--- title: "Hotel website fees: check the price guests see" description: "Review hotel website prices against the FTC's fee guidance. Inventory mandatory charges, compare booking screens, and give each mismatch a repair owner." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/hotel-website-mandatory-fees-price-check" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # Hotel website fees: check the price guests see Inventory the prices guests see on your hotel website and booking screens. Compare each display with the approved room rate and charges for the same stay. Give the website editor specific mismatches to repair. Keep fee classification and legal interpretation with the hotel's responsible adviser. Use the checklist below to collect evidence for that review. ## Start with the FTC's published requirements The FTC's staff FAQ says its Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect on 2025.05.12 and covers short-term lodging. When displaying prices, covered businesses must include known, calculable mandatory charges in the upfront total. That total must be more prominent than other pricing information, apart from the final payment amount. [FTC fee-rule FAQ, checked 2026.10.23](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/rule-unfair-or-deceptive-fees-frequently-asked-questions). The FAQ permits specified exclusions, including government charges and optional ancillary purchases. Excluded charges and the final payment amount must be disclosed before payment is requested. It also warns against misrepresenting charges or treating preselected fees as optional. [FTC fee disclosures, checked 2026.10.23](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/rule-unfair-or-deceptive-fees-frequently-asked-questions). Use the current guidance to frame the review. Ask the hotel's adviser to resolve ambiguous fees and any other applicable requirements. ## Build a charge inventory from the hotel's records Have the owner and booking-system manager supply the approved charge list. Use this proposed worksheet: | Field | Answer to record | | --- | --- | | Charge name | Exact label used in the booking system | | Purpose | What the charge covers | | Application | When and to whom it applies | | Calculation | Per-stay, per-night, or other approved basis | | Classification | Responsible review of mandatory or optional treatment | | Display | Where the charge first appears | | Owner | Person authorized to correct the charge or wording | Keep internal uncertainty visible. Do not ask a designer to classify a charge from its label alone. Require an approved answer before changing the display rules. ## Compare the same stay across screens Choose dates, occupancy, room type, and offer conditions for a controlled inspection. Keep those inputs constant while comparing prices. Review homepage promotions, room pages, offer pages, search results within the booking system, and the steps before payment. Record the exact display and its conditions. Distinguish a nightly amount from a stay total. Ask the system manager to reconcile each amount with the approved calculation. Record differences without inventing an explanation. Keep optional selections in the inspection record. Check what changes when an option is selected or removed, using the provider's supported preview or test method. ## Assign each correction to its actual owner Give the website editor page-specific copy and layout changes. Give the booking provider its own list of calculation, labeling, and display issues. For each mismatch, record the starting screen, approved expected result, responsible person, and repeat check. Keep an outside provider's unresolved issue open in the website handoff. Require the hotel owner to approve material changes to charges or terms. A website repair brief should not silently alter what a guest owes. ## Recheck before accepting the repair Repeat the same stay and selections after approved changes. Compare the displayed amounts and labels with the approved charge record. Stop before authorizing a reservation or payment. Keep price checks alongside the [direct booking-path checklist](/articles/hotel-direct-booking-website-handoff). Name who reviews displays after rate, fee, or provider changes. Bring the charge inventory and failed-screen record to the [restaurants and hospitality hub](/for/restaurants-and-hospitality). Ask Scale With Search to include the approved display corrections in your [written website scope](/work). Continue the website review: [AI-native hospitality: first functions to build](/articles/ai-native-hospitality-first-functions); [Build a catering inquiry page with clear request steps](/articles/catering-website-inquiry-form-checklist); [Hospitality AI rules: data, approvals, and spend](/articles/hospitality-ai-rules-data-approvals-spend); [Describe hotel room accessibility with checked facts](/articles/hotel-accessible-room-website-description); [Check your hotel's direct booking website path](/articles/hotel-direct-booking-website-handoff); [Restaurant gift card pages: check the purchase links](/articles/restaurant-gift-card-website-links); [Fix restaurant ordering and reservation links on Google](/articles/restaurant-google-ordering-reservation-links); [Fix restaurant holiday hours on Google and your website](/articles/restaurant-holiday-hours-google-website); [Restaurant event pages: publish each live music date](/articles/restaurant-live-music-event-pages); [Fix a restaurant menu that is wrong on Google](/articles/restaurant-menu-wrong-on-google); [Restaurant directions: explain parking and the entrance](/articles/restaurant-parking-entrance-directions-page); [Restaurant phone links: reach the correct location](/articles/restaurant-phone-links-correct-location). [restaurants and hospitality businesses](/for/restaurants-and-hospitality): website and search resources. ## Related: restaurants and hospitality businesses - [Restaurant gift card pages: check the purchase links](/articles/restaurant-gift-card-website-links) - [Fix restaurant ordering and reservation links on Google](/articles/restaurant-google-ordering-reservation-links) - [Fix restaurant holiday hours on Google and your website](/articles/restaurant-holiday-hours-google-website) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. 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