An amenity fee, also known as a resort fee or facility fee, is a charge that many hotels or accommodation providers add to the basic room rate. This fee covers the use of certain amenities and services that the hotel provides, which may or may not be optional for the guest.

Hotels in 2026 implement amenity fees (also called "resort fees," "facility fees," or "destination fees") primarily as a strategy to keep their base room rates appearing low in search results. By unbundling the cost of the room from the cost of services like Wi-Fi, gym access, pool towels, bottled water, and local phone calls, hotels can list a "headline rate" that stays competitive on travel booking sites like Expedia or Booking.com. Once the guest reaches the final checkout page or checks into the hotel, this mandatory fee (ranging from $25 to $50+ per night) is added to the bill. Hotels argue that these fees provide better "value" by grouping multiple services into a single price, rather than charging for them individually (a la carte). However, in 2026, many of these fees have come under legal scrutiny in the U.S. and Europe, leading to new "junk fee" transparency laws that require hotels to disclose the total "all-in" price upfront. Despite the controversy, these fees remain a significant revenue stream for hotels, often helping them offset the high commissions they must pay to online travel agencies.