Hotels call them mandatory resort fees, amenity fees or destination fees, but in a new lawsuit, the attorney general of the District of Columbia calls such fees “deceptive” and an “unlawful trade practice” when not fully disclosed with the initial price quotation appearing on a reservation website. Dan Prywes, Partner, weighs in on the lawsuit filed in superior court stating that this is the first lawsuit by a consumer-protection agency challenging the way that mandatory resort fees are disclosed during the reservation process. He states that the hotel industry has known for years of regulators’ concerns, yet many hotels continue to charge mandatory resort fees that are not disclosed in the room rates quoted up-front on reservation websites. If the District of Columbia is successful in its lawsuit, or reaches a favorable settlement in which Marriott agrees to change its practices, the ripple effect will be far-reaching. Click here to read the full article.
