UNITE HERE’S “Resort Fee Ripoff” Website Sends Alert to Travel Agents: Are Fees Costing You Commissions?

At Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt, agents should check terms to see if their commissions decline as fees rise.

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--While thousands of hotel workers entered the 55th day of strikes at Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt locations in San Francisco, UNITE HERE’s “Resort Fee Ripoff” website is alerting travel agents about the possible impact of resort fees on their guests and their commissions.

Major hotel brands sometimes don’t consider resort fees commissionable, so travel agents are advised to check terms at Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott.

UNITE HERE’s website www.ResortFeeRipoff.org contains excerpts of these commission terms, and asks travel agents to contact hotel companies and find out more. Some highlights include:

• At Hyatt, “Commission does not apply to incidentals, taxes, mandatory fees...”
• At Hilton, “U.S., Mexico, and Canada bookings earn commissions on room revenue only...”
• At Marriott, travel agents earn a “preferred commission for all transient commissionable bookings...”

Travel agents are encouraged to ask Marriott and Hilton whether it considers resort fees part of the commissionable rate. And at Hyatt, where mandatory fees are excluded from commissions, travel agents are encouraged to ask the company why that’s the case.

Hotel companies say resort fees are mandatory, but corporate, government, and elite members can sometimes get fees waived. The Union reminds guests that hotels may have discretion to waive your resort fee charge upon complaint or request.

Visit www.ResortFeeRipoff.org to find out more.