Hotels in touristy places are the most likely to charge resort fees. The hotels know they can charge tourists who will never come back any crazy rate they want as they don't need a repeat customer. The following hotels are the most egregious examples of resort fees. For more examples state by state, click on the state links above.

1) HOTELS THAT CHARGE MORE FOR THEIR RESORT FEE THAN FOR THEIR HOTEL ROOM. 

Examples: Circus Circus & Excalibur in Las Vegas regularly advertise rooms that are less than the resort fee. The Circus Circus currently is advertising a $28 room - with a $36.28 resort fee.

2) RESORT FEES THAT ARE INSANELY EXPENSIVE

The Fisher Island Club and Resort in Miami Beach, Florida has an advertised rate or $1,052 per night - with a $160.60 resort fee! Making this the most expensive resort fee in the country. Congrats Fisher Island Club and Resort! 

3) HOTELS THAT HIDE THEIR RESORT FEE AS A TAX OR MANDATORY GOVERNMENT CHARGE. A RESORT FEE IS NOT A TAX!!!

Example? The Life Hotel in New York City hides their resort fee as a “NYC Mandatory City Hotel Fee.” There is no NYC Mandatory City Hotel Fee. This is a resort fee that is very deceptive and misleading to consumers.

4) HOTELS THAT ARE CLEARLY NOT RESORTS CHARGING RESORT FEES

Example? The Super 8 in Las Vegas, the two-star Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City & The Best Western in Orlando all have resort fees. These are a few of many examples.

5) DETROIT RESORT FEE CITY

Detroit is an awesome city, yet it is not a resort city. That does not stop the MGM Detroit from saying there is a mandatory resort fee. What does it allegedly (but not really) include? The use of the in-room Keurig. We say keep your "resort fee" and try one of the many new hipster coffee shops in Detroit.

6) FIVE STAR HOTELS WHERE ONE WOULD NOT EXPECT TO BE LIED TO ABOUT THE ROOM RATE ARE ILLEGALLY LYING ABOUT THE ROOM RATE

Example? The Andaz in Maui, The Ritz-Carlton in Tucson and the Waldorf Astoria in Orlando all charge resort fees in addition to their $500+ a night room rates. The Moana Surfrider on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii has a $1,530 advertised room rate that does not include a $37.70 per day resort fee. 

7) HOTELS USING RESORT FEES TO CHEAT HOTEL TAXES

Example? The TWA Hotel at JFK Airport in New York City. When hotels have a fee, it is because they want to lie about the advertised rate. The amount of the hotel then becomes the advertised cost + the fee. The entire amount should be subject to the hotel room rate tax as that is the actual rate of the room. The TWA Hotel, like many other hotels in New York City, is only taxing the hidden facility fee at 8.875% (NYC sales tax) and the advertised rate at 14.75%. That’s a difference of 5.875% every single night. It ends up costing New Yorkers $110,259.20 annually. You want cops on the street and a nice subway? Help New York out by refusing to stay at hotels that use fees to cheat taxes and hurt New Yorkers.