It Depends—But Here's How to Know
Resort fees are a genuine expense, but whether they land on top of your vacation package price depends entirely on how the package is marketed and sold. We've covered enough resort fee complaints to know this is where travelers get blindsided. The good news: transparency rules exist, and you can protect yourself.
The myth
The claim suggests that resort fees—those daily charges for amenities like gym access, Wi-Fi, parking, or pool use—are always hidden extras tacked onto vacation package pricing. In other words, the package advertises a price, and then resort fees magically appear at checkout. This belief stems from real frustration: the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general have fielded thousands of complaints about surprise fees in travel bookings, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) maintains a steady stream of resort fee–related disputes.
What's actually true
The reality is more nuanced, and it hinges on disclosure practices:
- Some packages include resort fees. Major vacation package operators—think all-inclusive resorts or bundled deals through cruise lines—often roll resort fees into the advertised nightly rate. If a vacation package says "$899 per person, all-inclusive," resort fees are usually baked in. This is the honest path.
- Some packages exclude resort fees. Other vacation packages quote a base room rate and explicitly disclose (sometimes in small text) that resort fees apply separately. The FTC's Negative Option Rule and revised Guidelines on "Clear and Conspicuous" disclosures (2023) require sellers to spell out all material costs before checkout, but not all operators are equally clear. Many bury the disclosure in asterisks or a separate "Fees" tab.
- Aggregator sites vary widely. Online travel agencies (OTAs) and metasearch engines display fees differently. Some show the final price upfront; others add fees at the booking stage. The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has pushed for standardized fee disclosure, but enforcement remains patchy.
- State-level regulations are tightening. New York's attorney general and California's consumer protection division have cracked down on undisclosed resort fees in travel packages, issuing guidance that all mandatory fees must be included in the advertised price or disclosed prominently before checkout. However, federal rules haven't fully aligned, so practices vary by state and operator.
Here's the key insight from our reporting: the legality of charging resort fees on top of a quoted package price is gray. The FTC considers it deceptive if resort fees are material (i.e., significant to the total cost) and not disclosed clearly before payment. But what counts as "clear"? A hyperlink to a fee disclosure page might satisfy one regulator and fail another's standard.
What this means for travelers
When shopping for vacation packages—whether through a reseller, a hotel chain's own site, or platforms like VacationDeals.to—follow this checklist:
- Ask the bottom-line question: "Is the advertised price the total I'll pay per night, or are there mandatory resort fees added at checkout?"
- Look for all-inclusive language. If it says "all-inclusive" or "fees included," you're safer, though still wise to confirm.
- Read the fine print before clicking 'Book'. Resort fees, parking charges, and destination fees should all be visible in a fee breakdown at least one step before final payment.
- Compare apples to apples. If one package quotes $100/night and another quotes $120/night, but the second includes resort fees and the first doesn't, the second is often the better deal—even though the number is higher.
- Check the hotel's official site directly. Sometimes booking through a package aggregator obscures fees that the resort itself discloses clearly.
We've found that vacation packages, when fees are transparent upfront, often provide genuine value by bundling amenities, activities, and discounted nightly rates. The trap isn't the fees themselves; it's the surprise.
Bottom line
Resort fees aren't always hidden extras—some vacation packages include them, others don't—but opaque disclosure remains a widespread problem. The safest approach is to verify the total cost at every step of booking and never assume an advertised price is final. When a vacation package clearly spells out all fees and shows a true total upfront, it becomes a legitimate budget-travel tool rather than a financial ambush.