Hidden resort fees have become a widespread industry practice and common complaint for travellers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer Reports praised District of Columbia Attorney General Karl A. Racine today for filing suit against Marriott International, Inc., for charging deceptive and misleading resort fees that hide the true price of booking rooms at the hotel chain. The consumer group noted that hidden resort fees have become an increasingly common industry practice that make it difficult for travelers to comparison shop and find out how much they’ll really pay for their hotel stay.
“The hotel industry is raking in billions of dollars in fees and other surcharges that aren’t always disclosed until check-out time,” said Anna Laitin, director of financial policy at Consumer Reports. “We’ve heard from hundreds of frustrated consumers across the country who’ve been charged fees from everything to swimming pools and gyms to safes in their room that they never use. It’s time for the Federal Trade Commission to take more aggressive action to protect consumers from hidden resort fees like those charged by Marriott. Hotels should be required to disclose all fees upfront so travelers can find the best deal and know exactly how much they’ll pay.”
A recent Consumer Reports nationally representative survey of more than 2,000 adults found that 34 percent had been charged a hidden hotel fee in the past two years. The hotel industry collected more than $2.9 billion in resort fees and other fees and surcharges in 2018, according to Consumer Reports.
Michael McCauley, mmccauley@consumer.org, 415-431-6747, ext. 7606 or David Butler, dbutler@consumer.org, 202-462-6262