Maria Lenhart, Skift
Not only are resort fees an annoyance for hotel guests, but they put the onus on travel advisors to make sure clients are aware of what their stay will actually cost. Some advisors are fighting back by steering clients toward properties that don't charge the fees.
3 weeks ago
Danni Santana, Skift
Do not think that this lawsuit only matters to Marriott. Competitors are keeping a close eye on the case, knowing they could be next. The industry has a big decision to make about how it charges amenity fees, if at all.
1 month ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Resort fees are embedded into many hotels' business models, so it would take a lot to upend them. But the prospect is picking up a lot of momentum.
1 month ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Booking Holdings faced opposition from hotels over its new resort-fee commission policy, although the brands that dropped out of Booking.com would not have delivered a material financial hit. This major reversal coincides with a leadership change atop Booking.com and represents a victory for hotels and their controversial fees.
2 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Hotels charging resort fees now have the choice of paying higher commissions to Booking.com and/or seeing their properties fall in Expedia's sort order. The other change that many don't want to make is to simply — and painfully — stop charging anti-consumer resort fees.
2 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
When Priceline ended traveler fees on airline bookings a decade ago, the other online travel agencies generally followed. Whether Expedia will match Booking.com and start charging hotels commissions on resort fees is a much more complex issue. Part of it depends on how much resistance Booking gets from hotels to its new policy.
3 months ago
Dennis Schaal, Skift
Get ready for some commotion in Las Vegas and other destinations where hotel resort fees are common. Will impacted hotels abandon Booking.com? Will resort fees lose their appeal for hotels? Will Expedia follow Booking's lead? The fun and gamesmanship are just starting.
3 months ago