, Columnist
Congress Can Help Lower Your Hotel Bills
Smart legislation in the House would provide greater transparency on room and resort fees.
How much will it really cost?
Photographer: Akio Kon/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Why is it that when you check out of a hotel the bill is always so much larger than expected? It’s the assortment of unexpected fees — resort fees, destination fees, cleaning fees, hotel fees and more — that no one mentions until you’re leaving.
Congress wants to do something about this. The House of Representatives is considering legislation that would increase transparency by requiring a room’s advertised rate to include all mandatory fees except those imposed by government. This bipartisan Hotel Transparency Act of 2019 is a terrific idea.