Added resort fees still kicking up the cost of hotel stays for travelers and tourists — even as new rules aim to make them easier to spot.

A recent NerdWallet study of 160 hotels found that some resort fees average about $33 per night. The fees can range from roughly $15 to $50 a day. 

These mandatory charges, often labeled as “destination” or “amenity” fees, are typically added on top of the advertised room rate.

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The fees remain common in major tourist destinations such as Las Vegas, Hawaii and Orlando, according to a number of sources.

Many hotels state clearly that the fees cover access to amenities like Wi-Fi, pools and fitness centers.

Some hotel chains also have higher resort fees than others, NerdWallet said. 

The data compiled showed “the average cost of a resort fee, when present,” was $50 at Marriott, $33.80 at Hyatt, $33 at Hilton, $32.57 at IHG and $25 at Wyndham.

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Some hotel chains such as Hilton Honors and World of Hyatt waive the resort fees on bookings made with points, according to the study. 

Top-tier hotel elite status can eliminate resort fees entirely. Hyatt waives charges on both paid and award stays for its highest-level globalist members — a handy benefit given the brand’s relatively high fees.

Critics argue the charges are misleading, particularly when they’re unavoidable and not included in the initial price seen online, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says.

Federal regulators have recently stepped in to address that concern. As of May 2025, a new rule from the Federal Trade Commission requires hotels and short-term rental platforms to display the full price upfront, including mandatory fees, rather than adding them later on in the booking process.

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Still, the regulation does not eliminate resort fees — so travelers continue to pay them, even if they’re now more transparent.

Hotels have long used resort fees to keep advertised room rates lower in search results while still collecting additional revenue through mandatory charges, according to Travel Weekly and other industry reporting.

Christopher Elliott, founder of Elliott Advocacy, which provides mediation assistance for issues between travelers and airlines, cruise lines and hotels, said he’s skeptical hotels would reduce extra fees.

Hotel guests do have rights, however. 

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“It depends where you are, but generally you have the right to pay the rate you were initially quoted,” he told Fox News Digital. He’s based in Spokane, Washington.

“If you can prove, in writing, that the rate is different, you can dispute your credit card charge,” Elliott added.

Travelers remain frustrated by the issue. 

“I see [fees] as an underhanded way to raise rates without paying commissions to travel agents/booking sites,” one traveler wrote on Reddit.

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It’s similar “to airline ‘fuel surcharges,’ as if anybody was ever buying tickets for an airplane with no fuel in it,” another traveler responded.

“Congrats on discovering the American way of … squeezing the lemon for every last drop,” a third person chimed in.

Elliott said resort guests need to advocate for themselves. “If you catch it early enough, a polite complaint to a manager” can help, he said.

“If you’ve already checked out, and if the hotel isn’t responsive, [you can] dispute the additional charges on your credit card. I’ve seen that work.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the American Hotel & Lodging Association for comment.

A Harvard student said Jewish students on campus feel “unwelcome” in certain classrooms amid a new multibillion-dollar lawsuit from the Trump administration over the school’s mishandling of antisemitism. 

Last week, Trump’s Department of Justice filed a 44-page lawsuit against the Ivy League institution for “[failing] to protect its Jewish students,” and Harvard sophomore Teja Billa told Fox News Digital that the university failed to implement all the steps to combat antisemitism the school said they would. 

“Jewish students and Israeli students feeling very unwelcome in certain courses to do with the Israel-Palestine conflict,” Billa told Fox. “More broadly, I don’t think all of the steps that the task force outlined to address it have actually been implemented. It’s great to come out with a task force report, but it really necessitates action on the part of Harvard.”

“I really hope that Harvard and the administration can reach some sort of negotiated settlement that keeps the research funding that is so important to Harvard while also addressing the really, really widespread and critical instances of bias and anti-Semitism that we found in the report and haven’t fully addressed,” Billa added.

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The Trump administration announced the lawsuit last week, with Attorney General Pam Bondi criticizing the rise in antisemitism and the universities that “allowed” sentiments to exist at schools across the country. 

“Since October 7th, 2023, too many of our educational institutions have allowed anti-Semitism to flourish on campus – Harvard included,” Bondi said in a statement. “[This lawsuit] underscores the Trump Administration’s commitment to demanding better from our nation’s schools and putting an end to discriminatory behavior that harms students.”

Robert Kennedy Jr. also weighed in on the suit, noting the significant amount of federal funding that is pouring into various educational institutions. 

“Every student deserves to learn without fear of harassment or exclusion,” the Health and Human Services secretary said. “When institutions take taxpayer dollars, they accept a duty to protect civil rights. We hold Harvard accountable on the principle that antisemitism has no place in any program funded by the American people.”

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Last April, the Ivy League school revealed the findings of an internal task force investigation into antisemitism at Harvard. Their findings showed that nearly 40% of Jewish students do not feel “at home” at the university.

The task force’s report also found roughly 26% of Jewish students felt “physically unsafe.”

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Harvard University President Alan Garber apologized following the report’s release, while acknowledging the antisemitism that existed on campus.

“I am sorry for the moments when we failed to meet the high expectations we rightfully set for our community,” Garber said in a letter. “The grave, extensive impact of the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel and its aftermath had serious repercussions on our campus.”

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During Billa’s interview with Fox News Digital, he said one potential solution could involve determining just how “left-leaning” the faculty at the top university really is.

“I think there should be a broader diversity of viewpoints that we see among the professors,” Billa explained. “We’ll do a faculty survey, and it will show that the professors themselves are overwhelmingly left-leaning, and that can’t possibly get every valid viewpoint to an issue.”

Billa also noted that students are fearful of speaking on hot topics because they are worried about conflicting opinions with professors impacting their grades. 

“On the other hand, a lot of students are feeling hesitant or afraid to speak up in class on controversial issues,” Billa continued. “Most of the graduating seniors actually reported that they would not speak up in class out of fear of being canceled or fear of perhaps grading impacts.”

A spokesperson for Harvard told Fox News Digital that they have implemented policies to combat antisemitism and said the university “cares deeply about members of our Jewish and Israeli community.”

“Harvard has taken substantive, proactive steps to address the root causes of antisemitism and actively enforces anti-harassment and anti-discrimination rules and policies on campus,” the spokesperson explained. “We also have enhanced training and education on antisemitism for students, faculty, and staff and launched programs to promote civil dialogue and respectful disagreement inside and outside the classroom. Harvard’s efforts demonstrate the very opposite of deliberate indifference.”

President Donald Trump acknowledged peacemaking with Iran is made difficult because their “sinister, sick” replacement leaders are hiding.

“One of the problems they do have when they deal with us is we deal with people and the people aren’t able to communicate with anybody else, because all of their leadership has been gone,” Trump said at the start of his second Cabinet meeting of 2026 on Thursday.

“The first level is gone. And they met to pick a new level, and they’re gone. They’re all gone because they didn’t make a deal.

“And because they’re sick people, they’re really sick. They’re they’re really sinister, sick people.”

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Regardless of the struggle to find a diplomatic off-ramp, Trump is pleased with the progress on the “military operation” against Iran, saying the conflict may end after four to six weeks of fighting.

“We estimated it would take approximately four to six weeks to achieve our mission, and we’re way ahead of schedule,” Trump said. “If you look at what we’ve done in terms of the destruction of that country, I mean, we’re way ahead.”

While the chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz remains an issue — despite the removal of the Iranian military commander that had ordered it closed to the U.S. and its allies — Trump lamented the NATO allies are only now vowing to stand with the U.S.

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“I said 25 years ago that NATO’s a paper tiger, but more importantly, that we’ll come to their rescue, but they will never come to ours,” Trump said. “And I want you to remember that we said this.: They didn’t come to our rescue.

“Now they all want to help when the other side is annihilated. They said, ‘We’d love to send ships.’ They actually made a statement, a couple of them, that ‘we want to get involved when the war is over.’

“You know, it’s supposed to get involved with the war’s beginning or even before it begins.”

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Ultimately, Trump warned, NATO failed a “test,” something that might loom down the road when peace negotiations in Ukraine and potential aspirations for Greenland resurface after Iran is off the top of Trump’s foreign policy agenda.

“Nobody’s a match for the United States,” Trump said, noting Iran’s heavy losses showing “they’re not a match for the United States. It’s small potatoes.

“That’s why I’m so disappointed in NATO, because this was a test for NATO. This was a test. You can help us. You don’t have to, but if you don’t do that, we’re going to remember.”

“Just remember, remember this in a number of months from now,” he continued. “Remember my statements. They have an expression, a great expression: Never forget. It can never forget.”