Updated August 2026 · 6 min read

What is a resort fee?

A resort fee (sometimes called an amenity fee) is a separate nightly charge added on top of a hotel's advertised room rate, common across much of Orlando's larger resort and chain hotel market. It's added at checkout or on arrival rather than folded into the headline price you see in search results, which is exactly why it catches travellers off guard — the rate that looked cheapest when comparing hotels isn't always the cheapest once fees are added.

What's typically covered

  • In-room and lobby Wi-Fi
  • Pool and fitness centre access
  • Parking (though at some properties parking is billed as a separate charge again, on top of the resort fee — check both)
  • Local or long-distance phone calls (increasingly irrelevant, but still sometimes listed)
  • Occasionally: bottled water, coffee, or a scheduled shuttle service

Exactly what's bundled into a resort fee varies enormously by property — there's no industry standard, so it's worth checking the specific list for any hotel you're considering rather than assuming.

How to check before booking

Search results rarely show the fee upfront

Most booking sites display the base nightly rate prominently and reveal resort fees later in the checkout flow, or not at all until you view the hotel's own cancellation/fees policy page. Before booking, search "[hotel name] resort fee" or check the hotel's own website's FAQ or policies page — it's usually listed clearly there, since hotels are required to disclose it somewhere.

A note on 'all-inclusive' Orlando hotels

True all-inclusive resorts (where meals and drinks are bundled into the rate, Caribbean-resort style) are relatively uncommon in the Orlando hotel market compared with destinations built around that model. Most Orlando "resort" properties are resort-style — pools, amenities, on-site dining — rather than genuinely all-inclusive. If an "all-inclusive" listing catches your eye, check exactly what's bundled before assuming it matches the all-inclusive model you may have experienced elsewhere.

Can resort fees be avoided?
Sometimes, by choosing a hotel that doesn't charge one — many limited-service and budget hotels don't — but for larger resort-style properties, the fee is usually mandatory for all guests, not an optional add-on.
Are resort fees included in the price shown on comparison sites?
Not always. Some third-party booking sites now show an estimated "taxes and fees" total that includes it, others don't surface it until later in checkout — always check the hotel's own site as a final confirmation.