Hotel workers union launches campaign to highlight ‘resort fee ripoff’ at Orlando hotels near Disney

Hospitality workers at Orlando-area hotels represented by the labor union Unite Here Local 737 appeared at the Orange County administration building Tuesday morning to bring county leaders’ attention to the resort fees that Hilton-owned hotels near Disney World force guests to pay — regardless of whether they use the amenities or not.

The union called out several Hilton-owned hotels near Disney World that charge what they call “junk fees,” including Hilton Buena Vista Palace, Conrad Orlando, Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista, Signia by Hilton Bonnet Creek, and Waldorf Astoria Orlando.

“Hotel companies in Orlando keep telling us that hotels don’t have the money to pay for the [union] contracts our members need to pay the bills, but we know that many of these hotels, like the Hilton Buena Vista Palace, are making millions off of resort fees at a time when so many people are sick of junk fees and of being nickel-and-dimed at every transaction,” said Ella Wood, the union’s political director.

Mandatory resort fees are charged by just 7 percent of hotels, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and are added on top of the rate for a night’s stay. According to Local 737, resort fees at local Hilton hotels are charged to cover amenities such as kayak rentals, drive-in movies, internet access, late checkout and even public notary services. They do not cover the cost of parking, pet fees or hotel breakfast — which can add an additional financial burden, but are at least optional.

A 2024 analysis of more than 400 hotels by NerdWallet found that among hotels that charged a resort fee worldwide, the average fee totaled about $35 per night. Among local Hilton hotels near Disney, resort fees range from about $23 to $50 per night.

At Waldorf Astoria, for instance, located within the Disney resort area, guests are charged a $50 nightly resort charge, plus tax. According to its website, the fee covers amenities such as WiFi access (for up to two devices), bottled water, four tubes at Signia’s lazy river, “complimentary” golf club rentals, and a 15 percent discount on retail at the hotel spa, among other services. The charge isn’t optional.

Resorts owned by Walt Disney World, in contrast, do not charge resort fees, nor do they charge for parking.

“The law here in Florida protects those people from having to pay for goods they didn’t ask for,” Wood argued. “Orlando has the opportunity to help shine a light on these fees.”

The workers’ union (which also represents thousands of workers at Disney World) launched a website, Orlando Resort Fee Ripoff, to inform the public about these fees, and the consumer’s right to request refunds if they’ve been wrongfully or unfairly charged.

Most states in the U.S., including Florida, have laws on the books to protect consumers from “unsolicited goods.” Florida’s law allows consumers the right to refuse them. Under Florida statutes, “When unsolicited goods are delivered to a person, the person may refuse delivery of the goods, or, if the goods are delivered, the person is not obligated to return the goods to the sender.”

Orlando Weekly reached out to Hilton Hotels for comment, and did not hear back ahead of publication. We will add any comment from the hotel brand that comes in as an update.

Escalating a fight with Hilton

This call to action from the labor union comes as hotel workers at Hilton Buena Vista Palace, located across the street from Disney Springs, continue their months-long fight for a new union contract. Their last one expired on Dec. 31, 2024.

Although prices for hotel rooms at their place of work have gone up in recent years, prompting complaints from guests, the union claims that Hilton is pocketing the money without giving anything back to its employees in one of the United States’ busiest tourist destinations.

Hilton Worldwide reported $1.5 billion in net income last year, up from $1.1 billion in 2023. In a fourth-quarter earnings report, the hotel brand projected an even higher year-end net income for 2025.

“Orlando has many hotels, and we shouldn’t scare off guests with extra costs on top of expensive rooms,” said Dale Johnson, a union member who works at Hilton Buena Vista Palace. “I make $10.18 an hour, plus tips, working for in-room dining — and I haven’t had a pay raise in five years.”

Of the hotels called out by the union, only Buena Vista Palace and the nearby DoubleTree hotel by Universal are unionized, in addition to Disney resort hotels that do not charge added resort fees, per the union.

“Increasing fees like this is bad for business in Orlando,” Wood told county commissioners. “We want to make sure that the industry in this city doesn’t take workers for granted, and they don’t take guests for granted.”

Wood, and several others from the union, appealed to county commissioners during the Commission’s public comment period.

The union’s national affiliate last year launched a similar campaign highlighting concerns about a “resort fee ripoff,” targeting Hyatt, Omni and Marriott hotels, in addition to Hilton.

Under the Biden administration, the Federal Trade Commission announced a rule meant to protect consumers from “junk fees” levied by live event ticketing platforms and short-term lodging establishments, like hotels and Airbnbs. The rule, announced in December, doesn’t ban such fees, but rather bans deceptive practices aiming to hide them from consumers. That is, businesses would be forced to be transparent about what they’re charging. The rule is set to take effect May 12, 2025.

“People deserve to know up-front what they’re being asked to pay — without worrying that they’ll later be saddled with mysterious fees that they haven’t budgeted for and can’t avoid,” said former FTC chair Lina Khan (a Biden appointee) in a statement last December.

“The FTC’s rule will put an end to junk fees around live event tickets, hotels, and vacation rentals, saving Americans billions of dollars and millions of hours in wasted time.”

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This article appears in May 7-13, 2025.