You finally found a good room rate: $129 a night. Then you look closer and see a daily charge that was not in the first headline number: $33 per day. Over five nights, that quietly becomes $165 – more than one full night of the stay. That extra line item is the resort fee, and in 2026 it is easier to spot but still very much alive.
This guide breaks down what resort fees actually are, what the averages look like this year, how the rules changed, and the nine practical ways travelers beat them.
What exactly is a resort fee?
A resort fee is a mandatory daily charge that covers access to amenities such as pools, Wi-Fi, gym access or seasonal activities – whether you use them or not. Hotels in cities often rename it a destination fee or amenity fee. A few properties charge a percentage of the room rate instead of a flat daily amount. The key trait is the same: you pay it just for staying.
These fees are most common in high-amenity vacation destinations – Las Vegas, Hawaii, Orlando – but they also show up at urban hotels with impressive rooftop pools.
The numbers in 2026
A NerdWallet analysis published in October 2026 looked at 160 hotels worldwide and found that, among the 30 properties that charge a resort fee, the average resort fee was $33 per day, with a typical range of $15 to $50 per day. At some properties the fee can even cost more than the room rate itself, and even guests paying with hotel points can remain on the hook for it.
The wider picture is actually improving: according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, only about 6% of US hotels charge resort fees – a share that keeps falling. But where they exist, they bite. Brands such as Drury Hotels and Disney Resort hotels are known for not charging them.
The rule that changed the game
Since all-in pricing rules took effect in the US in 2025, hotels showing prices in US online search results must display mandatory fees upfront inside the total, instead of springing them at checkout. That is genuine progress when you shop inside the United States.
The catch: the same guarantee does not automatically apply when you shop or travel abroad. In some destinations the fee can still be added at the front desk, so checking the fine print matters even more internationally.
9 ways to beat the resort fee
- Book on points at the right chains. Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt waive resort fees on award stays – one of the biggest value boosts points bookings have.
- Chase the top status where it matters. Hyatt Globalist members are exempt from resort fees even on paid stays. It is a hard tier to reach, but at Hyatt – a chain with some of the industry’s highest fees – it is gold.
- Use travel statement credits. Premium travel cards offer annual travel credits (in the $100-$300 range) that typically reimburse the resort fee along with the room.
- Book fee-free brands. Drury, Disney and roughly 94% of US hotels simply do not charge resort fees. Filtering for this one trait can reshape a whole trip.
- Compare final totals, not headline rates. Since the all-in rule, a hotel with a $129 headline plus a $33 fee may cost the same as a competitor with a $155 headline and no fee. Shop the number that includes everything.
- Read the hotel’s own fees page first. Some hotels bundle genuinely valuable extras – the $50 fee at one Maui property covers a lei greeting, free snorkel gear, GoPro rentals and even ukulele lessons. If you would actually do those, the math softens.
- Keep it refundable until you are sure. Rates with free cancellation let you re-shop the final total and re-book if rates drop before check-in.
- Ask nicely at the desk – with a real argument. Employees sometimes can waive a fee, especially in a strong case: a late-night check-in after the pool and gym were closed, checking out before they open, or compensation for a service failure.
- Use what you are forced to pay for. If the fee stands, make it pay: use the gym, the pools, the included activities. $33 a day only hurts if it buys nothing you used.
Real example: the five-night math
| Option | Headline rate | Daily fee | 5-night total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel A (fee included in headline) | $155 | $0 | $775 |
| Hotel B (fee added on top) | $129 | $33 | $795 |
| Hotel C points stay (fee waived) | 25k pts/night | $0 | 125k points |
Until 2025, booking B looked cheaper in the search list. Now that totals must show the fee, the trick is simply to compare like with like – and to value the fee exemptions major chains give when you redeem points.
What if the fee was never disclosed?
Inside the United States, undisclosed mandatory fees are now the exception rather than the norm – and if it happens, raise it with the front desk calmly; they know the rule changed. For international bookings made with US-based OTAs, check your confirmation total before you arrive. As a last resort, a card dispute is an option when the charge was never shown anywhere in the booking flow – but treat it as a rare, honest-cause tool.
Bottom line
Resort fees are not going away entirely – the average is holding around $33 a night at the properties that charge them – but the 2026 traveler holds better cards than ever: mandatory all-in totals in US searches, fee exemptions on points at major chains, and a declining share of fee-charging hotels overall. Pick the right property and the right booking method, and the fee becomes avoidable rather than inevitable.
Planning the rest of the trip? See our guide to whether to pre-book beach clubs or walk in, and our full budget travel section.