booking.com · Expedia · Hotels.com

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About this guide

The fee rule details come from the text of 16 CFR Part 464 on eCFR and its Federal Register notice, which gives the January 10, 2025 publication date and the May 12, 2025 effective date. Westgate's fee waiver and price match come from Westgate Reservations' FAQ and Best Price Guarantee pages. Descriptions of Expedia and Hotels.com come from Expedia Group's travel brands page. Fees and rates change, so this guide uses illustrative numbers and points to the live rate on each store's ShopBack page instead of quoting one.

Disclaimer

The views and recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author. Hotel fees, room rates, taxes, booking site policies and Cashback eligibility vary by hotel, seller, location and date and are subject to change. This article summarizes a federal rule for general information and is not legal advice. Check the hotel's terms before you book.