How do I work out the total cost of a hotel stay?
- 1Choose your check-in and check-out dates — the number of nights is counted for you.
- 2Enter the rate per room per night, the number of rooms and the number of guests.
- 3Add taxes as a percentage, any extra fees and a discount if you have one.
- 4Read the total, the cost breakdown and the price per night and per person.
How is the hotel price calculated?
- 01Nights = check-out date − check-in date
- 02Room cost = rate × nights × rooms × (1 − discount %)
- 03Taxes = room cost × tax %
- 04Total = room cost + taxes + fees
- 05Per person per night = total ÷ guests ÷ nights
Hotels charge by the night, so the number of nights is the days between check-in and check-out — Monday to Friday is 4 nights, not 5. The room cost is the nightly rate times the nights and the number of rooms. A discount comes off the room price first, and taxes are then worked out on the discounted price, which is how most hotels and booking sites do it.
Extra fees — cleaning, resort, facility or a fixed city tax — are added on top. Choose whether a fee is charged once, every night or per room every night. This calculator does not add tax to the fees; if your hotel taxes them too, add that to the fee amount.
The per-night and per-person figures divide the full total, including taxes and fees, so you can compare hotels and holiday rentals fairly and split the bill with the people you travel with.
Good to know
- Compare stays by the all-in price per night, not the headline rate — fees can add a lot.
- Resort, destination and cleaning fees are often shown only at checkout; look for them before you book.
- City or tourist taxes are sometimes charged per person per night and paid at the hotel; add them as a per-night fee.
- Long stays often get weekly or monthly discounts — ask, then enter the discount here to see the saving.
Hotel cost calculator — common questions
How do I calculate the number of hotel nights?
Count the days from check-in to check-out: 10 to 14 March is 4 nights. The calculator does this from your dates.
How are hotel taxes calculated?
Usually as a percentage of the room price, after any discount. Some places also charge a fixed tax per person or per room per night — add that as a per-night fee.
What is a resort fee?
A mandatory daily charge some hotels add on top of the room rate for things like Wi-Fi, the pool or the gym. Enter it as a fee per room per night.
How do I split the hotel cost per person?
Enter the number of guests. The calculator divides the full total, including taxes and fees, to show the cost per person and per person per night.
Is the discount taken before or after tax?
Before tax: it lowers the room price, and taxes are then worked out on the lower price.
Sources
- US Federal Trade Commission – Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (FAQs)
- US Federal Trade Commission – rule banning hidden junk hotel fees (Dec 2024)
Formulas last reviewed: September 30, 2026 ·How we check our formulas