So I was booking a hotel recently and noticed something that's been bugging me for years - what is a resort fee at a hotel anyway? You know that moment when you find a room for $89 a night and suddenly you're paying $150? Yeah, that's the culprit.

I started digging into this because I kept getting hit with these mystery charges. Turns out resort fees (sometimes called amenity fees or facility charges) have been around since the late 90s, and hotels have been quietly adding them ever since. The FTC even warned a bunch of hotels back in 2012 about not being transparent about them, but honestly, they're still pretty sneaky.

Here's what really gets me - what is a resort fee at a hotel supposed to cover? Sometimes it's legit stuff. I looked at this Hyatt property in Maui that charges $48 and actually includes snorkel gear, ukulele lessons, and local snacks. That seems fair. But then you've got places like the Excalibur in Vegas charging $35 just for gym access and Wi-Fi - amenities most regular hotels throw in for free.

The numbers are wild too. I analyzed some bookings and the average resort fee sits around $42, which can be 11% or more of your actual room cost. At cheaper properties, it's even worse - I saw one example where a $235 room ended up costing $320 after taxes and a $35 resort fee. That's a 35% jump from what you initially saw.

The thing is, you can't just skip paying it. Unlike airline baggage fees, there's no way to opt out. It just appears at checkout. Some people have had luck asking the front desk to waive it, but that's rare. The better move? If you have elite status at Hyatt or book with Hilton points, they waive resort fees. Or use a travel credit card that covers these fees - most good ones do.

Really, the best strategy is just booking at places that don't charge them. Only about 6% of hotels do, so you've got options. In Hawaii, I found properties like the Courtyard by Marriott on the North Shore that skip the fees entirely but still offer classes and activities. Vacation rentals can also be cheaper if you're staying longer.

Before you book anywhere, definitely check what is a resort fee at a hotel you're considering - don't get surprised at checkout like I have been. It's becoming such a common practice that understanding these hidden costs is basically essential travel planning now.