Just days after visitors told us in no uncertain terms that Hawaii’s new fees have crossed the line, a honeymoon in Hawaii has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. A couple staying at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel shared that they were charged $500 in resort fees, and their TikTok warning has now been viewed millions of times. What was meant to be a dream trip has become another flashpoint in the debate over whether Hawaii has gone too far with hidden costs.
This viral moment is different because it puts a face and a story to the obviously widespread frustration we just reported on, which has received hundreds of impassioned comments. It is no longer about abstract fees or rules. It is about a once-in-a-lifetime trip that ended with disappointment and anger, and that message has traveled far beyond Hawaii.
The $500 resort fee that went viral.
The bride said she was billed daily for things like yoga classes, muffins, and internet she already received through her membership. Her point is, why should she be charged for things she doesn’t need or request? One example she gave was receiving a flower lei on arrival that she did not want but was charged for anyway through the resort fee at Royal Hawaiian.
Then came the final insult: an extra $200 to use a beach chair. Her blunt comments about being ripped off hit a nerve, with thousands of travelers agreeing that resort fees are the biggest scam in travel, and not just in Hawaii.
When it happens on a Hawaii honeymoon, the sting is even sharper. Instead of cherished memories, the takeaway was a bill that many say symbolizes the decline of Hawaii’s visitor experience.
Hawaii resort fees hit $60 per day and are rising.
In Waikiki, Kaanapali, and Wailea, daily resort fees of $50 to $60 are now the norm. Royal Hawaiian charges $52 per day. At Sheraton Waikiki, the charge is about $61 per night, while Hilton Hawaiian Village comes in at nearly $59, and Outrigger Waikiki Beachcomber is around $47. On Maui, Grand Wailea, Wailea Beach Resort, and Hyatt Regency Maui each tack on about $53 to $55 per night. With tax, a weeklong stay at many Hawaii resorts can add $400 or more to the final bill, which is almost exactly what the honeymoon couple said they faced.
For travelers already spending heavily on accommodations, taxes, flights, and rental cars, these fees can feel like the final straw. One reader told us, “I can accept a high room rate if it’s clear. I cannot accept being told later that I owe hundreds more.” Another wrote, “It feels like Hawaii wants me to come but then treats me like an outsider at every turn.”
That is why this story resonates so strongly. It puts into sharp focus what many visitors already feel: the cost of paradise is no longer transparent or fair.
FTC disclosure rules changed little.
The Federal Trade Commission now requires hotels to show mandatory fees upfront in online listings. That rule stopped bait-and-switch pricing but did nothing to remove the charges themselves. The same daily fee still appears, just earlier in the booking process.
For visitors, that change has not reduced the resentment. If anything, it has made the sticker shock somewhat more immediate.
Why hotels stick with resort fees.
For large Hawaii resorts, the answer is simple: money. Resort fees generate millions in revenue that booking sites cannot touch. Hotels often offer complimentary services, including Wi-Fi, pool towels, and gym access. Whether or not that’s true, guests say those should already be part of the nightly rate.
One reader summed it up clearly: “I don’t mind paying for quality. I do mind being tricked into paying for nothing.”
The cost to Hawaii’s image.
What matters most is how these stories shape Hawaii’s reputation. Viral posts like this reinforce the perception that Hawaii is overpriced and no longer a welcoming destination. That is a dangerous message for a state that relies heavily on repeat visitors.
When a honeymoon becomes a cautionary tale, it damages more than one couple’s trip. It feeds a narrative that spreads online faster than Hawaii can respond to.
Where travelers can still avoid fees.
Not every hotel in Hawaii charges resort fees. A wide range of properties, from large to small, still try to keep pricing simple, with everything included. Guests say they value that clarity and reward those hotels with loyalty.
The choice now rests with visitors. Support hotels that respect guests by offering transparent pricing, or avoid hidden charges at large resorts. Each viral story makes it clearer which direction many travelers are leaning.
Have you ever been surprised by a resort fee in Hawaii? Did it change your willingness to return? Should hotels offer an à la carte fee schedule?
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Ironically, I live in here. Outside of Kamaʻāina, I don’t even both. Friends and family stay with me, it’s the only way they can afford to visit now.
Best part? I’m going to Fiji for vacation.
The corporate greed needs a customer revolt. If we all even took one day or an entire week and literally didn’t book a Hotel in Hawai’i – as much as that’d hurt us, we’d ALL be sending an extremely clear message.
It’s not just the “resort fee.” It’s also charging $200 for a “premium” beach chair, or a $70 chair “reservation” fee. Amidst a sea of unused chairs. I’m glad she posted the video; never ever staying at the Royal — or any other Hawaii hotel.
Bash Timeshares all you want. I have an older one where I pay a (very) few dollars a day in taxes. and no parking fee, and a more recent Hilton purchase–still no resort fees, and parking depends upon the resort. I saw this coming, which is why I purchased the Hilton one. I think it has paid for itself in 3 visits.
How to win a Presidential election? – executive order on day 1 outlawing add on resort fees + tips. Be like Australia – no tip economy. Only 1 price, that includes everything without add-ons.
I just viewed Marriott.com for the Royal Hawaiian (and other resorts in Waikiki) and they clearly show the resort fee, And that fee is included in the daily rate, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to Mrs. Honeymooner. There is an extensive list of what’s included for that fee, all for 2 people – all available daily: one hour yoga classes, Ukulele lessons, Beginners hula, Ribbon lei making, Shell/kukui nut lei bracelet making, Lauhala weaving, Flower lei making, Royal Hawaiian Historical Tour, Talk Story with Tutu and Morning Hui’waii. Also daily SUP lessons and daily 45 minute meditation classes. IMHO these are great offerings, and on an individual basis would cost much more than $52/day. I understand that a guest may prefer to pay nothing and not participate in anything offered. But the fee should absolutely not have been a surprise, and they are some lovely opportunities to take part in Hawaiian culture.
I went to Royal Hawaiian’s web page booked a 7 night stay for October here’s the break down of charges:
Total Cash Rate 2,940.67USD
Estimated Government Taxes and Fees 593.59USD
Resort Fee 364.00USD
Total for Stay 3,898.26USD
Additional Charges
Valet parking, fee: 65.00 USD daily
On-site parking, fee: 7.50 USD hourly, 55.00 USD daily
Changes to taxes or fees implemented after booking will affect the total room price
So all charges are clearly listed including resort fee and what you receive with the resort fee.
Royal Beach Umbrella Sets 1 Umbrella & 2 Chairs $77.50
I don’t see what the issue is when everything she’s complaining about being a surprise charge to her is clearly listed on Royal Hawaiian’s web page.
I hope millions more people see the viral video and take their travel business elsewhere.
Underlying corrupt whether it be business or politics deserves to reap the consequences.
Words cannot describe the vitriol that Hawaiian tourists have for the contempt they are subjected to.
I don’t travel to Las Vegas anymore because of the Hidden resort fees. Fees should be upfront and included in the total cost Or ala carte. The C&C crackdown on short term rentals has exacerbated this issue. Hawaii could pass a law mandating that All fees be shown upfront. California has done so. However, this doesn’t protect tourists who may be booking from other states that don’t have such legislation protecting them when booking online from outside Hawaii.
Stay in a condo instead, save the resort fee, maybe parking fees, and much less food costs. Oh wait, the state wants those shut down!
Resort fees are unbundled from the room rate for a very specific reason. It allows hotels to pay a lower commission to third-party booking sites, travel agencies, and tour operators. Only the room rate is commissionable, not the ancillary fees. If the room rate is $500 and the resort fee is $50, the hotel only has to pay commission on $500 instead of $550. The reality is that the resort fee was just a way to hike the room rate without having to pay commission.
I believe it also allows the owners to pay a lower occupancy tax and possibly sales tax.
And you’re expected to tip the parking attendant, yoga instructor, beach boy who sets up your chair, etc.
I live in Las Vegas. You can Bet the higher prices, especially the resort fees (which often equal or exceed the room rate) are a reason why our tourism is way down.
This is the hotels trying to grab more visitors money. The State doesn’t require these “hotel resort” fee’s, it is the hotels that are doing it. Stop supporting them and paying these fee’s. As the article states, there are places in Hawaii that don’t charge these fee’s. What the State is doing in charging the new “visitor’s” fee’s such as the green fee and now the parking and access to beaches and park fee’s. Cruise ships coming to Hawaii now have to charge passengers a “visitors fee”. Yes, Hawaii is doing everything it can to discourage visitors, yet their whole economy is based on visitors. There is no longer any industry in Hawaii, the pineapple plantations the sugar plantations are virtually all gone, what else is there?
Governor Green and ‘One-Party’ Rule! Resort Fee’s are a Tax, one pays for the word ‘Resort’, like expectations of towel’s, beach chairs are not fair expectations when traveling 2,000 miles to the beach! It started with Governor Ige and taking the County Hotel Tax’s for the States General Fund, they totally screwed up the Covid debacle, forcing Employee’s to be laid off, collecting Un-employment while double dipping in the ‘PPR’ funds, that than came back to bite them as un-filled rooms, reduced services, Room Service, Cleaning, restricting Beach usage as well as Dining Restrictions impacted all Locals and Tourist alike. We struggled from 2020 through 2022 with regulations, then let Hawaiian keep our $, having been there over 95X’s since 1986.
A simple solution: just stay at hotels that don’t charge resort fees, there are several hotels that don’t charge these made up fees. It’s what I do and I but often.
Any “fee” that is “mandatory” should be included in the nightly rate – full stop and Everywhere. FL and Vegas are already notorious for this.
It is not just hotels. Virtually every accommodation type has figured out how to add profit to their bookings. When the on line web sites such as VRBO and Airbnb got in the game of charging “booking fees” many of the on island rental companies followed suit adding as much as 10% to the cost of booking. Then of course the counties and state kept adding taxes for VAT etc. The company we have rented the same property through for three months each year for over 10 years decided a year ago that booking fees were a good idea. Our rental price increased over $900 for our stay, about $10 per day.
Outrageous! These fees were news to me. I always stay at Halekulani, which does Not charge a resort fee and also does Not charge for the use of any chairs. I will never stay at a hotel that charges extra, hidden or “resort” fees.
We are coming to Hawaii next month and had to down size our room rate because of the resort add on fees + tax. No ocean view:(
Joe & Betsy
I read Beat of Hawaii daily as we have historically visited Maui twice a year for up to 10 weeks total. We have considered ourselves as being extremely fortunate to have this ability. My question is do these report fees apply to timeshares also? We use both resorts and our timeshares when we visit. Thanks
Your timeshare resort front desk can tell you if they charge a resort fee. Our timeshare, Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, does not charge a resort fee for owners or guests. A lot of hotels/resorts charge a resort fee – you have to check individually. For several week stays at one location, I would definitely talk to the manager and request a discount if they charge a daily resort fee.
some timeshares now have resort fees – if you are not the owner at that location.
Rental condos are often right on the beach, can sleep 4, cost much less than a night at a hotel – and there are no resort fee. Support your best condo options. We stayed at Poipu Shores on Kauai 135 feet from the water, all units oceanfront, a great restaurant within walking distance by Poipu State Park
If you rent this type of place through Airbnb or VRBO, you are paying a lot of fees that are basically equivalent to a hefty daily resort fee. For example, at Poipu Shores, I looked at a unit on VRBO that rents for $583/night (2br/2bth). That’s $4079 subtotal. But the total is $5845 – another $1,766, or $252/day. The additional charges are $796 in taxes, $444 for host fee (half goes to cleaning), and $527 for service fee. One way or another, we are paying a lot!