Following the 2012 record of $2 billion, total fees and surcharges collected by U.S. hotels will increase, according to the NYU-SCPS Tisch Center. Rising to a new record level of $2.1 billion in 2013, the fees pose an increase of approximately 6 percent.
The increase reflects a combination of approximately 2.25 percent more occupied hotel rooms than in 2012, more fees and surcharges, and higher amounts charged at many hotels. Examples of fees and surcharges include resort or amenity fees, early departure fees, early reservation cancellation fees, internet fees, telephone call surcharges, business center fees, room service delivery surcharges, mini-bar restocking fees, charges for in-room safes, and automatic gratuities and surcharges.
For groups, there have been increased charges for bartenders and other staff at events; special charges for set-up and breakdown of meeting rooms; fees for master folio billing; and baggage holding fees for guests leaving luggage with bell staff after checking out of a hotel but before departure.
Fees and surcharges emerged as a common industry practice in 1997 with resort fees. Energy surcharges were widely introduced in 2000. U.S. lodging industry fees and surcharges have increased every year⎯⎯except for brief periods following 2001 and 2008 when lodging demand declined. 

Although the lodging industry initiated fees and surcharges as a common practice before the airline industry, the airline industry collects about 10 times more than the lodging industry. Fees and surcharges are highly profitable; most have incremental profitability of 80 to 90 percent or more of the amounts collected.
A new emerging fee is for suburban and airport hotels and resorts to charge for open, unattended parking. Some hotels have added this charge with no operational changes, while some have added one or more electronic key card operated gates for entry and exit.
