img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:66.50390625%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-2::before{padding-top:73.6328125%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-3::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-3{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-4::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-4{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-5::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-5{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-6::before{padding-top:100%; }img#mv-trellis-img-6{display:block;}It’s one of the most frustrating moments in modern travel. You’re on the final booking screen for your hotel, and there it is: a mandatory, non-negotiable “$40 per night destination fee” that suddenly inflates the total price. You’re a savvy traveler, you know it’s coming, but the feeling of being played is always fresh.
For years, this was a frustrating trick you mostly had to worry about in places like Las Vegas. But the resort fee plague has spread. Based on a deep dive into what real travelers are saying on the ground in 2025, the resort fee plague has officially escaped Las Vegas and is now invading major U.S. cities, turning a ‘resort’ problem into a nationwide traveler headache.
Why Hotels Invented The “Destination Fee”
Let’s be crystal clear: this fee is not a tax. Every traveler knows to expect legitimate government charges on their bill. A “resort fee,” however, is a mandatory fee invented by the hotel itself, and 100% of it goes directly into their pocket.
So why are you now seeing it in places like Chicago or New York? Because a hotel in the middle of a city can’t logically charge a “resort fee,” they’ve simply rebranded it as a “destination fee” or “urban amenity fee.” It’s a clever name change for the exact same purpose: to show you an attractive, lower price in search results, only to hit you with the real, higher price at the last possible second. It’s a practice that travelers on forums like Reddit are universally calling a “bait-and-switch.”
So, Do You Actually Have To Pay It?
This is the million-dollar question, and here is the brutally honest, on-the-ground answer for 2025: Yes, 99% of the time, you are stuck paying it.
Traveler forums are filled with stories of people trying to fight the fee at the front desk, and the overwhelming consensus is that it’s a losing battle. Front desk staff are trained with scripted responses, telling you it’s “mandatory” and was disclosed in the fine print of your booking. The hard truth is that by clicking “book,” you have technically agreed to their terms, however deceptive they may be.
The Myth of the Las Vegas Rollback
You might have heard rumors that Las Vegas was starting to roll back its infamous resort fees. Based on real-world reports, that’s a myth. While a single hotel like Resorts World may run a limited-time promotion to get heads in beds, this is a marketing tactic, not an industry trend. The major players—MGM, Caesars, Wynn—are still charging massive fees, often over $50 per night, and they are not backing down.
The New Battlegrounds: 7 Cities Where The Fees Are Spreading
Based on recent traveler reports, these are the cities where the “destination fee” plague is now most rampant.
1. New York City: The Big Apple is a major offender. Travelers consistently report being shocked by mandatory “urban fees” of $30-$50 per night at hotels all across Manhattan.
2. Chicago: The Windy City will blow a hole in your wallet. Hotels throughout the downtown Loop and River North neighborhoods have embraced the destination fee, with travelers reporting fees of $25 or more per night.
3. Nashville: Music City is singing a sad song for travelers. As one of the hottest new tourist destinations, its hotels have been quick to add “amenity fees” that can inflate your bill by 15-20%, a common complaint in travel forums.
4. Austin: The capital of “cool” has adopted a very uncool trend. Many of the trendy new hotels in downtown Austin now have mandatory daily fees that are often poorly disclosed at the time of booking, a frequent source of frustration for visitors.
5. Orlando: A long-time offender, Orlando’s resort fees are not just for the theme park hotels anymore. Many hotels on International Drive and even near the airport now charge them, much to the surprise of families who thought they had found a budget-friendly option.
6. San Francisco: As if the city wasn’t expensive enough, many hotels in the Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf areas have added “urban amenity fees” to their rates, a practice widely condemned by recent visitors.
7. Miami: From South Beach to Downtown, resort and destination fees are an expected, and universally frustrating, part of almost any hotel stay in Miami, with travelers often reporting that the fees provide no real value.
The Savvy Traveler’s Playbook: How To Reclaim Control
While you can’t often get the fee removed at the front desk, you can absolutely outsmart the system. Here are a few pro-level moves to reclaim control and avoid the frustration.
- Use The “All-In” Filter: This is the most powerful weapon in your arsenal. When it’s available, always use the filter on booking sites to display prices that include all taxes and fees. This instantly neutralizes their deceptive pricing strategy and allows you to compare the true, final costs of hotels side-by-side.
- Know The Battleground: The list above is your new best friend. Knowing which cities are hotbeds for these fees is the first step. If a fee is a deal-breaker for you, you can choose to stay in a different, more transparent city altogether.
- Embrace The Inevitable: When traveling to one of these cities, the best way to take the sting out of the fee is to treat it as part of the room rate from the beginning. Mentally prepare yourself that the price will jump on the final screen. By planning for the real price, you turn an infuriating surprise into a predictable, if still annoying, expense.
Ultimately, collective knowledge is power. Cities like Las Vegas are already seeing a significant slowdown in tourism, with recent reports showing steep declines in occupancy. As more travelers get tired of the constant “gouge,” their choices will dictate the market. At the end of the day, traveler demand will decide if these fees are here to stay, and it’s only a matter of time until many travelers reach their limit.
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