Question 1

What is the "Hotel Destination Fee Surprise" scam in New York?

Accepted Answer

Many Midtown Manhattan hotels advertise low nightly rates online but add a mandatory "destination fee," "urban fee," or "curation fee" of $20–$50 per night at check-in. These fees are disclosed in fine print but rarely shown in the headline price on booking aggregators. Tourists comparing rates on Google Hotels or Expedia frequently discover the true cost only when they arrive. New York City passed regulations in 2026 requiring upfront disclosure, but enforcement is still catching up. Always click through to the full hotel booking page and look for a "fees" or "taxes and fees" breakdown before confirming. Search the hotel name on killresortfees.com before booking. If a fee was not disclosed at booking time, dispute it with your credit card company.

Question 2

What is the "Fake Vacation Rental Listing" scam in New York?

Accepted Answer

Scammers post convincing but fraudulent short-term rental listings on Craigslist and occasionally infiltrate Airbnb with fake properties in Manhattan and Brooklyn. After the deposit is paid — often requested via wire transfer, Zelle, or PayPal Friends & Family — the host becomes unresponsive and the address either does not exist or is an occupied building with no knowledge of the booking. The NY Attorney General has issued formal consumer alerts about this scam. NYC's 2023 short-term rental law (Local Law 18) severely restricted legal Airbnb listings, which scammers exploit by claiming special permits. Book only through platforms that offer buyer protection and insist on paying through the platform's secure checkout. Never wire money or pay via peer-to-peer apps outside the platform. Verify the address on Google Street View and ask the host for their NYC short-term rental permit number — legitimate hosts in NYC are required to have one.

Question 3

What is the "Fake Hotel Reservation Phone Scam" scam in New York?

Accepted Answer

Scammers place fraudulent phone numbers on Google Maps listings and search ads for legitimate Midtown Manhattan hotels. Tourists who call to book or confirm a reservation reach an impersonator posing as front desk staff, who collects a holding deposit by credit card or Zelle. The actual hotel has no record of the booking when the tourist arrives. The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection has issued specific alerts about fake hotel phone number fraud targeting Manhattan properties. Never call a hotel number found via a Google search ad. Navigate directly to the hotel chain's official website to get the real contact number. Confirm all bookings in writing via email from an official hotel domain.

Accommodation Scams in New York

Hotel Destination Fee Surprise

Fake Vacation Rental Listing

Fake Hotel Reservation Phone Scam

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