Dive Brief:
- The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation unanimously approved the Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025, the committee announced last week.
- The act’s co-sponsors, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), who first introduced the bill in 2023, reintroduced it to the Senate in January. The bill targets what critics call “junk fees” — mandatory, hidden costs tacked on to room rates at certain hotels.
- Hotel industry organizations have applauded the act, with Asian American Hotel Owners Association President and CEO Laura Lee Blake saying in a statement Friday that it would “benefit both hotel owners and consumers.”
Dive Insight:
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation previously approved the Hotel Fees Transparency Act under the committee’s then-chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-WA) in July 2024.
In January, the committee appointed a new chairman, Republican Senator Ted Cruz. The newly reintroduced Hotel Fees Transparency Act was one of 17 bipartisan bills the committee approved last week. Following the approval, the bill will get a vote in the broader Senate, though the date for the vote is still unspecified.
The Hotel Fees Transparency Act is one of several pending pieces of legislation targeting “junk fees.” U.S. Representatives Young Kim (R-CA) and Kathy Castor (D-FL) introduced a similar bipartisan bill, the No Hidden FEES Act, in late 2023.
And while former President Joe Biden vowed to tackle junk fees, the fate of anti-fees regulation made under his administration — such as the Federal Trade Commission’s “Junk Fees Rule” — is now unclear. The FTC declined to comment.
Meanwhile, the fate of the Consumer Federal Protection Bureau, which has previously taken aim at other sectors’ junk fees, hangs in the balance after newly appointed leader Russ Vought wrote on X Saturday that the bureau’s funding was “excessive,” according to Banking Dive.
The hotel industry, meanwhile, continues to support anti-junk fees legislation. In a statement Thursday, AAHOA Chairman Miraj Patel said: “Transparency is key to building guest trust and ensuring a level playing field across the lodging industry. AAHOA Members support policies that promote fairness and help consumers make informed decisions.”
Last month, the American Hotel & Lodging Association applauded the Hotel Fees Transparency Act’s reintroduction. President and CEO Rosanna Maietta said the rule would “ensure guests everywhere can make informed decisions when booking lodging.”
“We strongly believe that all consumers deserve transparency in the booking process, no matter where they choose to book their stays,” Maietta added, in a statement.
AHLA also supports the No Hidden FEES Act and the FTC’s junk fees rule, which is slated to go into effect in May.
