The Curator Hotel & Resort Collection Is…

…A Distinctive Collection of “Cost Efficiencies” for Hotels and Resort Fees for You,

With Curated Experiences Designed to Save Wealthy Hotel Owners Money…

…While You Foot the Bill.

See what customers are saying about hotels that are part of the Curator Hotels & Resorts Collection

The Curator Con

“Curator Hotel & Resort Collection is the place where travelers come to delight in the details,” boasts the collection’s website. But if you’re staying at a Curator Collection property, make sure you pay attention to the details of your bill. Curator Collection hotels are loading your bill with mandatory resort fees that add an average of $40 per night to your stay!

Curator Hotel & Resort Collection promises that “owners can reduce operating costs and boost their bottom lines.” Curator CEO Jennifer Barnwell has said, “No property inspections, no brand standards; design your hotel how you want, staff it how you want.”

“Instead,” says a 2021 Curator press release, “Each property within Curator is given the freedom to operate on its own terms and quality assurance comes from customer ratings rather than restrictive checklists, standards, and rules.”

Curator is majority-owned by real estate investment trust Pebblebrook Hotel Trust. In February 2025, Pebblebrook’s CEO said that Curator has implemented new practices that he called “Pebblebrook’s DOGE.”

If you’re planning a vacation at a resort or a boutique hotel, check to see if it’s a part of the Curator Collection. If it is, you might want to think twice about booking there. If you’ve already booked, you can ask for a resort fee refund!

A Resort Fee by Any Other Name is Still a Rip Off!

Resort fees can feel like a con: deceptive and unfair. Customers hate them. The New York Times has called them “Spending money to get nothing.” That’s why the FTC, Congress, and state governments have been cracking down on them.

That might be why many Curator Collection hotels call these fees by other names. But make no mistake: no matter what they’re called, Curator Collection is charging you mandatory fees for services you might not want — or didn’t think you’d have to pay extra for.

“Spending money to get nothing.”

The New York Times

See below for just a few examples of items offered as part of Curator’s rebranded resort fees!

Resort Fee

What you get —

Bottled water: Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, Hollywood, FL
Complimentary daily coffee in the lobby 7am – 10am: Amara Cay Resort, Islamorada, FL
Concierge access: Bernardus Lodge & Spa, Carmel Valley, CA
20% off the purchase of the plush Pelican mascot: Pelican Grand Beach Resort, Fort Lauderdale, FL
A complimentary photo shoot with one branded image as a keepsake: Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, FL
“On-Property Resort Activities including Wellness Classes (Please Note: A Fee May Apply for Some Activities)”: Newport Harbor Island Resort, Newport, RI

Guest Amenities Fee

What you get —

Wireless internet and business center services: The Hotel Zags, Portland, OR
24-hour fitness center, Le Parc Suite Hotel, West Hollywood, CA
Discounts on Big Bus tours: Hotel Zena, Washington, DC
Television casting and apps in guestrooms: Hotel Argonaut, San Francisco, CA
Printing and copying services: Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego, CA

Amenity Fee

What you get —

Unlimited access to purified water refill station: The Inn at Union Square, San Francisco, CA
Picnic area: Banyan Harbor Resort, Lihue, HI
Outdoor heated pool access: Creekside Inn, Palo Alto, CA
Microwaves available in the lobby: King George Hotel, San Francisco, CA
Salishan Seekers scavenger hunt: Salishan Coastal Lodge, Gleneden Beach, OR

Urban Amenities Fee or Destination Fee

What you get —

Complimentary electric vehicle charging: Montrose at Beverly Hills, CA
10 percent discount on Wine Train excursions: River Terrace Inn, Napa, CA
Newspapers in lobby: Hotel Viking, Newport, RI
In-room coffee (in select suites): Hotel Ziggy, Los Angeles, CA

Why are Curator Hotel & Resorts Collection hotels charging a mandatory extra fee for items you’ve come to expect as part of your room rate, like WiFi, fitness center access, drinking water, or even “usage of hotel services and amenities”? Why do they make you pay for items you might not want, like a photograph with one of their branded items, or a 20% discount on a plush hotel mascot? If you’ve paid a resort fee at a Curator hotel, and you think it’s unfair, you can request a refund!

Hotels aren’t choosing the Curator Collection – Why Should You?

Curator Hotel and Resorts Collection launched with more than 120 hotels and promised “many more poised to participate over the next six to 12 months.” Boutique Hotel News Magazine cited a goal of 200 or more hotels within 12 months of launch, and at least 100 per year thereafter, and gave a “near-term target” of 400 to 500 properties.

Nearly five years later, how close is Curator to hitting its goals?

Curator’s portfolio has shrunk to 63.3% of its launch portfolio, and is only 19% of the low end of its growth target.

At launch, Curator said it was “created by an independent hotel owner, for independent hotels owners and operators.” But now, despite aggressive goals for growth, Curator has fewer independent hotels than it started with.

Independent hotel owners aren’t sticking with Curator, even when Curator is “for” them. What does that mean for travelers?

Travel Agents Resort Fee Alert!

As a travel agent, maybe you’ve seen your commissions decline while resort fees rise. Curator Hotels & Resorts collection promises cost savings to independent hotel owners and operators.

Do those savings for owners and operators come at the expense of your commission?

Some hotel operators pay commissions only for room rate, and exclude resort fees and other mandatory fees from commissions. Curator’s hotel partners might do the same. If you’re booking your clients at a resort or independent boutique hotel, check if the hotel is part of the Curator Collection. If it is, make sure that you ask about operator’s commission policy, and whether the resort fee (an average of $40 a night in the Curator portfolio!) is commissionable.

Did a Curator Hotels & Resorts Collection property charge you a resort fee for services you didn’t want to buy? Learn how to request a refund!

Whether they’re called resort fees, destination fees, or guest amenity fees, most hotels in the Curator collection try to force you to pay for hotel goods or services you might not want. Most states have laws that protect consumers from having to buy goods or services they didn’t request. The company that manages your hotel has discretion to issue refunds. Here’s how to send a letter demanding one!

Step 1:

Click here to find your hotel and download the corresponding letter

Step 2:

Add your name and date of stay.

Step 3:

Step 4: Email your completed letter to the operating company for your hotel (email address in the letter), and copy the CEO of Curator, Jennifer Barnwell, at [email protected].

Step 4:

Hotel companies say resort fees are mandatory, but they have discretion to waive them. (For example, resort fees are often waived for elite loyalty members, group business, or special room rate packages.) If you hear back from your hotel’s operating company or Curator, let us know what they say!