Not sure what your room rate really covers? Common hotel amenities vary by property, so the safest answer is to read what’s listed as included and check for mandatory fees before you book.
Amenities differ across the types of hotels, so treat this guide as a checklist rather than a promise about any one property.
| Item | Key fact |
|---|---|
| US fees rule effective date | May 12, 2025 |
| Businesses the rule covers | Live-event tickets and short-term lodging |
| Lodging types covered | Hotels, home shares, vacation rentals |
| Price display requirement | Total price must be the most prominent |
| Fee disclosure timing | Before consumers consent to pay |
These figures come from a law-firm post dated May 6, 2025 and a news report dated December 17, 2024. Rules and fee practices can change, so check the source before you rely on them.
What counts as an amenity
An amenity is anything a property offers to make your stay more comfortable, from items in your room to shared facilities. The tricky part is that the same item can be bundled into your rate at one hotel and charged separately at another.
Because lists vary, treat any listing as a starting point. When you read it, sort each item into one of these buckets:
- Included in the rate: you pay nothing more for it.
- Mandatory fee: charged to every guest, sometimes under a label such as a resort fee.
- Optional extra: you choose it and pay for it separately.
Most confusion comes from items that sit in the second bucket while being described as if they were in the first.
How does the FTC fees rule affect hotel amenities pricing?
In the US, a fees rule from the Federal Trade Commission covers short-term lodging. As of Kelley Drye’s May 6, 2025 post, the rule was set to become effective on May 12, 2025, and it applied only to businesses selling live-event tickets and short-term lodging, as that post explains.
Hotels fall inside that lodging category, alongside home shares and vacation rentals. The post also says the FTC’s FAQs reflect staff’s view of the rule and are not binding on the Commission.
For you as a guest, the practical effect is about price display. The post says the total price must be the most prominent figure, and The Points Guy’s December 17, 2024 report says businesses must clearly disclose the nature, purpose, identity and amount of fees before you consent to pay.
Resort fees and facility access
A resort fee is the charge most likely to blur the line between an amenity and a cost. FTC staff gave an example of resort fees automatically added for use of facilities, reasoning that a reasonable consumer would expect use of the hotel facilities to be included, according to Kelley Drye’s May 6, 2025 summary.
The Points Guy reported in its December 17, 2024 piece that the final rule will prohibit hotels from excluding resort fees in advertised rates for short-term lodging. In plain terms, a fee for using facilities should show up in the headline price instead of appearing at the last step.
Fee names matter too. The same Kelley Drye post says businesses must describe what fees are for and avoid vague phrases such as convenience fees, service fees or processing fees.
The post also gives a hotel example: if towels are not included in a hotel stay, the hotel would need to list a towel fee. That is a useful reminder to ask about basics instead of assuming them.
Optional extras versus mandatory charges
Not every charge has to sit in the headline price. As of the May 6, 2025 Kelley Drye post, businesses may exclude government, shipping and optional charges from the total cost, but must disclose them before asking for payment, as the post describes.
The same source notes that fees which can’t be calculated in advance because they depend on choices you make during the transaction, such as optional features for hotel rooms, can be treated as optional.
So an upgrade you pick yourself is a different thing from a charge applied to every booking. If a charge is added automatically and you can only remove it by asking, treat it as part of the real price when you compare hotels.
A checklist before you book
Use these steps to compare what two hotels really include. They take a few minutes and can prevent surprises at checkout.
- Note the total price on the first results page, then compare it with the final checkout total.
- Read every fee description. Each one should say what it is for, and vague labels deserve a question to the property.
- Ask directly about the basics, including towels and access to shared facilities, and write down the answer.
- Separate optional extras from mandatory charges so your comparison is fair.
- Check whether guest feedback matches the listing, and learn how to read hotel reviews so you can spot patterns instead of one-off complaints.
- Confirm timing, because standard hotel check in and check out times can affect when you can actually use a room or facility.
If anything on the listing is unclear, contact the hotel before booking and keep a record of the reply.
Frequently asked questions
Are hotel amenities the same everywhere?
Show answer
No. What is included depends on the property and the rate, so read the listing and the fee details instead of assuming a standard list.
Does a hotel have to list a towel fee?
Show answer
According to FTC staff’s example in Kelley Drye’s May 6, 2025 post, a hotel would need to list a towel fee if towels are not included in the stay. The FAQs are staff’s view and are not binding on the Commission.
Can optional charges be left out of the total price?
Show answer
As of that May 6, 2025 post, businesses may exclude optional charges from the total cost, but they must disclose them before asking for payment. Check the current wording at the source before relying on it.
Does the rule apply to vacation rentals too?
Show answer
The same post says short-term lodging includes hotels, home shares and vacation rentals. The Points Guy’s December 17, 2024 report likewise says the rule applies to vacation rentals.
