Hotel Cost Calculator

Hotel total cost is consistently higher than the nightly room rate advertised. Taxes, resort fees, parking, and incidentals can add 25–50% to the base price. A proper trip budget must account for all of these.

The formula: Total Hotel Cost = (Nightly Rate + Daily Fees) × Number of Nights + Taxes + One-Time Fees

Common additional charges:

Taxes (vary by city/state):

• Room tax: typically 10–18% of room rate
• Occupancy tax: often separate, 4–8%
• City/tourism tax: $1–$8/night flat fee in some cities

Resort fees (mandatory daily charge, even if unused):

• Common in Las Vegas, Miami, NYC, Hawaii
• Range: $20–$50+/night — added AFTER booking in many cases
• Must be disclosed pre-booking (FTC cracking down on hidden fees)

Other fees:

• Parking: $20–$75/night in urban hotels
• Pet fee: $25–$150 (flat or per night)
• Early check-in / late check-out: $25–$50 each
• Wi-Fi: $10–$20/day at older business hotels (most now free)

Worked example: 3-night stay in Las Vegas:

• Nightly rate: $129 × 3 = $387
• Resort fee: $39 × 3 = $117
• Parking: $25 × 3 = $75
• Room tax (13%): $387 × 0.13 = $50.31
• Occupancy tax (5%): $387 × 0.05 = $19.35
• Total: $648.66 (vs. advertised $387)

Comparison tip: Always use the “total price” toggle on Booking.com or Hotels.com — this shows all taxes and fees. Resort fees appear only at checkout on many sites. Compare total cost, not nightly rate.

Loyalty program value: Free nights typically require 10,000–70,000 points at major chains (Marriott, Hilton, IHG). Points are typically worth 0.5–1.5 cents each.