The Truth About Resort Fees on Award Stays

You’ve done the work. You’ve optimized your credit card spend, tracked the sign-up bonuses, and finally found award availability for that dream beach vacation. You book the “free” night, only to arrive at the front desk and get hit with a bill: $55 per night for a “Destination Fee.”

For a week-long stay, that’s nearly $400 out of pocket for a vacation that was supposed to be free. In the world of travel hacking, inefficiencies like this are unacceptable. Resort fees—also masquerading as “destination fees,” “amenity fees,” or “facility charges”—are the single biggest erosion of point value in 2026.

The truth is simple but harsh: Not all “free” nights are actually free. While taxes are almost always covered by points, resort fees are a program-specific variable. Some chains waive them entirely; others charge them ruthlessly.

The Math: How Resort Fees Destroy Your CPM

As travel hackers, we live and die by Cents Per Point (CPP). We calculate redemptions to ensure we are getting value above our baseline (e.g., 2.0 cents for Hyatt, 0.6 cents for Hilton). Resort fees don’t just cost you cash; they mathematically degrade the value of your points.

Let’s look at the math on a standard redemption versus a fee-heavy redemption.

Scenario A: The Hyatt Redemption (Fees Waived)

• Room Rate: $350
• Resort Fee: $50
• Total Cash Cost: $400
• Points Cost: 20,000 Hyatt points
• Cash You Pay: $0
• Calculation: $400 / 20,000 = 2.0 cents per point.

Scenario B: The Marriott Redemption (Fees Charged)

• Room Rate: $350
• Resort Fee: $50
• Total Cash Cost: $400
• Points Cost: 40,000 Bonvoy points
• Cash You Pay: $50
• Real Value: You are only “saving” the $350 room rate. The $50 is a sunk cost.
• Calculation: $350 / 40,000 = 0.87 cents per point.

By forcing you to pay the cash fee, the program reduces the leverage of your points. On a 5-night stay, that $50 fee becomes a $250 cash drag that lowers your return on spend significantly. This is why I value Hyatt points so much higher than Marriott points in my Points vs. Cash Calculator.

Chain-by-Chain Analysis

1. World of Hyatt: The Gold Standard

Hyatt is the undisputed king of fee transparency for award travelers. Their policy is straightforward: If you book a Free Night Award (using points or a certificate), you do not pay resort fees. There are no hidden “gotchas.”

Even better, Hyatt rewards its top-tier elites differently. If you hold Globalist status, resort fees are waived even on eligible paid rates. This is a massive differentiator. [PERSONAL_EXPERIENCE: I remember checking into the Andaz Maui—a property with a $50+ daily fee. As a Globalist on a paid stay, that fee vanished. On my next visit using points, it was also zero. That consistency is why Hyatt retains my loyalty.]

2. Hilton Honors: The Reliable Runner-Up

Hilton Honors also offers a robust waiver policy. Resort fees are waived on all award stays booked with 100% points. This applies to everyone, from a general member with zero status to a Diamond Elite.

However, you must be careful with “Points & Money” rewards. If you pay even $1 in cash toward the room rate, the resort fee waiver usually breaks, and you will be charged the full fee. To ensure the waiver, book the “Standard Room Reward” using points only or use a Free Night Certificate.

3. Marriott Bonvoy: The Villain

Marriott Bonvoy’s policy is the most frustrating for award travelers. Marriott’s Terms & Conditions state that while the award covers the room and tax, “Member is responsible for all other charges, including resort fees.”

This means if you book the St. Regis Bahia Beach or the Ritz-Carlton Dorado Beach with points, you could still be on the hook for $100+ per night in fees. There is virtually no waiver for status—Titanium and Platinum elites still pay these fees.

The 2026 Exception (MGM Collection): Following the integration of MGM Resorts, there is a narrow exception. Ambassador Elite members (Marriott’s highest tier requiring $23k annual spend) receive waived resort fees at MGM Collection properties. For the other 99% of members, expect to pay up.

4. IHG One Rewards: The Fees Stick

Despite the positive revamp of the IHG One Rewards program in recent years, their resort fee policy lags behind. Award nights generally do not exempt you from resort or facility fees. While some individual properties might waive them as a courtesy, the official policy allows hotels to charge them.

Always check the “Rate Details” screen before confirming an IHG award booking. If you see a “Service Charge” or “Facility Fee” listed in cash, you will be paying that at checkout.

5. Wyndham Rewards: The “Go Free” Win

Wyndham is surprisingly generous here. Their “Go Free” awards (100% points redemption) explicitly waive resort fees. This is a huge perk for booking properties like the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach, where fees can be steep.

However, their “Go Fast” awards (Cash + Points) do not waive the fees. You must redeem for the full free night to trigger the benefit.

The “Partial Pay” Trap

One of the most common mistakes I see beginners make is using “Cash + Points” options to stretch their balance. While this seems logical, it is often a financial error.

In almost every program (Hyatt, Hilton, Wyndham), resort fee waivers only kick in on 100% point redemptions. If a room costs 20,000 points, but you choose to pay 10,000 points + $100, you have likely triggered the full resort fee obligation.

If the resort fee is $50, your “cost” for that night is actually $150 cash + 10,000 points. You are effectively buying back your points at a terrible rate. Always aim for the full redemption to shield yourself from these junk fees.

How to Avoid Fees When the Policy Says “No”

If you are stuck with Marriott or IHG, is there any way to escape the fee? Officially, no. But practically, you have three options.

1. The Status Match Pivot

If you are booking a casino property (like those in the MGM Collection or Caesars), leveraging casino status is your best bet.

• Caesars Rewards: Diamond status (obtainable via the Wyndham Business Earner card status match loop) waives resort fees on all stays, paid or award.
• MGM Rewards: Gold status waives resort fees on direct bookings. Note that booking via Marriott Bonvoy may override this benefit unless you are a Marriott Ambassador.

2. Use Travel Credits to Wipe the Cost

If you cannot waive the fee, you can at least neutralize it.

• Capital One Venture X: The $300 travel credit can be applied to hotel bookings made through their portal (though you lose elite benefits).
• Chase Sapphire Reserve: The $300 annual travel credit automatically reimburses any travel category charge, including resort fees paid at the front desk.
• Aspire Resort Credit: If you hold the top-tier Hilton card, the $200 semi-annual resort credit can wipe out incidentals, including fees, if you are on a paid stay or a cash+points stay.

3. The “Usage” Argument (High Risk)

Some travelers have success asking management to remove the fee if the amenities were unavailable (e.g., “The pool was closed for renovation”). This is not a guaranteed strategy and relies entirely on the goodwill of the front desk manager. Do not bank on this.

Conclusion

Resort fees are a nuisance, but for the educated traveler, they are a solvable variable. If you want a truly free vacation in 2026, your loyalty should lie with World of Hyatt or Hilton Honors. Their policies respect the definition of an “award” stay.

For Marriott and IHG loyalists, the math requires extra scrutiny. You must mentally add $30–$60 per night to your redemption cost. If that fee pushes your redemption value below 0.7 cents per point, you are likely better off paying cash and saving your points for a property that doesn’t nickel-and-dime you.