Hotel Cost Calculator

Hotel total cost is consistently higher than the nightly room rate advertised. Taxes alone usually add 15–20%, and once resort fees and parking are in the picture the gap runs to 50% or more. The Las Vegas example further down comes out 68% over the advertised rate, which is not an outlier for that city.

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, and on many sites it is added AFTER booking
• 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 against an advertised $387, which is 68% over

To run that through the calculator, add the two tax rates together: enter 18% in the single tax field, $39 resort fee, $25 parking, and leave other daily fees blank. It returns $456.66 booked and $648.66 all-in.

Comparison tip: Always use the “total price” toggle on Booking.com or Hotels.com, which shows all taxes and fees.
Resort fees appear only at checkout on many sites. Compare total cost, never the 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.