How to Avoid Resort Fees When Booking Holiday Hotels
Compare all-in holiday hotel prices upfront and choose fee-free stays or qualifying points awards.
Avoid a resort fee — a mandatory nightly amenity charge — by picking a hotel with no fee or a points stay that waives it. Otherwise compare all-in totals for your holiday dates and book the lowest final price. According to the Federal Trade Commission, its Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees effective May 12, 2025 requires short-term lodging sellers to show the total mandatory price upfront, more prominently than any base rate, in the FTC announcement on unfair or deceptive fees.
The rule does not ban or cap resort fees. That change lets you see the true holiday cost before you click through.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 04, 2026.
What does the advertised price include now?
Hotels must show mandatory charges in the first price you see. According to the California Legislature, California SB 478 effective July 1, 2024 makes it unlawful to advertise a price that excludes mandatory fees, so hotels must include resort fees in the first price shown, excluding only government taxes and shipping, in the California SB 478 bill text. For holiday shopping, that means the list price should already reflect the resort fee.
Government taxes and shipping can still appear separately. Check the breakdown to confirm what remains.
How do you compare holiday totals?
Start with your exact dates and guest count, then sort by final total rather than nightly base rate. A lower base rate often loses once nightly fees are added across a multi-night stay. Use these checks before you book: If you will not use pool, gym, Wi-Fi, or bottled water included in the fee, give extra weight to fee-free options.
You pay the fee whether you use those items or not.
- Look for the total with mandatory fees on the first results page
- Filter for properties that list no resort, destination, or facility fee
- Open rate details to confirm nightly fee amount and what it covers
- Compare the full stay total, including taxes, across two or three options
When does a points stay remove the fee?
Some loyalty awards waive the fee, but the terms are narrow. According to Hilton Honors member benefits, resort fees are waived only on Reward stays booked 100% with points or eligible promotional free-night certificates, in the Hilton Honors member benefits page. Points & Money or paid stays still pay the fee under those terms.
A holiday stay that mixes points and cash does not qualify. If you lack enough points for a full award, compare fee-free paid hotels instead.
What should you confirm before paying?
Confirm the property charges a fee at all, then confirm whether your specific rate avoids it. Read the rate rules for the words resort, destination, or facility fee. Look for per-room, per-night wording and date coverage.
Save or print the page that shows the total and fee line. Bring that record to check-in in case the folio differs. Ask the front desk to explain any charge that was not in the advertised total.