More Trouble for Marriot

Marriot was just fined for a well-publicized data breach, and now it is being sued by the District of Columbia Attorney General for hiding the true price of hotel rooms from consumers, and for charging hidden “resort fees” to increase profits. The suit alleges that this harms consumers and seeks to force the hotel chain to advertise the true price, and provide monetary relief to DC consumers who have been harmed. The specific allegations are that Marriott advertises one rate, then charges mandatory “resort fees,” “amenity fees,” or “destination fees,” which range from $9 to as much as $95 per room on top of the advertised price. It also alleges that the prices advertised on third-party booking sites do not disclose resort and booking fees, and the company misrepresents such fees as government-mandated “taxes”. Consumers do not learn the total price of their hotel rooms until they begin the booking process, and resort fee disclosures are often hidden in obscure areas, confusingly worded, or presented in smaller print than the advertised rates. This leads them to believe they will be paying less for a hotel room than the true total cost, and makes it extremely difficult for consumers to gather all the information they need to compare prices and make informed choices.