Those third-party sites like Expedia or-cough- charge a small fee for hosting the hotel on their site, so the hotels accrue it back by charging their guests.Īnother reason why resort fees became so popular for hotels is that hotels could advertise a lower rate to encourage bookings, particularly during the recession in the early 2000s. One reason is that people started booking hotels online instead of calling a hotel directly to make a reservation. So, where did resort fees come from? There are a few reasons why these unwanted extra charges have become popular.

However, in the interest of making a few extra bucks, hotels began to charge every guest a “resort fee.” Whether a guest used the amenity or not, the resort fee was added to every guests’ bill. (Granted, most hotels simply include amenities in their total price anyway.) Many hotels used to charge their guests a fee if they wanted to, say, use the gym or pool for one day.Ī hotel guest only had to pay the additional gym fee if they used the gym. So, what is a resort fee, anyway? Also referred to as an amenity fee, resort fees are meant to cover the cost of the hotel’s extra amenities. The Top 10 Vegas Hotels Without Resort Fees