Why Resort Fees Survived the FTC's Junk-Fee Rule

Resort fees survived the FTC's junk-fee crackdown because the rule was aimed at hidden pricing, not at eliminating the fee itself. Since May 12, 2025, hotels and vacation rentals have had to include mandatory fees in the total advertised price. That makes it harder to surprise travelers late in the booking flow. But it does not stop a hotel from keeping a resort fee as long as the charge is disclosed properly.

That distinction is the center of the story. The FTC's guidance says a required resort fee must be included in the total price and that businesses may still itemize mandatory charges as long as the total remains clear and prominent. In other words, the agency targeted the misleading presentation of the fee, not the hotel's decision to structure part of the stay as a separate mandatory charge.

That is why the fee remains useful to hotels even after the disclosure rule changed. A separate mandatory charge still helps protect the advertised room rate, lets the property describe ordinary amenities as a package of added value, and creates a promotion that sounds meaningful when the fee is waived for selected customers. Resorts World's "No Resort Fees" offer illustrates the point neatly: a charge that can be switched off for marketing purposes is operating as more than a narrow reimbursement for towels or Wi-Fi.

Caesars and Hilton property pages show the same logic in a different way. Caesars says the fee applies whether guests use the listed amenities or not, and even on comped rooms. Hilton resort listings describe broad bundles of internet, parking, beach gear, classes, shuttle access or other perks under a daily charge. Those examples help explain why the fee persists. It remains a pricing structure that hotels can defend, merchandise and selectively waive without rewriting the base room rate.

The broader consumer point is that transparency and elimination are not the same thing. The FTC's own examples say a mandatory resort fee must be folded into the total displayed price because consumers reasonably expect hotel facilities to be part of the stay. But once the total is shown properly, the hotel can still keep the charge in place and describe it as a bundled component of the stay.

What it means for travelers

Travelers are in a better position than they were before the rule took effect because the required total should show up earlier and more prominently. But the economic logic behind resort fees is still intact. The practical lesson is not that resort fees disappeared. It is that they moved from hidden add-on to visible line item while remaining part of how many hotels manage price, promotions and perceived value.