AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday it entered a settlement with Marriott International to make sure the company discloses fees and rates consumers would pay in advertisements and during the room booking process.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the settlement would prohibit Marriott from taking part in “unlawful, unfair, and deceptive trade practices in violation of Texas law with respect to the advertising of hotel room prices”.
The office said the terms of settlement include the following requirements for Marriott:
Disclose clearly and conspicuously all “resort fees” and the total price of rooms as the most prominently displayed price.
Display room reservation search results for rooms by total price on its website.
List “resort fees” separately from taxes or other governmental or imposed fees.
Disclose “clearly and conspicuously” the goods and services covered by such fees.
“My office has worked diligently to ensure that hotel chains and other companies in the travel industry are completely transparent with consumers,” said Attorney General Ken Paxton in the statement. “In recent years, travelers have been caught by surprise with costs much higher than the room rates they believed they had booked. Because of this settlement, Marriott will take additional steps to guarantee that the advertised cost of rooms is representative of what consumers will be charged. Marriott is now taking proactive steps to promote price transparency. In contrast, other major hotel chains have defended their deceptive practices, and they will be facing the full force of the law for their actions.”
The Attorney General’s Office also announced Tuesday it filed a suit against Hyatt allegeling the company violated Texas consumer protection laws by “charging consumers expensive mandatory and unavoidable fees in addition to daily room rates.”
AUSTIN (KXAN) – The Texas Attorney General’s Office said Tuesday it entered a settlement with Marriott International to make sure the company discloses fees and rates consumers would pay in advertisements and during the room booking process.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, the settlement would prohibit Marriott from taking part in “unlawful, unfair, and deceptive trade practices in violation of Texas law with respect to the advertising of hotel room prices”.
The office said the terms of settlement include the following requirements for Marriott:
Disclose clearly and conspicuously all “resort fees” and the total price of rooms as the most prominently displayed price.
Display room reservation search results for rooms by total price on its website.
List “resort fees” separately from taxes or other governmental or imposed fees.
Disclose “clearly and conspicuously” the goods and services covered by such fees.
“My office has worked diligently to ensure that hotel chains and other companies in the travel industry are completely transparent with consumers,” said Attorney General Ken Paxton in the statement. “In recent years, travelers have been caught by surprise with costs much higher than the room rates they believed they had booked. Because of this settlement, Marriott will take additional steps to guarantee that the advertised cost of rooms is representative of what consumers will be charged. Marriott is now taking proactive steps to promote price transparency. In contrast, other major hotel chains have defended their deceptive practices, and they will be facing the full force of the law for their actions.”
The Attorney General’s Office also announced Tuesday it filed a suit against Hyatt allegeling the company violated Texas consumer protection laws by “charging consumers expensive mandatory and unavoidable fees in addition to daily room rates.”