What is a resort fee?

How is a resort fee charged?

Hilton Honors sets out where the fee sits in the price. Rates quoted for its member discount are per room per night, based on single or double occupancy, and, unless otherwise stated, do not include taxes, gratuities, incidental charges and resort fees (if applicable). [2] The Hilton Honors Program Terms and Conditions quoted here are effective 15 July 2026. [2]

Hilton also sends members to the property rather than the programme: when a resort fee is required as part of a hotel booking, it says, check with the participating hotel for more information about the included amenities. [2] Participating hotels may place a hold on a member's credit card for costs of services in addition to applicable room rates. [2] Charges added at the property are worth checking line by line on departure — see the hotel folio and billing checklist.

Marriott Bonvoy handles charges through a different structure. Its Program Rules define which charges count as Qualifying Charges for earning Points, and those general definitions are subject to supplemental terms and brand- or property-specific limitations, with specific property terms controlling over the general brand list. [1] The Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions were updated in October 2026. [1]

Are resort fees included in award stays?

For Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas — a non-branded participating property that takes part in Marriott Bonvoy in a limited capacity — award redemption stays include the standard room rate and room tax only, while extra-person charges, resort fees, service charges and other property charges are the member's responsibility and are not included. [1] At the same property, Points or Miles are earned on room rate only, and the breakfast option normally offered through the Elite Welcome Gift is not available. [1] Breakfast benefit terms vary for this reason from one property to the next.

For other hotels, Marriott Bonvoy applies brand- and property-level limitations to what a stay covers, and supplemental terms control where they differ from the general rules. [1]

Hilton Honors describes how spending at the property is treated on reward stays instead. Members may earn Hilton Honors Points for incidental charges at a participating hotel during an all-Points Reward Stay, provided the charges are deemed Eligible Spend, and may earn Points on the money portion of a Points & Money Rewards Stay. [2] Eligible Spend is defined as room rate, eligible food and beverage, telephone, laundry, pay-per-view movies, entertainment and recreational facilities, and other incidental charges charged to the member's room during a qualifying stay, while federal, state and local taxes, including city occupancy tax, are excluded. [2] What a resort fee itself includes is confirmed by the individual hotel. [2]

Do elite benefits change at hotels with a resort fee?

Hilton Honors writes the carve-out into its tier benefits. For Silver, Gold, Diamond and Diamond Reserve Elite members, complimentary in-room and lobby Wi-Fi is listed as a benefit, with the qualification that Wi-Fi access may not be complimentary in meeting spaces or at properties with a resort fee. [2] The bottled-water benefit carries a similar limit: two complimentary bottles per stay are listed at named brands, but bottled water is not complimentary at participating hotels with a resort fee that includes bottled water. [2]

Both programmes stress that hotel-level delivery varies. Hilton Honors says specific benefits and services have been established for all members, but that benefits and services offered by participating hotels may vary, and that not all amenities are provided by all participating hotels. [2] Marriott Bonvoy says specific benefits, amenities, offers, awards and services may not be available at experiences and properties that participate in a limited or unique capacity, even where that property is not explicitly named as excluded in the rules. [1] These are the situations a brand exception describes.

What are the exceptions and limits?

• Property participation. The Reef at Atlantis, The Beach at Atlantis and Harborside at Atlantis do not participate in Marriott Bonvoy, and reservations at the participating Atlantis hotels booked through AtlantisBahamas.com earn no Points or Miles and cannot be redeemed with Points. [1]
• All-inclusive earning. At All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy resorts, and at participating properties designated as all-inclusive, Qualifying Charges include premium food and beverage bought in addition to the qualifying rate, extra-person charges on paid stays, and property-managed spa, golf and resort activities; in certain limited cases, taxes, service charges, gratuities and/or fees related to other incidentals charged to the room bill may be eligible for earning Points. [1]
• Tax treatment at Hilton. Taxes such as city occupancy tax are not Eligible Spend and are omitted for point accrual on stays, so they never earn points even when they appear beside other property charges on the folio. [2]
• Dates and versions. The Hilton Honors terms cited here take effect on 15 July 2026 and supersede earlier versions, while the Marriott Bonvoy Program Rules were updated in October 2026 and supersede the terms of the legacy programmes they replaced. [1] [2]
• Property-level delivery. Hilton Honors directs members to the participating hotel for information about what a resort fee includes, and Marriott Bonvoy applies brand- and property-specific limitations to benefits and services, so the same programme can deliver different outcomes at two hotels of the same brand. [1] [2]

Frequently asked questions

How do I check whether a resort fee applies to my stay?

Hilton Honors says its quoted rates do not include resort fees (if applicable) unless otherwise stated, and that when a resort fee is required as part of a booking, members should check with the participating hotel for information about the amenities it includes. [2]

Is a resort fee covered by a Marriott Bonvoy award stay?

At Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas it is not: award redemption stays include the standard room rate and room tax only, and resort fees, service charges and other property charges are the member's responsibility. [1] For other hotels, Marriott Bonvoy applies brand- and property-specific limitations and supplemental terms. [1]

Do Hilton Honors elite benefits change at hotels with a resort fee?

In two specific places: Wi-Fi access may not be complimentary at properties with a resort fee, and bottled water is not complimentary where the resort fee includes bottled water. [2]

Which charges on a hotel bill count towards points?

Hilton counts other incidental charges charged to a member's room during a qualifying stay as Eligible Spend, while excluding taxes such as city occupancy tax. [2] At Marriott Bonvoy all-inclusive properties, fees related to other incidentals charged to the room bill may in certain limited cases be eligible for earning Points. [1]

Related pages

Booking: how to book Marriott Bonvoy awards and how to book Hilton Honors awards. Billing: hotel folio and billing checklist. Value: hotel points versus cash. Terms: brand exception, breakfast benefit, and the full glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Other hotel programmes, including World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards, Accor ALL and Wyndham Rewards, are not covered here; see the glossary for related terms.

1. Marriott Bonvoy Loyalty Program Terms & Conditions, checked 18 October 2026
2. Terms and Conditions for Hilton Honors Member Rewards, checked 18 October 2026