The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is taking a hard look at so-called 'resort fees' or 'amenity fees' that hotels tack on to the room rate, supposedly to cover the cost of extra services they provide, including such items as 'free' internet.
Originally only found at actual resorts, the practice has spread to a wide selection of hotels and motels, and is often not disclosed to travelers until they've arrived. It's become a major source of complaints, but up to now there has been no regulation.
The FTC has opened a public comment period that will last until January 9th, and will then decide on a final regulation. While it doesn't have the power to ban the fees, the FTC might effectively end them by its proposed rule that would require upfront disclosure before booking.
The rule would make it “an unfair or deceptive act or practice and unfair method of competition to advertise or solicit the sale of a product or service without prominently disclosing the entire price to be paid by the customer inclusive of all unavoidable fees and service charges (excluding government taxes).”
Comments can be submitted through a form on the FTC website.
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