The Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, a Hyatt resort on 15 beachfront acres in Hawaii, is far from a place to sleep. There are multiple pools, including a lagoon and three infinity pools. As part of the resort fee, you can also take a stand-up paddleboarding course, use the resort’s snorkel equipment and GoPro action camera and maybe even learn ukulele, hula or mixology.
It’s all marketed as complimentary—but it’s only sort of so. Andaz Maui is one of what the American Hotel and Lodging Association estimates is 6 percent of all hotels that charge a resort fee. These fees run between $20 and $50 per night—and they’ve become one of the most controversial issues in the travel industry.
