Marriott International, Incorporated was fined for failing to comply with disclosing resort fees despite agreeing to a settlement from November of 2021 — and as a result of failing to meet a deadline in February of 2023 to bring its disclosures into compliance by the agreed upon date and subsequent multiple extensions, the lodging company will send a payment totaling $225,000.00 to the office of the attorney general of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Resort Fees: Marriott Fined for Failing to Comply
Michelle Henry — who is the current attorney general of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania — announced a new agreement with Marriott International, Incorporated for its failure to comply with a previous settlement by informing consumers of “hidden” mandatory resort fees.
“Marriott has agreed to the terms of a Court Order requiring it to comply, by May 15, with the settlement agreement from 2021. Marriott is now required to be fully transparent about mandatory fees, including resort fees, for consumers booking hotel stays”, according to this official press release. “The original settlement agreement requires Marriott to clearly and conspicuously list any mandatory fees at all steps during a consumer’s booking process. Marriott often practices ‘drip pricing’ where resort fees, destination fees, facility and amenities fees, and other similar fees, are not listed in the total price of the hotel room until a consumer is in the final steps of the purchasing process, or upon check-in.”
Earlier this month, a guest at a hotel property within the brand portfolio of Marriott International, Incorporated alleged being charged a mandatory resort fee twice per night during the stay.
Final Boarding Call
Let’s face it: $225,000.00 is a mere pittance to a multinational lodging company whose quarterly revenue is reportedly approximately 1.5 billion dollars. The compliance of Marriott International, Incorporated is what is significantly more important in this matter.
I do not believe in intervention by the government to interfere with the free market; but these mandatory fees — creative as they may be and which are specifically designed to initially obfuscate the true cost of travel — are out of control. Unfortunately, consumers seem to be more resigned to paying them out of frustration rather than boycotting hotel and resort properties which charge them — especially as more and more of them do so to create extra revenue for themselves.
The only true way to stop this madness of hotel and resort properties simply tacking on an added daily mandatory fee is to not patronize them — or, at least, negotiate to not pay them when at the hotel or resort property.
Although a lot of work still needs to be done, you can help me fight mandatory daily fees by adding to the list of hotel and resort properties that charge them.
If all else fails, you can always try filing a complaint with the attorney general of the state in which you have stayed — or with the attorney general of the state in which you reside if you live in another state and booked a reservation at the hotel or resort property while sitting at home. Some readers of The Gate With Brian Cohen have reported their successful experiences of getting fully reimbursed for the mandatory fees that they paid.
All photographs ©2021 and ©2022 by Brian Cohen.
