Marriott Resort Fees Settlement with Pennsylvania AG
Marriott has reached a settlement over a resort fee lawsuit and has agreed to disclosing them upfront as part of the total stay price. The Maryland-based hospitality company has committed to show the sum of its room rates and all mandatory fees, including resort fees, on the first page of its booking website.
The settlement was agreed with Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office on Wednesday. Changes are set to be implemented within the next nine months. Over the years, travelers have been reportedly misled by the published rates offered by hotels for a night’s stay only later to be hit with “resort fees” through the hotel industry’s practice of “drip pricing,” where the rate advertised does not include additional mandatory fees.
The Office of Attorney General’s investigation focused on the practice commonly referred to as “drip pricing.” That refers to a merchant gradually disclosing extra fees to consumers as they go through a purchase or booking process.
“Hotels shouldn’t be able to slap hidden fees on top of your bill at the last minute, and thanks to this settlement we’re putting the hotel industry on notice to put an end to this deceptive practice,” said AG Josh Shapiro. “With costs going up and more seniors and families traveling for the holidays, consumers should beware of these surprise fees when booking. Marriott has stepped up to commit itself to fix this practice and we expect more hotel chains to follow suit.”
This settlement benefit not just Pennsylvanians, but consumers nationwide. Marriott is one of the largest hotel companies in the United States, and Attorney General Shapiro expects other hotel chains and third party vendors will take notice and follow suit.
The settlement was filed on November 17, 2021, in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas by Senior Deputy Attorney General Jill T. Ambrose.
