2025 Resort Fee Law Changes

Fuck you, Pay me!

Nothing sets off a firestorm amongst Vegas Fans like Resort Fees. Ive seen a ton of YouTube shorts and TikToks lately, about Resort Fees being banned in the US now, thanks to a new law.

Just to set the record straight, these fools are just looking for clicks. Resort fees aren't going anywhere, and are not illegal. And for the most part, they are not going away. You are still going to be paying the same fees you always have. These hotels are not going to give up that free money. 

Just like in Goodfellas. "Business bad? Fuck you, pay me. Oh, you had a fire? Fuck you, pay me. Place got hit by lightning huh? Fuck you, pay me."

The new rule is that ticket brokers and hotels have to show these fees lumped into a net price. Which is very helpful! 20 years ago when resort fees started getting out of hand, it was due to some companies hiding said fees. And hotel guests getting suckered in at check-in, when its too late to back out. I mean, you didn't have to pay it. You could just forfeit the money you paid that travel site, and head back home...

Travel sites would look like this:

Hotel Grid, $50 per night* plus tax. 4 nights, $200 + $22.16 tax = $222.16 paid to Expedia today when you book.

*Resort fee may be added by hotel.

You get to the hotel, and find out their resort fee is $50 per night. Which then doubles what you just paid. That travel site hid those fees, since they wanted to sell you a room. And you booked the room, because you thought it was a bargain. And the hotel tucked those fees into ambiguity, so their resort was listed higher in your search. Because you cheap bastards wanted your results listed from cheapest to highest. 

The US laid it all out here 

So why don't these hotels just raise their room rates, since they have to show the net totals by law any way? That one is easy! Money! These fees make them more money, then if they just raised their rates the same amount. It is just a nut and shell game. Where the house always wins. 

It makes their reporting look good. Fees are basically money for nothing. And they can help pay down bottom line expenses. They work wonders in a companies annual earnings report.

Mainly, those travel sites and third party booking agents get paid a portion of the room rate. NOT the fees. If the room cost $50 + $50 in fees, Expedia for example, gets 10% of the room rate. And not 10% of the total. So the hotel is only paying them a $5 in booking commission, which is half as much as they would if they lumped it all in. 

Another very sneaky reason why these hotels wont give up the fee. Is some of you suckers paying the resort fee on your comped room. Most clubs allow for a means to skip those fees, if you gamble more and move up in tier. But for those who don't, that becomes free money for them. Gamblers seem OK paying the fee for their "free" room. But if these casino hotels started charging $35 per night for a free room, those same players would shit kittens.

Beyond gambling destinations, the above holds true for any other sort of "free" room members can earn. If you are part of a national hotel program, and earn a free stay with however many paid stays you booked. A lot of those "free" rooms are still stuck with a resort fee when you actually book them. 

Plus it is a matter of practicality for both parties. Before resort fees, a lot of places made you pay to use their gym, the pool, the WiFi or whatnot. Yes, a ton of the things the resort fee covers are bull shit. I have never made a local call from my hotel room, in the past 20 years. I have this magical device called a cellphone. No, I have never needed to send or receive a fax at a hotel. I use this thing called email. Also on my cellphone. And only Boomers still print their boarding passes. I use my cellphone! Or as those same Boomers call it, my cellular telephone.

But the point stays true. If these resorts really did away with the fee, and switched back to À la carte pricing. You people would lose your minds. So like it or not, this change means nothing to 99% of us. If you are still shocked that Ticket Master charges a handling fee. Or that a Vegas Resorts still pawn off a resort fee in 2025. There is no hope for you at all.