FTC pressuring hotels on deceptive resort fees

Business-travel advocates and consumers have been pushing the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on hotels and resorts that tack on surprise fees to travelers’ final bills, and now the commission has sent warning letters to 22 hotel operators demanding that they curb the practices.

The FTC warning letters note that the hotel operators may be violating the law by misrepresenting the true price of the stay in online advertising. The commission urged the hotel operators to review their websites to ensure they are complying with the law.

“Please be advised that the FTC may take action to enforce and seek redress for any violations of the FTC Act as the public interest may require,” the FTC states, noting that the fees in question range from charging for newspapers to mandatory resort fees.

The FTC did not name the 22 hotel operators.

Here’s the full text of the sample warning letters: