West Street Hotel in Bar Harbor, Maine price hadn’t included a $25-per-day that gave access to the hotel pool, hot tub and fitness center.

Are hidden hotel fees about to check out?

After Jane Hatch selected the room rate she wanted at the West Street Hotel in Bar Harbor, Maine, the hotel Web site delivered an unpleasant surprise on the next screen: The quoted price hadn’t included a $25-per-day “resort and club fee” that gave Hatch access to the hotel pool, hot tub and fitness center — whether she wanted it or not.

Dennis Kavanagh booked two nights by phone, the agent quoted him a rate that didn't include a small surprise: a $16-a-day "resort fee"

Playing the media card in a resort fee dispute

When Dennis Kavanagh booked two nights by phone at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Squaw Valley, Calif., the agent quoted him a rate that didn’t include a small surprise: a $16-a-day “resort fee” that covered “free” local calls, a newspaper delivery, in-room coffee and teas, Internet access and use of the health club.

Mandatory resort fees have been annoying hotel guests for almost as long as I've been covering the hotel industry.

Yes, you can fight a resort fee — and win

Mandatory resort fees added to your hotel bill have been annoying hotel guests for almost as long as I’ve been covering the hotel industry, which is to say, a long time. But how do you persuade a property to remove these extra fees from your bill?