by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:05 AM ET, Fri September 22, 2023
Officials from Hilton Worldwide Holdings revealed on
Thursday that the company is working to display mandatory fees upfront on its
websites and apps.
According to Reuters.com,
Hilton said in a letter to United States Senators Amy Klobuchar and Jerry Moran
that the company is working to display all fees for all platforms that
advertise, distribute and sell its inventory.
To help ensure travelers see all fees upfront when booking,
Hilton is incorporating more transparency on hotel websites, online travel
agencies, Google and other short-term rental platforms.
“The process to update and align our technology is under
way,” Hilton said in the letter to Congress.
In July, Senators Klobuchar and Moran introduced the bipartisan
Hotel Fees Transparency Act, which was designed to crack down on hidden fees in
the travel industry and streamline federal guidelines on pricing.
The government has heavily scrutinized hotel and resort
operators over hidden fees, claiming the companies engaged in “fraudulent and
anti-competitive practices by misleading consumers in advertisements, which
prevent comparative shopping, and charging millions of dollars in hidden fees.”
In August, a lawsuit was brought against Hyatt
Hotels Corporation, which claims the hospitality company falsely advertised
the cost of its hotel rooms by adding destination, resort and other “deceptive”
fees that did not appear in the listed price.
Earlier this year, Marriott
International was forced to pay a $225,000 fine in Pennsylvania for failing
to adhere to a settlement that required informing consumers about “hidden”
resort fees.
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