Resort fees and destination charges have silently become a discomforting regular thing across the hotel industry. Which were designed to be like hidden cash hooks to boost bottom lines, these extra charges constantly annoy travelers looking for honest, upfront pricing. The methods different hotel programs deal with these fees on reward lodge says a lot about how they value their customers. Hilton honors, for example, are well known for waiving all resort fees when members redeem points.
Recently, however, a luxury resort in Hawaii took things a step further by exploiting a clever loophole: charging a brand-new resort fee almost exclusively to guests paying with points, while letting cash-paying guests completely off the hook.
Beginning August 1, 2026, the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, a high-end property under Marriott’s Autograph Collection brand,is adding a mandatory $60 nightly resort fee. Historically, this resort was one of the few luxury options in Hawaii that stood out specifically because it didn’t tack on these annoying extras.
Adding a $60 fee is disappointing on its own, but mandatory resort surcharges in Hawaii are hardly shocking anymore. The real issue here is how the hotel is enforcing it. If you browse the cash prices on their site, every single room rate is listed as “exempt from resort fee.” Whether it’s written in the rate name or tucked into the description, cash buyers don’t have to pay a single extra penny.
Yet, if you try to secure Marriott Bonvoy points for the exact same night, that free offer suddenly disappears.The $60 daily charge gets added straight to your bill, turning the resort fee into what is effectively a penalty tax on points redemptions.
On paper, Marriott’s brand standards aren’t supposed to allow individual hotels to single out award stays with exclusive fees. The Mauna Kea seems to be getting around this rule on a technicality: claiming the resort fee officially exists for all stays, but choosing to “waive” it for every single cash rate they offer. It’s a shady maneuver that highlights Marriott’s ongoing habit of letting individual property managers get away with customer-unfriendly practices.
This dual pricing setup also leads to a completely absurd situation with on-site amenities. To justify the extra $60, the resort lists a bunch of daily perks, including:
- Cultural classes like lei making, hula, ukulele lessons, and sunrise ceremonies
- Reusable water bottles, beach bags, and arrival welcome drinks with fresh leis
- Daily seaside yoga classes at 8:00 AM
- One hour of free daily gear rentals (paddleboards, kayaks, boogie boards, and snorkel sets)
- Enhanced high-speed Wi-Fi
- A $5 daily resort credit for Marriott Bonvoy Elites (a required substitute since Wi-Fi is already free for elites)
The Gain
Virtually all of these amenities were already included with a regular stay long before this fee was introduced. So while cash guests will keep enjoying these traditional resort perks for free, anyone using their points will now be forced to pay an extra $60 a night for the exact same experience.
In the end, this strategy sets a frustrating precedent for loyalty members. It really shows the contrast between hotel chains that respect their members’ points and those that turn a blind eye while individual properties find sneaky new ways to squeeze extra cash out of award stays.
