What Is an Amenity Fee? Hotels, Apartments, and Vacation Rentals Explained
Confused by amenity fees? Learn what they cover, what they cost, and how new pricing rules affect hotels, apartments, and vacation rentals. See what hosts and renters need to know before booking or signing a lease.
Key Takeaways
- An amenity fee is a charge for access to shared amenities like a pool, gym, Wi-Fi, or parking, and it sits on top of the advertised base price.
- Hotels call it a resort fee, destination fee, facility fee, or urban fee. Apartments charge it monthly. The mechanics are the same.
- Hotel amenity fees run roughly $15 to $50 per night. Apartment amenity fees typically cost $30 to $70 monthly, plus a one time fee of $200 to $500 at move-in.
- Since May 12, 2025, the FTC requires hotels and short-term rentals to show the total price including all mandatory fees up front.
- Most vacation rental hosts build amenity costs into the nightly rate instead of charging separate amenity fees.
You find a great rate, reach checkout, and the total is $40 higher than the price you clicked. That gap is often an amenity fee.
The same charge appears in three very different places. Hotels use it to cover pools and fitness centers. Apartment buildings use it to cover conveniences shared by residents, funded through the rent roll. Vacation rentals sometimes use it too, though most hosts handle those costs differently.
Here is what amenity fees mean in each context, what they cost, and what the current rules require.
What Is an Amenity Fee?
An amenity fee is a mandatory charge for access to a property's shared amenities and services. It is separate from monthly rent or the room rate, and you pay it whether or not you use what is on offer.
The fee covers maintenance for common area features that residents and guests share: pools, fitness centers, parking, and Wi-Fi. Rather than folding these costs into the headline price, building ownership and hotel operators break them out as a separate line.
That means you are paying amenity fees based on access rather than usage. The charge does not scale with usage, so it does not matter how often you swim or work out.
On a hotel bill, the fee is charged per night. On an apartment ledger, it is usually a flat fee billed on a monthly basis alongside rent, sometimes with a separate one time fee at move-in. Mandatory amenity fees are often subject to local lodging and sales taxes, though this varies depending on jurisdiction.
What Is Another Name for the Amenity Fee?
In hotels, the same charge is called a resort fee, destination fee, facility fee, or urban fee. Resort fee is the vacation-destination label. Destination fee and urban fee are what city hotels prefer.
In apartments, landlords may list it as amenity rent or an amenity package charge.
The name changes. The structure does not. All are mandatory additional fees for access to certain amenities.
Why Do Hotels Charge an Amenity Fee?
Three reasons, and only one is about amenities.
Lower advertised rates. A hotel showing $180 a night plus a $40 fee looks cheaper in search results than one showing $220 all in.
Cost recovery. Pools, gyms, and shuttles cost real money to run. Amenity fees cover costs incurred by offering amenities.
Revenue protection. Such fees historically sat outside the commission hotels pay booking sites, so more revenue stayed with the property. The convenience of one bundled charge is the guest-facing justification.
The side effect is that amenity fees make price comparisons harder, which is why regulators stepped in.
How Much Do Amenity Fees Cost in 2026?
Amenity fees vary depending on property type, location, and the amenities offered. Fee structures differ too, so read the line item before you sign or book.
Hotel Amenity and Resort Fees
Hotel amenity fees typically range from $15 to $50 per night. A NerdWallet study of 160 hotels found resort fees averaging about $33 per night, with brand averages near $50 at Marriott, $34 at Hyatt, $33 at Hilton and IHG, and $25 at Wyndham.
Apartment Amenity Fees
Apartment amenity fees usually cost $30 to $70 monthly, per LawDistrict, reaching $100 or more at a full-service apartment building where residents get concierge services. What tips a landlord into charging an amenity fee is usually the cost of the apartment amenities themselves. Many properties also charge a one-time fee of $200 to $500 at move-in, per ButterflyMX.
Some landlords itemize the services provided instead, which suits residents on a tight budget:
- Fitness center access: roughly $10 to $50 monthly (SmartRent)
- Reserved parking space: roughly $50 to $150 monthly (SmartRent)
- Swimming pool and spa access: often bundled or billed annually
Buildings without amenity fees are not automatically cheaper. Many landlords fold the same costs into higher monthly rent, so renters should compare total value, not the headline. When buildings introduce amenity fees mid-lease, that is usually a repricing, not a new perk.
Vacation Rental Amenity Fees
Most hosts do not charge separate amenity fees. Airbnb has no amenity fee field, so hosts build those costs into the nightly rate. Vrbo and direct booking sites allow custom fee line items.
The exception is condo-hotel and HOA-managed properties, where a resort-style fee of $15 to $75 or more per night may pass through to guests.
Amenity Fee Comparison
Hotels | Apartments | Vacation Rentals | |
|---|---|---|---|
How it is charged | Per night | Charged monthly, plus one-time fee | Usually built into nightly rate |
Typical cost | $15 to $50 per night | $30 to $70 per month; $200 to $500 one-time | Rarely separate; $15 to $75 per night where a resort fee applies |
Who sets it | Hotel or brand | Building ownership or landlord | Host, HOA, or resort operator |
Covers | Wi-Fi, pool, gym, shuttle | Gym, pool, lounge, parking, dog parks | Pool, hot tub, resort access |
What Is an Amenity Package?
An amenity package bundles several services into one recurring fee rather than charging for each separately. A typical apartment package combines gym membership, pool access, valet trash, and coworking space into a single monthly charge.
Packages simplify billing for property managers and landlords. They are less appealing to residents who only want one of the conveniences included, and offer poor value to anyone who uses none.
What Do Amenity Fees Cover?
Common amenities behind such fees include:
- Swimming pools and hot tubs
- Fitness centers and gym membership
- Wi-Fi and business centers
- Parking and EV charging
- Package lockers and concierge services
- Dog parks and pet washing stations
- Rooftop lounges and coworking areas
- Smart thermostats and in unit smart locks
Luxury properties add doorman service and event programming to the standard amenities. The more desired amenities and services a property offers, the higher the fee, and location drives the rest.
Are amenity fees worth it? For well-run common areas, often yes. Modern amenities improve resident satisfaction and lease renewals, and they are now a normal part of apartment living, which is why so many apartments charge for them.
Are Amenity Fees Mandatory or Refundable?
Amenity fees are almost always mandatory and non-refundable. Unlike a security deposit, the money does not come back, and unlike an optional add-on, you cannot decline it by skipping the gym. Amenity fees may still be negotiable in a soft rental market, so it is worth asking.
Hotel fees are sometimes waived for elite loyalty members. In apartments, the fee is written into the lease, so tenants and residents should negotiate before signing.
Amenity Fees and the New Pricing Rules
The FTC Junk Fees Rule. Since May 12, 2025, the FTC Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees requires businesses advertising short-term lodging to disclose the total price, including all mandatory fees, up front. It covers hotels, motels, inns, vacation rentals, and home shares booked through Airbnb and Vrbo. It does not ban or cap amenity fees. It bans hiding them until checkout. Penalties reach $53,088 per violation.
State laws. California's SB 478 and AB 537 have required all-in pricing for hotels and short-term rentals since July 1, 2024, with penalties up to $10,000 per violation. Minnesota's law took effect January 1, 2025. New York, Colorado, Connecticut, Tennessee, and Maryland have passed related measures.
Platform changes. Airbnb made total-price display the global default on April 21, 2025. Vrbo and Booking.com show all-in totals for US travelers.
The practical rule: if a fee is mandatory, it belongs in the price you advertise.
[Image 5: Airbnb listing showing total price. Alt: "Airbnb total price display including mandatory fees"]
Should Vacation Rental Hosts Charge Amenity Fees?
For most hosts, no. Separate fees create friction exactly when a guest is deciding to book, and with total-price display now standard, a broken-out fee no longer makes your listing look cheaper.
Price your amenities into the nightly rate and let that rate move with demand. Your pricing then reflects what the property is worth on any given night rather than a fixed rate plus a stack of additional fees.
Worth reviewing while you are at it:
- Your Airbnb cleaning fee, which faces the same transparency scrutiny
- How Airbnb service fees affect what guests actually pay
- Your overall Airbnb pricing strategy
- Vrbo taxes and fees, if you list on more than one channel
- Which best amenities for your vacation rental earn back their cost
If you work with a management company, their property management fees may already cover what an amenity fee would.
How iGMS Helps You Price Amenities Correctly
Folding amenity costs into your nightly rate only works if that rate is doing its job.
Dynamic pricing for vacation rentals adjusts rates automatically based on demand, seasonality, and local market conditions, so your amenities stay priced in without you touching a calendar. It is a more controllable alternative to Airbnb Smart Pricing, and because it runs across every channel you list on, pricing stays consistent whether a guest books on Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, or your own site.
Revenue Management and Dynamic Pricing are available on the PRO+ plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is another name for the amenity fee? In hotels, it is also called a resort fee, destination fee, facility fee, or urban fee. In apartments, it may appear as amenity rent or an amenity package charge.
What does amenity fee mean? An amenity fee is a mandatory charge for access to a property's shared amenities and services, such as a pool, gym, Wi-Fi, or parking. It is charged separately from monthly rent or the room rate.
Why do hotels charge an amenity fee? To cover maintenance costs for shared facilities, keep advertised base rates lower in search results, and protect revenue that would otherwise be commission-able to booking sites.
What is an amenity package? A bundle of services, such as gym access, pool access, and valet trash, charged as one recurring fee instead of individually.
Is an amenity fee refundable? No. Amenity fees are non-refundable and charged whether or not residents use the amenities. They are not deposits.
Is an amenity fee mandatory? Yes, in almost all cases. Hotel fees are sometimes waived for loyalty members, and apartment fees are occasionally negotiable before signing, but tenants cannot opt out by not using the amenities.
Do amenity fees have to be included in the advertised price? Yes, for short-term lodging in the US. Since May 12, 2025, the FTC requires hotels and short-term rentals to display the total price including all mandatory fees.
Final Thoughts
Amenity fees are not inherently unfair. Shared facilities cost money to maintain, and someone pays for them. What frustrated residents and guests for years was not the fee but finding it at checkout instead of in the price.
That is largely over. Between the FTC rule and state transparency laws, mandatory fees now have to appear up front, which makes informed decisions much easier for anyone comparing on budget or location.
For hosts, the takeaway is simpler. Price your amenities into your nightly rate, keep that rate responsive to demand, and let the total price you advertise be the total your guest pays.
