For years, the price you saw when you searched for a hotel was not the price you paid. A nightly rate of $199 became $260 once a resort fee and other charges showed up at checkout. A federal rule now targets exactly that.
The Rule in Brief
The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect May 12, 2025. The FTC says the rule prohibits bait-and-switch pricing and other tactics used to hide total prices and misrepresent fees in the live-event ticketing and short-term lodging industries.
For lodging, that means a business that advertises or displays a price must disclose the total price up front, including all charges and fees it knows about and can calculate in advance.
What Must Be Included
According to the FTC's FAQ, the total must include mandatory fees, other than government charges and shipping, when they are:
Required regardless of what the guest chooses, or cannot reasonably be avoided
For goods or services needed to make the lodging fit for its purpose, or that a reasonable consumer would expect to be part of the purchase
Made effectively mandatory through default billing, pre-checked boxes, or opt-out practices
The FTC's examples include a mandatory resort fee, such as a $39-per-day fee added to a $199 nightly rate, a required cleaning fee on a vacation rental, a required towel fee, and a resort fee automatically charged at check-in even if the hotel waives it when a guest challenges it.
What Can Be Left Out
The same guidance says a business may exclude only:
Taxes and other government charges
Shipping charges
Optional extras that a guest chooses to add
So the headline price can still rise by the amount of local taxes. And an optional add-on, like a spa package or a premium parking space, does not have to be included, as long as it is clearly disclosed before payment if you select it.
Businesses may itemize mandatory fees, but the FTC says the itemization must be truthful and must not overshadow the total price, which has to be clear, conspicuous, and most prominent.
How This Helps You Compare
The rule should make side-by-side comparison more honest. A resort advertising $450 a night with a mandatory $50 daily fee should now show $500 as the headline, not bury the extra $50 at the end.
Still, it is wise to verify rather than assume. When you compare two luxury properties:
Look for the total, not the base rate. Make sure the number you are comparing includes mandatory resort and service fees.
Ask what the fee covers. Some resorts bundle Wi-Fi, fitness, or activities. Others charge for items that feel like they should be included.
Add taxes separately. They may still be excluded from the headline, so calculate an estimate.
Read the cancellation terms. A lower total with a stricter policy is a different product.
Check whether any special offer you book changes the picture. Some premium booking programs include breakfast or a credit, which can offset charges elsewhere. Ask exactly what is included and what is not.
Luxury Properties Add Another Layer
At high-end resorts, the nightly rate is only part of the experience. Mandatory fees may sit alongside optional but common costs such as boat transfers, gratuities, daily activities, or dining packages. All-inclusive pricing can be simpler, but it varies enormously in what is truly included.
A useful habit is to build a trip-level budget rather than a nightly one:
Room rate and mandatory fees
Taxes
Transfers (airport, boat, seaplane)
Meals and drinks
Tips and gratuities
Activities you actually want
Comparing the full picture can change which property is better value, especially for a honeymoon or anniversary where transfers and dining can be the largest costs.
What the Rule Does Not Cover
The rule is specific to short-term lodging and live-event tickets. It does not govern the cost of flights, cruises, or most other travel products, and it does not guarantee that a fee is reasonable, only that a mandatory one is disclosed in the total. Always read what you are buying.
If you spot a mandatory fee that was not included in the headline price, the FTC accepts reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Questions to Ask Before You Book
Is the price shown the total for my stay, excluding only taxes?
Are there any mandatory fees collected at the property?
What does the resort fee include?
Can the fee be waived with this rate or offer?
What is the cancellation policy, and when is the final payment due?
Let Someone Read the Fine Print With You
Pricing language for luxury stays can be dense. When we build an itinerary, we compare properties on total value rather than headline rate, including fees, amenities, and what is included with the booking.
How Something Blue Travel Helps
We read the total-price picture before you book, including resort fees, taxes and what each fee covers. When you book a hotel through Something Blue Travel, we can request Virtuoso and preferred-partner benefits such as room upgrades, early check-in, hotel credits and daily breakfast, where the property and rate qualify. These are never guaranteed, so we confirm the specifics for your stay in writing. We also explain how each credit works and what it can and cannot be spent on.
If you are comparing resorts for a honeymoon, anniversary, or celebration, book a free 30-minute consultation with Something Blue Travel, a Virtuoso-affiliated luxury travel advisor in Scottsdale, Arizona.