Las Vegas Resort Fees Explained: What the FTC Rule Means for Hotel Prices

The short version: resort fees are not banned

Las Vegas hotels can still charge mandatory resort or destination fees. The Federal Trade Commission’s Unfair or Deceptive Fees Rule does not set a fee cap and does not prohibit a business from charging one. What it changes is price presentation for short-term lodging.

If a hotel advertises a price, mandatory charges it knows about and can calculate upfront — such as a compulsory resort fee — must be included in the total price shown upfront. That rule took effect on 12 May 2025.

What the FTC requires

The FTC says the displayed total price for short-term lodging must include mandatory fees and charges, with limited exclusions. The total price must be more prominent than other pricing information. A business can itemise a resort fee, but the itemisation cannot overshadow the required total.

The rule applies not only to hotels themselves but also to businesses that offer, display or advertise short-term lodging, including online marketplaces and travel agents.

What can still appear later

Government taxes and charges can be excluded from the initial total price, provided they are disclosed before payment. Optional goods or services that you genuinely choose can also be excluded until you select them.

That means the first compliant “total price” you see may still be lower than the final amount charged to your card. You should still review the final payment screen for taxes and anything you voluntarily added.

What counts as mandatory

The FTC guidance focuses on charges a guest is required to pay, cannot reasonably avoid, or is automatically billed unless the guest notices and challenges it. If a property imposes a resort fee on every applicable stay, it belongs in the advertised total price even if the hotel itemises the fee separately.

A fee does not become optional merely because the hotel says it pays for Wi-Fi, gym access or other bundled amenities you may never use. If you must pay it to complete the stay, treat it as part of the room price.

Why you will still see a “resort fee” line

The rule permits truthful itemisation. A hotel can show a total price and then explain that part of that price is a resort fee. This can still be useful because it tells you which amenities the property says are bundled and helps you understand loyalty, comp or waived-fee offers.

The crucial comparison number, however, is the mandatory total for the same room and dates — not the base room line.

Taxes are a separate comparison step

Nevada’s Department of Taxation states that transient lodging tax is set at city and county level and varies by jurisdiction. Do not apply a single statewide percentage to every Las Vegas-area stay. Use the tax amount shown for the exact property and booking.

When comparing two hotels, carry both searches to a consistent point in checkout so you are comparing like with like: mandatory lodging total, then taxes, then any optional add-ons.

Parking can still change the true trip cost

Parking is not automatically included in a room simply because the hotel charges a resort fee. Self-parking and valet policies vary by property, guest status, loyalty tier and sometimes special-event conditions.

If you will have a car, add the current parking policy to your hotel comparison. A slightly higher room total can be better value if it avoids parking charges you would otherwise pay every day.

Deposits and incidental holds are not the same as resort fees

Hotels commonly place an authorisation or hold for incidentals at check-in. That is different from a mandatory resort fee: a hold may reduce your available card balance temporarily and then be released, subject to actual charges and your bank’s processing time.

Check the property’s current deposit/hold policy before arrival, especially if you use a debit card or have a tight credit limit. The trip can be “within budget” and still cause cash-flow problems if a large temporary hold was not expected.

Optional upgrades remain optional

A selected room upgrade, paid early check-in, premium Wi-Fi tier, breakfast package or other optional add-on can be priced separately because you decide whether to buy it. Once you choose it, the final payment total should reflect that choice before you pay.

Be wary of pre-selected add-ons or charges that appear optional but are effectively unavoidable; the FTC guidance specifically addresses practices that limit meaningful consumer choice.

Third-party booking sites are covered too

The rule is not a “book direct only” rule. Third-party travel sites and other intermediaries displaying short-term lodging prices also have responsibilities under the FTC rule. Still, cancellation terms, room categories, loyalty benefits and property-specific extras can differ by channel, so compare the product as well as the total.

Comped rooms and fee waivers

Casino offers and loyalty benefits may waive some or all room charges or resort fees for eligible guests. Read the offer terms carefully. A “comped” room can have taxes, deposits, parking or other conditions, and not every promotional offer treats resort fees the same way.

If the fee is waived for your specific booking, save the confirmation showing that benefit. Do not rely on a forum post describing someone else’s loyalty status.

How to compare two Vegas hotels properly

This method works even when hotel pricing changes every hour because it focuses on the structure of the cost rather than a stale list of resort-fee amounts.

• Use identical dates and occupancy.
• Match refundable with refundable where possible.
• Compare the advertised mandatory total, not the room-rate line.
• Continue to the tax and final-payment breakdown.
• Add parking if you need it.
• Note incidental-hold requirements separately.
• Check whether an offer genuinely waives a fee or simply discounts the base rate.

If a price display looks wrong

Save screenshots showing the advertised price, mandatory fee and final checkout amount. If the discrepancy is simply a tax or optional add-on disclosed before payment, it may be consistent with the FTC rule. If a mandatory fee only appears after the advertised total, that is exactly the sort of pricing practice the rule addresses.

For a dispute with a hotel or booking site, start with the merchant’s customer-service channel and retain the booking confirmation. The FTC also provides consumer reporting channels for deceptive practices.

What not to rely on

Do not rely on an old blog table of resort-fee amounts. Properties change fees, inclusions and waivers. Do not assume a destination fee, facility fee or amenity fee is different in substance merely because the label changed. And do not claim resort fees are illegal: the current federal rule regulates disclosure, not the existence or amount of the fee.

Booking direct versus through a travel site

The FTC rule applies across covered sellers, so a third-party platform does not get a pass on mandatory-fee disclosure. Still, the room product can differ: cancellation rules, loyalty credit, breakfast, room category, payment timing and customer-service chain may not match a direct booking.

Compare the total and the terms. A slightly lower third-party total can be poor value if you need flexibility or hotel-status benefits; a direct booking is not automatically cheaper either.

Resort credits are not the same as a fee waiver

A package may include a food-and-beverage credit, spa credit or other benefit while still charging a mandatory resort fee. Value the credit only if you would realistically use it, and check where, when and on what it can be spent.

A $50 credit with restrictive terms is not equivalent to $50 cash, and it does not change the fact that the mandatory fee belongs in the lodging price comparison.

Why old resort-fee lists age badly

Las Vegas properties can change fee amounts, included benefits, parking rules and loyalty waivers. A table copied from last year may look precise while being less useful than a current checkout comparison.

For planning content, the durable facts are the disclosure rule and the method: compare the mandatory total, inspect taxes and optional extras, then verify property-specific policies. Use current booking screens for current numbers.

Sources and verification

This guide was checked against the Federal Trade Commission’s current FAQ and rule materials for short-term lodging fees and the Nevada Department of Taxation’s lodging-tax guidance. Property-specific fee, parking, deposit and comp rules should always be checked at booking.