Starting May 12, 2025, a new FTC rule requires accommodation providers to include all mandatory fees, such as resort fees in the upfront price of a hotel room. This is a win for travelers who’ve been asking for more honesty and clarity when booking a place to stay. 

At Expedia, we understand travelers want transparent pricing and we’ve been offering this for years. We know that no one likes getting to check out and seeing a higher price than expected. It’s confusing, frustrating, and makes it hard to know if you’re really getting a good deal. Research backs this up—hidden fees are the number one complaint from travelers (Skift Research, July 2024). ¹

That’s why we’ve made price transparency a priority. We believe it’s not just about following the rules — it’s about treating travelers with respect and helping them book confidently. 

What This Means for Travelers on Expedia and Hotels.com:

• The total you see on the search page includes all taxes and fees. 
• Look for the “Upfront pricing” pop-up and the all-in disclaimer, which confirm that the total  shown is the final price. 
• Our product experience includes multiple reminders and bold displays of the total cost, reinforcing our commitment to transparency. 

Price can be a make or break when booking travel and travelers deserve to be confident that what they see is what they’ll pay.  After all, transparency shouldn’t be a nice-to-have—it should be the norm. 

1 Skift Research Online Travel Behavior Study, Fielded in July 2024