Lighthouse Quick Takes - What price transparency revealed about US resort fees

In this Lighthouse Quick Take, Blake Reiter revisits US resort fee data after new transparency rules required hotels to show total prices upfront. Using updated Lighthouse data, he examines what those rules revealed about how common resort fees are and how hotels adjusted once fees became fully visible to guests.

The findings show that most US hotels still avoid resort fees, but adoption varies widely by state and destination. Some high demand markets increased usage, while others adjusted fee levels instead. Blake explains why transparency has shifted the conversation from concealment to value, and what that means for pricing strategy, guest trust, and brand perception.