MARRIOTT International is being sued over its “deceptive resort fees” in landmark case that could end hidden fees for tourists.
The Attorney General for the District of Columbia in the US said the multinational hotel chain was misleading customers by advertising room rates without including mandatory resort fees.
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It comes just days after the company was fined £99 million for a data breach that left millions of customers’ details exposed.
In a series of tweets announcing the lawsuit, Attorney General Karl A. Racine said: “Today I am suing Marriott International for charging consumers deceptive “resort fees” when booking hotel rooms.
“Through these fees, Marriott hides the true price of rooms and misleads consumers to increase company profits.”
He continued: “Marriott charged resort fees that ranged from $9 (£7.21) to as much as $95 (£76.08) per room per day.
“Discovering these charges only after a consumer has started to book a room makes it extremely difficult to compare prices and make informed choices.
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“In some instances, Marriott led consumers to believe the resort fees were government-imposed charges, rather than additional daily charges paid to Marriott.
“This kind of bait-and-switch advertising and other forms of deceptive pricing are unfair and illegal.”
Through the lawsuit, it’s hoped that Marriott will be forced to advertise the “true prices” that its customers pay up front.
AG Karl A. Racine also said that he hoped Marriott would be forced to pay compensation to customers who were charged the fees, as well as a penalty to the district for breaking its consumer protection laws.
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The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in D.C. Superior Court after an investigation conducted by all 50 state attorneys general.
A spokesperson for Marriott told Sun Online Travel: “We don’t comment on pending litigation, but we look forward to continuing our discussions with other state AGs.”
What are resort fees?
Resort fees are also sometimes known as amenity fees or destination fees.
They are charged by some hotels and resorts, especially in the US, for the use of the facilities on site such as the swimming pool or gym.
The fees are mandatory, regardless of whether or not you use the facilities.
It can be misleading for consumers as hotels and resorts that charge the fee often advertise very low rates, with the additional fees charged at the end of your stay.
Sun Online Travel previously revealed how resort fees can hike up the cost of your stay.
In some cases, they might even double what you pay.
Some hotels also charge a housekeeping fee, which could leave guests with an unexpected bill as well.
