Status: Checked against official sources on 18 October 2026
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is a destination fee?
Destination fee is a mandatory charge that a hotel property adds to some stays to cover local destination services, rather than the room itself. It is a property-level cost, so it is distinct from the room rate, from a resort fee, from a tax and from an optional incidental charge that a guest chooses to incur.
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- A destination fee is mandatory when a property applies it: the guest pays whether or not they use the services it funds.
- It is not the same line item as a resort fee, a tax or an optional charge. Marriott Bonvoy’s rule for Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, treats resort fees, service charges and other property charges as separate from the standard room rate and room tax on an award stay. [3]
- An award stay is not automatically a waiver of every property charge. The same Marriott Bonvoy rule makes extra-person charges, resort fees, service charges and other property charges the member’s responsibility at that property. [3]
What is a destination fee at a hotel?
A destination fee is a charge attached to a stay by the property, not by the airline or loyalty programme that supplied the points. Its purpose is to fund services connected with the destination rather than with the guest room itself. The amount and basis are set by the property, so the label can cover different arrangements at different hotels.
The defining feature is that the fee is mandatory when it applies. A guest does not choose to use the local services behind it, and does not get a lower room rate by declining it. That makes it different from an optional incidental charge, such as parking, a spa treatment or a late checkout, which a guest can normally accept or refuse.
A destination fee matters because it changes the cash cost of a stay even when the room is booked with points. A quoted room rate or an award redemption can cover the room and leave a separate property charge to pay at checkout. Travellers comparing a cash booking with an award booking need to look at the total cash due, not only the room rate or the points price.
On a hotel bill, the charge sits as an itemised entry alongside room charges, taxes and other incidentals. The record of those entries is the hotel folio, which is useful when checking whether a fee has been applied correctly or when querying a charge after checkout.
How is a destination fee different from a resort fee?
A resort fee is normally tied to the amenities and services of the property itself. A destination fee is tied to the wider destination and the local services a guest may use while staying there. Both are mandatory when a property imposes them, and both can sit outside the room rate, but they are not interchangeable labels.
A tax is also a separate concept. A tax is imposed by a government authority, while a destination fee is a property-level charge. A hotel bill may therefore show the room rate, a room tax, a resort fee, a destination fee and optional incidentals as different lines, each with its own basis.
Marriott Bonvoy’s programme terms for Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, show how a property can separate an award stay from added property charges. An Award Redemption Stay there includes the standard room rate and room tax only. Extra-person charges, resort fees, service charges and other property charges are the member’s responsibility and are not included. [3]
That rule is written for the named property, not as a general statement about every Marriott hotel. [3] It is still a useful reminder that a property can apply more than one kind of added charge, and that each line needs checking separately. A waiver of a resort fee does not establish a waiver of a destination fee, and a destination fee does not become a tax because it appears on the same bill.
For the related on-property charge, see hotel service charge; for the amenity-linked charge, see resort fee.
Are destination fees waived on award stays?
There is no universal rule that an award stay waives every mandatory property charge. Whether a destination fee is covered depends on the property and on the programme terms that govern that particular award stay. A points reservation can cover the room and still leave a separate charge to pay at the hotel.
Marriott Bonvoy’s terms, updated October 2026, set a specific example at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas. An Award Redemption Stay includes the standard room rate and room tax only; extra-person charges, resort fees, service charges and other property charges are the member’s responsibility and are not included. [3] The same structure can apply to a destination-style charge when a property treats it as an added charge outside the award coverage.
The practical question is not whether an award stay sounds fully inclusive, but what the programme terms say the award actually covers. At the named Marriott property, the answer is the standard room rate and room tax, with other property charges left to the member. [3] A traveller should therefore check the property’s fee list and the programme’s award-stay terms before treating a points booking as the final cash cost.
For the wider question of taxes and resort-style charges on award stays, see hotel award stay taxes and resort fees.
Exceptions and limits
- Property-specific rules. A destination fee is set at the level of the property. The Marriott Bonvoy rule described here applies to Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, and does not establish a rule for other hotels. [3]
- Award stays can cover only part of the bill. At that named property, an Award Redemption Stay includes the standard room rate and room tax only; extra-person charges, resort fees, service charges and other property charges remain the member’s responsibility. [3]
- Taxes are treated separately. The standard room tax is named as part of the award coverage at Atlantis, while added property charges are not. [3]
- Optional charges are different. A destination fee is mandatory when imposed. A charge that a guest can decline, such as an optional incidental, is not the same thing.
- No universal waiver. Neither an award stay nor a hotel brand name automatically removes a mandatory property charge. The property’s terms and the programme’s award rules control.
Frequently asked questions
Is a destination fee the same as a resort fee?
No. A resort fee is normally linked to the property’s own amenities, while a destination fee is linked to local destination services. Both can be mandatory and separate from the room rate. Marriott Bonvoy’s Atlantis rule lists resort fees as a separate property charge from the standard room rate and room tax. [3]
Do I have to pay a destination fee if I book with points?
It depends on the property and the programme terms. At Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas, an Award Redemption Stay includes the standard room rate and room tax only; extra-person charges, resort fees, service charges and other property charges are the member’s responsibility. [3]
Can I decline a destination fee?
If the property applies a mandatory destination fee, it is not an optional extra that a guest can decline. That is what separates it from an optional incidental charge, such as a service the guest chooses to use.
Where does a destination fee appear on a hotel bill?
It normally appears as an itemised line on the hotel folio, separate from the room rate and any tax. The hotel folio is the record to check for the amount and description of the charge.
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. The page covers a Marriott Bonvoy property rule; other hotel loyalty programmes, including Hilton Honors, World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards and Accor ALL, are not covered here.
- Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions, checked 18 October 2026