New Orleans Hotel Faces Hidden Resort Fee Class Action

New Orleans Hotel Faces Hidden Resort Fee Class Action

By Matt O’Donnell

Remember the Hilton Hotels newspaper fee class action lawsuit we told you about in July? Well, a similar hotel hidden fee class action lawsuit has been field against Royal St. Charles Hotel in New Orleans for charging an undisclosed $7.95 per day “resort fee” that isn’t disclosed until checkout.

According to the hotel hidden fee class action lawsuit, Royal St. Charles Hotel “forces customers to pay a mandatory daily resort fee of $7.95, plus taxes” and hides this fee during the reservation process, choosing not to disclose it until it is “too late” and customers receive their bill at check-out.

“Plaintiff Bayou Internet, Inc. are among hundreds if not thousands of customers who have paid” the hidden resort fee, the class action lawsuit says, adding that when Bayou Internet made the reservations they were quoted a price that did not include the resort fee. “Customers who make reservations by telephone are never informed of any resort fees until the time they check out of the hotel – after they have made reservations, traveled to the hotel and stayed at the hotel.”

The Royal St. Charles class action lawsuit goes on to say:

“Most comparable resorts and hotels either do not charge a resort fee or properly disclose their resort fee up-front, so that customers can know the entire fee they will pay for staying at a resort before they book a reservation. As a result of Defendant’s wrongful actions, Plaintiff and similarly-situated customers have been damaged by being forced to pay $7.95 daily resort fee (plus tax) and by being denied, prior to purchase, the opportunity to fairly compare hotel’s true total price with the prices of competing hotels.”

The Royal St. Charles hidden resort fee class action lawsuit says this is violation Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act and a breach of contract and unjust enrichment. It is seeking compensatory damages, restitution, disgorgement of profits, court costs, treble damages and attorneys’ fees on behalf of a proposed class of all individuals who stayed at the Royal St. Charles Hotel and were charged a $7.95 daily resort fee that was not disclosed to them prior to or at the time when they made their reservation.

A copy of the Royal St. Charles Hotel Hidden Resort Fee Class Action Lawsuit can be read here.

The case is Bayou Internet, Inc. v. Royal St. Charles Hotel, LLC, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana.