Why is Houston's hotel tax 17%?

Houston's combined occupancy tax stacks three layers: the Texas state hotel tax of 6%, the Harris County levy, and the City of Houston tax. Together with venue and convention assessments these reach roughly 17% of the room rate, one of the higher rates among major US cities.

Which charges are taxable?

Hotel occupancy tax applies to the room rate itself. Incidental charges like parking, resort fees billed separately, and food are taxed under different rules, so this calculator applies the 17% rate to the room subtotal only.

Does the tax apply to every guest?

Texas exempts certain stays such as government employees on official business and long-term guests staying 30 or more consecutive days. For ordinary leisure and business travel the full 17% applies.

Can I change the rate?

Yes. The combined rate field defaults to 17% for Houston, but you can adjust it to model a different Texas city or to reflect a specific hotel's assessment, since some convention-district properties add small extra fees.

Is the tax on top of the advertised price?

Almost always. US hotels quote pre-tax nightly rates, so the 17% is added at checkout. This tool shows you the real out-the-door total before you book, avoiding a surprise at the front desk.

Houston Hotel & Occupancy Tax Calculator

A Houston hotel room costs noticeably more than its advertised rate once the combined 17% occupancy tax is added. This calculator breaks that tax into its state, county, and city components and shows the true total for your stay so the checkout figure is no surprise.

How it works

The room subtotal is taxed at the combined Houston rate, which is the sum of several overlapping levies:

room subtotal = nightly rate × nights
total tax     = room subtotal × combined rate
grand total   = room subtotal + total tax

The default combined rate of 17% reflects the Texas state hotel tax (6%) plus the Harris County and City of Houston portions and convention-district assessments. The breakdown shown splits the headline rate into a state share and a local share for clarity.

Example and tips

A $150 nightly room booked for 3 nights has a $450 subtotal. At 17% the tax is $76.50, bringing the grand total to $526.50. If you stay 30 consecutive nights or more you may qualify for the Texas permanent-resident exemption — worth checking with the property, since it can remove the tax entirely on long stays.