Booking.com's resort fees under scrutiny by hotels in the Caribbeans

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) stated that it will urge hotel chains to reassess Booking.com if the OTA follows through with its plans to charge hotels a commission on mandatory resort fees.

In a recent letter sent to Booking.com, CHTA CEO and Director General Frank Comito said the trade group has received "strong negative backlash from our members about the overall policy, and in particular regarding assessing commission on employee tips and gratuities." 

Comito's letter cited a recent survey showing that 37% of the region's hotels assess resort fees. While those fees vary by destination and property, Comito said resort fees typically include gratuities and destination fees, with the latter often going toward initiatives such as beautification, environmental enhancement and marketing. 

He added that amenities like breakfast, complimentary beverages, pool and beach access, parking and WiFi can be covered by resort fees. 

Comito argued that by charging a commission on these fees, Booking.com negatively impacts employee gratuities and hotel profitability. In order to offset the commission charge on fees, he said that Caribbean hotels could be forced to assess a fee surcharge on Booking.com customers as well as switch to "more favorable booking platforms."

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