Washington, DC And Nebraska Challenge Hotel Resort Fee Disclosure Practices

Earlier this month, the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (the District) sued Marriott International, Inc. (Marriott) in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia for alleged price deception.¹ Two weeks later, Nebraska's Attorney General sued Hilton Dopco Inc., also known as Hilton Domestic Operating Company Inc. (Hilton), in the District Court of Lancaster County, Nebraska for alleged price deception.²

The District's complaint alleges that Marriott violated the District's consumer protection laws by engaging in deceptive practices when advertising and charging resort fees for hotel rooms booked through its website and when advertising prices on online travel agency (OTA) websites. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Marriott misrepresented its room cost by failing to adequately disclose that it would charge resort fees in addition to the advertised room rate, presenting the resort fee as a government-imposed tax or fee, and