Lifestyle
7 Hotel Fees You Can Get Removed Just by Asking
By Mike Harper · June 17, 2026
The FTC’s Junk Fees Rule took effect in May 2025 and requires hotels to show the real total price upfront when you book. That was a step forward. But the fees themselves didn’t disappear — they just became visible earlier in the process. And several of them can still be removed if you know to ask.
1. The resort fee
Resort fees range from $25 to $55 per night and are charged at properties that have no business calling themselves resorts — downtown business hotels, airport properties, and mid-range chains. The fee supposedly covers Wi-Fi, pool access, and the gym. If you don’t use any of those amenities, say so at checkout and ask for the fee to be removed. Success rates vary, but hotels on slower nights and loyalty program members at higher tiers have the best odds. The question costs nothing. The fee costs $75 to $165 over a three-night stay.
2. The early check-in fee
Many hotels now charge $25 to $75 for early check-in — a service that used to be complimentary when rooms were available. If you arrive before the stated check-in time and are told a fee applies, ask whether any rooms happen to be ready. The fee exists to monetize something that was previously a courtesy. On days with lower occupancy, the room is often ready regardless.
3. The parking fee
Hotel parking at urban properties can run $30 to $60 per night. Before paying, check whether a public garage within one or two blocks offers overnight rates — parking apps frequently surface options at half the hotel’s price. If the hotel’s lot is the only option, ask at the front desk whether a reduced rate or complimentary parking is available for loyalty members or direct bookers.
4. The daily housekeeping fee
Many mid-range hotels have shifted daily housekeeping from a standard service to a premium add-on — $15 to $25 per night labeled as a “Daily Refresh Fee.” If you don’t need daily service, decline it explicitly at check-in. If you do want it and see the charge, ask whether it can be included as a courtesy. Hotels that frame the fee as a green initiative are less likely to waive it, but it’s still worth asking.
5. The sustainability or green fee
A newer addition to the fee landscape. Hotels add $5 to $15 per night for carbon offsetting or local conservation programs. These are almost always opt-out rather than opt-in — meaning the charge appears automatically unless you specifically request its removal. Ask at check-in whether any optional sustainability charges have been added and request they be removed if you didn’t authorize them.
6. The minibar restocking fee
Some hotels charge a restocking fee if you move items in the minibar — even if you don’t consume them. The sensor-based minibars in newer rooms can trigger a charge the moment an item is shifted. If you see a minibar charge you don’t recognize, dispute it at checkout. Front desk staff can review the charge and remove it.
7. The “destination fee” or “amenity fee”
This is the resort fee’s cousin — a mandatory per-night charge for access to amenities you may not use, branded under a different name. Destination fees, amenity access fees, and facility charges all describe the same thing: a mandatory add-on that inflates the price beyond what was advertised. If the amenities covered by the fee were unavailable or broken during your stay — the pool was closed, the Wi-Fi was slow, the fitness center was under renovation — you have grounds to request a full or partial credit.
The Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025 requires hotels to show total prices upfront, but it does not prohibit the fees themselves. Your leverage at the front desk comes from being informed, polite, and specific about what you’re asking to have removed.