UNITE HERE Local 8 says deceptive resort fees are a ripoff for guests and pad hotel industry profits

Members of UNITE HERE Local 8, the hospitality workers union of the Pacific Northwest, demonstrated outside of the Seattle Hotel Association’s Fall Membership meeting, drawing attention to resort fees tacked onto hotel room rates that can feel deceptive and unfair.

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Hotel workers hold a banner reading “Honk if you hate resort fees” (Photo: Business Wire)

Iconic hotels in major U.S. markets like Seattle operated by Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott charge resort fees for services guests might not even want—or didn’t think they’d pay extra for.

In Seattle, these fees can include internet access, land line phone usage, postcard postage, and getting your bangs trimmed.

Hotels generate $3.3 billion from resort fees annually, while hotel guests often don’t know what they’re paying for or make use of those services.

Hotels are loading guest bills with mandatory resort fees that add an average of $38 a night to stays, based on one industrywide survey.

UNITE HERE Local 8 President Anita Seth said, “It’s troubling seeing the Westin and other hotels in Seattle go the way of airlines, tacking confusing charges to rooms rates to pad their profits, while guests get little to nothing in return.”

Hotel workers held a banner reading “Honk if you hate resort fees” and leafleted passersby about the "Resort Fee Ripoff.”

More information on these fees can be found here: https://www.resortfeeripoff.org/

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