I’m not a fan of paying hotel resort fees.
After paying what can already be a substantial room rate online in advance, it’s an unpleasant part of the check-in process to be handed a sheet of paper advising me that by paying an additional (mandatory) fee, I have access to certain amenities and small savings, many of which I already assumed were included in the room rate.
On a recent trip to Las Vegas, I discovered a savvy way to eliminate those resort fees by utilizing points and miles.
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What are resort fees?
Hotel resort fees — sometimes referred to as destination, amenity or facility fees — are mandatory nightly charges that many U.S. hotels now add to the advertised room rate. These fees are intended to cover amenities such as Wi-Fi, pool or gym access, daily bottled water, or even “conveniences” like printing your boarding pass. However, in practice, they often feel like a way to boost revenue without raising room rates.
Resort fees typically range from $10 to $50 per night, but some luxury properties in cities like Las Vegas, New York and Miami charge even more. Because these fees are not always included in the upfront price shown during booking, travelers can be surprised (and understandably frustrated) by the higher total at checkout.
How I beat resort fees using points and miles
I recently stayed at the Conrad Las Vegas at Resorts World. While midweek room rates paid with cash were reasonable, the weekend I stayed coincided with a large music festival that was within walking distance of the hotel.
As a result, room rates were approximately $500 per night. Fortunately, there was availability to book each night across the weekend for just 75,000 Hilton Honors points.
By redeeming 225,000 Hilton Honors points, I was able to save approximately $1,500 on a three-night stay, including room tax (before resort fees were added), which gave my Hilton points a value of about 0.67 cents each, exceeding TPG’s November 2025 valuation of 0.5 cents each.
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But the savings kept rolling in. The Conrad Las Vegas, as well as the other two hotels that make up Resorts World (Las Vegas Hilton at Resorts World and Crockfords Las Vegas, LXR Hotels & Resorts), charge a mandatory daily resort fee of $55, which is advertised to include:
- Guest internet access
- Smart TV casting ability
- 15% off spa or fitness retail
- 5% off spa or fitness treatments
- 5% off a cabana experience
- 5% off two pool chair experiences
- Unlimited local and toll-free calls
- Access to more than 7,000 top newspapers and magazines using the PressReader app
Of these benefits, the only one I used was the Wi-Fi, which you expect would be provided in the room rate at any modern hotel. Plus, I certainly didn’t receive $55 worth each day.
I would have been outraged if I had to pay $165 for these measly perks over my three-night stay, because I wasn’t going to spend more than $3,300 on spa or fitness treatments to get a 5% discount of $165.
Fortunately, resort fees are waived for Hilton Honors award redemptions, so while I had access to these benefits, I didn’t incur any additional costs. Therefore, when booking a hotel stay, it’s important to factor in additional resort fees.
Bottom line
While destinations like Las Vegas have been experimenting with waiving resort fees during select promotions (perhaps realizing how unpopular they are with guests), these frustrating fees are otherwise here to stay.
The great news is that points and miles not only save you money on room rates, but also wipe out those pesky resort fees on Hilton Honors redemptions as well, leaving more money in your pocket for the important things (like blackjack).
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