What hotels say the fee includes
Counted once per hotel, out of the 427 of 503 hotels stating a fee that also say what it covers. Hotels word their lists freely, so an item is counted when the hotel names it plainly.
| Included in the fee | Hotels | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi or internet | 350 | 82% |
| Fitness center or gym | 240 | 56% |
| Coffee or tea | 178 | 42% |
| Local or long-distance phone calls | 161 | 38% |
| Pool access or pool equipment | 151 | 35% |
| Bottled water | 135 | 32% |
| Bicycles | 123 | 29% |
| Parking | 94 | 22% |
| Beach chairs, umbrellas or towels | 86 | 20% |
| Spa, sauna or steam room | 52 | 12% |
| Shuttle or local transport | 41 | 10% |
| Newspaper | 30 | 7% |
| Boarding-pass printing | 19 | 4% |
Using what it covers does not make it optional
A resort fee is charged to every room, every night, whether or not anyone uses the pool or the Wi-Fi. What a hotel lists is what the fee is said to pay for, not a menu you can decline. It is worth reading the list for one item: 94 of these hotels include parking in the fee, which can make a higher fee the cheaper stay if you are driving.
Questions people ask
- Can I refuse to pay the resort fee if I do not use anything it covers?
- The hotels we read describe their fee as mandatory, charged to every room whether or not the guest uses what it covers. It is part of the price of the room.
- Does the resort fee include parking?
- Sometimes. 94 of the 427 hotels that list what their fee covers include parking or valet in it. The rest charge for parking separately, or do not say.
The same charge goes by other names: resort, destination, facility and amenity fees.