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A U.S. SENATE committee recently passed a bipartisan bill aimed at achieving pricing transparency for hotels, short-term rentals, and online travel platforms. However, the Senate failed to advance the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, drawing criticism from the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation's approval of the Hotel Fees Transparency Act 2023 comes amid criticism of several hotel chains for lacking transparency in displaying room charges. AHLA called it an important step toward a more transparent booking process and a level playing field across the lodging industry. The bill, introduced by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, and Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, on July 31, now awaits a full Senate vote.

THE U.S. HOUSE of Representatives passed the bipartisan Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025, mandating that hotels and short-term rentals disclose total booking costs upfront. The bill, introduced by Representatives Young Kim (R-California) and Kathy Castor (D-Florida), received support from industry groups such as AAHOA and the American Hotel & Lodging Association. AAHOA commended the passage, noting that the association "has long advocated for fairness and transparency in pricing and believes this legislation marks a significant step toward ensuring travelers have clear, accurate information when booking accommodations." "Transparency is key to building trust with our guests and to ensuring a level playing field across the hospitality industry," said Kamalesh "KP" Patel, AAHOA's chairman. "AAHOA will always champion policies that promote fairness and empower consumers to make informed decisions. This is an issue that transcends party lines, as today's vote powerfully demonstrates. We are grateful to lawmakers from both sides of the aisle in the House for passing this bill."

THE U.S. HOUSE of Representatives recently unveiled the 'No Hidden FEES Act of 2023' (H.R 6543), compelling the travel industry to enhance transparency regarding so-called "junk fees." This legislation is designed to improve pricing transparency for customers seeking short-term lodging, including hotels, motels, inns, and privately-owned vacation rentals. Meanwhile, the American Hotel & Lodging Association extended its support for the bill, which was introduced by Reps. Young Kim and Kathy Castor on Friday. "As Americans grapple with persistent high inflation, the last thing families need after budgeting for trips is to be hit with costly last-minute fees," Kim said. "The No Hidden FEES Act would rectify this issue, offering cost transparency for consumers so they know the upfront lodging expenses. I will continue the fight to make life more affordable for families in Southern California and throughout our nation."

DONALD TRUMP WILL return to the U.S. presidency for a second, non-consecutive term in January, making him the first to do so since Grover Cleveland. Hotel associations such as AAHOA and the American Hotel & Lodging Association were quick to offer congratulations. In September, both groups were in Washington, D.C., to advocate for legislation important to the industry. Some of the proposed legislation that AHLA is supporting include: The Closing the Workforce Gap Act would replace the arbitrary annual cap of 66,000 available H-2B temporary visas with a new, needs-based system. Extending a pass-through tax deduction, 199A, which is set to expire in 2025 and provides tax relief to franchisees and other hotel small businesses. Maintaining the like-kind exchange, section 1031, which allows hoteliers to defer capital gains taxes when they sell one property if they roll the proceeds into the purchase of a larger one. According to AHLA, the exchange helps create new jobs and contributes to economic growth. The Hotel Fees Transparency Act and the No Hidden FEES Act would establish a single and transparent standard for mandatory lodging fee display and an even competitive playing field for hotels, short term rentals, online travel agencies, and metasearch sites.

More and more top luxury hotels now accept cryptos for rooms and hotel services. Other travel-related sites were already accepting cryptocurrencies before luxury hotels jumped on the bandwagon. The primary reason that travelers use cryptos is because of the favorable conversion rates that save hundreds of dollars over using credit cards. The cards are just as convenient to use because they're totally digital-based. FIVE OF THE TOP LUXURY HOTELS THAT ACCEPT CRYPTOS Among the benefits, using cryptos tends to be less expensive than other methods of payment. Five of the top luxury hotels that accept cryptos include the following properties. 1. CHEDI ANDERMATT, SWITZERLAND 2. SRI PANWA PHUKET 3. SANDMAN HOTELS OF CANADA AND THE U.K. 4. CASUAL HOTELES OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 5. PAVILIONS HOTELS & RESORT GLOBAL TRAVEL WITH UTMOST CONVENIENCE Bitcoin ranks as the most popular digital currency. The innovative payment method uses decentralized currency for efficiency, transparency and security.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN signed the "American Relief Act, HR 10545" into law Saturday morning, preventing a government shutdown just before Christmas and ensuring funding through March 14. The American Hotel & Lodging Association praised lawmakers for averting a disruption that could have affected holiday travel and left millions of federal employees furloughed or unpaid. However, AHLA said the year-end deal excluded the lodging fee transparency provisions for which hotel industry associations had advocated. "The bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open and delivers urgently needed disaster relief and funds to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge," Biden said. "This agreement represents a compromise, meaning neither side got everything it wanted, but it rejects the accelerated tax cut for billionaires that Republicans sought and ensures the government can continue to operate at full capacity. That's good news for the American people, especially as families gather this holiday season."