Hospitality union Unite Here has rolled out a campaign and website warning consumers and travel advisors that hotel resort fees are a money grab at their expense.
The organization's "Resort Fee Ripoff" initiative urges advisors to review the commission policies of Marriott International, Hilton and Hyatt.
"Maybe you've seen your commissions decline while resort fees rise," said Unite Here, adding that "major hotel brands sometimes don't consider resort fees commissionable."
The website highlights excerpts from several commission policies, including language from Hyatt that excludes "incidentals, taxes, mandatory fees" from commission calculations, as well as fine print from Hilton indicating that advisors can "earn commissions on room revenue only" for U.S., Canadian and Mexican bookings.
Mandatory hotel fees are facing regulatory pressure, with new state laws and federal proposals aiming to improve price transparency. Marriott International began including resort fees in room rates in 2023 following a consumer-protection agreement, while California implemented junk fee legislation earlier this year.
The Unite Here campaign follows a wave of Unite Here-organized hotel worker strikes across multiple U.S. cities. Unite Here reports that in San Francisco, active walkouts at several high-profile properties -- including the Grand Hyatt San Francisco, Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square -- have stretched into their 55th day.