Originally Posted by
kettle1
Many hotels in Las Vegas, Orlando, Hawaii, Mexico, etc now charge a Resort Fee. That way their price comes up lower on the 3rd party websites. The hotel keeps all of the Resort Fee and pays no commission to the 3rd party (on the Resort Fee).
Interesting viewpoint kettle1. Have you considered asking yourself if the OTA knows the hotel has a resort fee and if they know (which they do), why they do not include it in the price they show you? Are you aware that OTAs have been taken to task by the EU for just such misleading action as well as others?
European Commission - PRESS RELEASES - Press release - Booking your holidays online: Commission and consumer protection authorities act on misleading travel booking websites
Leaving things out of their price is quite a common OTA tactic. Things like resort fees, local taxes, parking fees are prime examples. Where an OTA can leave those out, a hotel in say France may be required to law to include them in their online pricing. The OTAs know that and take advantage of it deliberately. That's why the European Commission is taking them to task about it.