The push for full transparency on hotel fees — which can add hundreds of dollars to your final receipt — took the form of a House bill that passed the Republican-controlled chamber with overwhelming bipartisan support.
The There is no Hidden Fee Act will create a single standard to transparently display fees across the long-term and short-term accommodation industry. It will require all additional fees on hotel bookings and short-term rentals—including “resort fee” that even hotels without resort amenities should be listed and announced in advance so people have a realistic idea of room prices and can compare options as they see fit.
The House bill passed on June 11 384-25 vote, already introduced by Reps. Young Kim (R-Calif.) and Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) in December, months after Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) introduced the Hotel Fee Transparency Act in the Senate.
The legislative efforts are in line with President Joe Biden’s crackdown on hidden fees, which he took aim for the first time aviation industry inside summer 2021.
The House bill also gives the Federal Trade Commission and individual states the authority to enforce violations and failures to disclose all hotel fees that are unfair or deceptive business practices. It has also been praised by prominent industry trade groups, including American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) and Asian American Hotel Owners Association.
“It makes sense for all lodging businesses—from short-term rentals to travel agencies,” Kevin Carey, AHLA interim president and CEO, wrote in a report. online, metasearch sites, and hotels—inform guests in advance of required fees.” declareadds the group has “the goal of establishing a uniform industry-wide standard under the law.”
The Asian American Hotel Owners Association called the bill’s passage a “significant victory.” declare was released on June 12. Chairman Miraj S. Patel wrote that the legislation could help people make more informed decisions about where to live, adding that the group looks forward to seeing the bill passed by the Senate. Institute passed.
The move is one of several aimed at revealing the hidden fees that many industries, including the airline, accommodation, ticketing and events sectors, often hide throughout the payment process. Last month, The House passed another bill aimed at collecting trash fees in the so-called concert industry TICKET Act. Last October, the FTC proposed one The regulation would ban hidden trash fees and other “bogus” charges, which are charges for which “dishonest businesses frequently misrepresent or fail to fully disclose their nature or purpose,” the regulator said in a report. declare.
Meanwhile, the Senate Hotel Fee Transparency Act, requiring full transparency on all mandatory hotel fees, excluding those imposed by governments or quasi-governmental entities, has been introduced and still needs to go through the chamber. If it passes, it will need to be reconciled with the House bill before Biden can sign it into law.
Biden’s push to reveal hidden junk fees has been one of the consistent priorities of his presidency. In his 2024 State of the Union Address speech in March, he said his administration had “proposed rules so that cable, travel, convenience and online ticket sellers tell you the total price in advance so there are no surprises.”
