Mandatory hotel resort fees that aren't wrapped into the advertised nightly rate can be frustrating but they don't represent a deceptive business practice.
That was the response from the Federal Trade Commission to a nonprofit group that complained last week about the expanded use of mandatory resort fees by hotels.
“It's a very simple thing,” said Charlie Leocha, president of Travelers United, an advocacy group with 23,000 members. “If the fee is mandatory it must be included in the room rate.”
In the case of airlines, the Transportation Department has ordered carriers and travel agents to include all mandatory fees and taxes in the advertised price of airfares.