Lifestyle
Hotel and Airbnb price tags may soon spike. For travelers, that's a good thing
If you’re making travel plans for summer or fall, brace yourself for a jump in some advertised prices — which is, believe it or not, good news for consumers.
It’s the result of a new California law aimed at bringing transparency to the resort fees, service fees, host fees and other “drip pricing” that often inflates consumer’s bills beyond the rates first advertised, especially at lodgings and restaurants. Under the California law known as SB 478, which takes effect July 1, businesses selling their wares in California now must include mandatory fees in their initial advertised prices.
“The price you see is the price you pay,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta has said.
The law has gotten a lot of attention for its potential effects on struggling restaurants, many of which have imposed service fees since the arrival of the pandemic. (In fact, one legislator has proposed an eleventh-hour exception to exclude restaurants.) But the law also brings big changes for travelers and that industry — especially when it comes to the “resort fees” that many hotels automatically charge, saying they cover services and amenities such as pool and gym access.
By putting a separate label on those fees, hotels have been able to advertise lower daily rates — an advantage when consumers are comparing prices. Now the hundreds of U.S. hotels that have been tacking “resort fees” onto their daily rates will be required to include them in the advertised rates that California consumers see.
At a consumer’s first glance online, it may seem the new rules have pushed the cost of a $149 room up by $20 to $50 per night. In fact, the hoteliers are just disclosing all pre-tax fees up front, as required — a change that may allow consumers to make better cost comparisons.
Cleaning fees should show up sooner
Meanwhile, the same law requires vacation rental hosts to include fees for service and cleaning from the beginning.
This follows an initial voluntary step taken by Airbnb in 2022. Under pressure to be more transparent, the company added a digital “toggle” switch allowing customers to initially see either a basic daily rate or a total showing how much those secondary fees would add to the daily rate. Now, Airbnb officials have said, customers in California will automatically see the “total before taxes” number.
In practice, the new requirement means that instead of quoting a $150-per-night rate to some search-page visitors, an Airbnb host would need to tell all consumers up front that the five-night rental will cost $1,050 (the $150 daily rate plus $150 service fee and $150 cleaning fee) — effectively $210 per day, before taxes. This will cover any destination being considered by a California-based consumer, an Airbnb representative said.
The vacation rental company VRBO shows consumers two prices on its browsing pages: the basic nightly rate in larger bold type and the total price in smaller, plain type, no toggling needed.
Though the new law is aimed at any business selling to Californians, many businesses beyond the state may not comply immediately. If you’re planning a trip outside California, check closely to see what costs your prospective lodging is and isn’t disclosing. (But if you’re headed to a country within the European Union, no worries: The E.U. already requires businesses to advertise using their total cost, including taxes.)
“This is all about uncovering the hidden fees that are everywhere in our economy. It’s pretty sweeping,” said Jamie Court, president of Los Angeles-based Consumer Watchdog. He noted that if offenders ignore warning letters, they can face penalties of $1,000 per violation (potentially including other damages and attorneys’ fees).
Though this change will disrupt some hotels’ strategies for boosting profits, the changes also may give hoteliers a better chance at winning back customers from short-term rental companies, which have grabbed a hefty share of the travel market since the birth of Airbnb in 2007.
Lynn Mohrfeld, president and CEO of the California Hotel & Lodging Assn., said the group supported the legislation in Sacramento because it should bring “a level playing field” between hotels and the vacation rentals. “If everybody does it the same way, it’s makes it a better buying experience for the consumer.”
The California law is unlikely to change base rates for airlines or rental cars, industry experts said, because the add-on fees those businesses charge are typically for voluntary services and items, such as preferred seats and insurance.
California Atty. Gen. Bonta has noted the transparency law doesn’t raise or lower any prices, but it does require more clarity and is intended to curtail “junk fees” and “drip pricing.”
How resort fees got to be enormous
Though many hotels do not charge resort fees, the practice has grown dramatically since the late 1990s, especially in vacation destination areas like Las Vegas, Palm Springs and San Diego. The fees typically range from $20 to $50 nightly.
By one estimate, the U.S. hotel industry in 2017 reaped $2.7 billion in resort fees. Lauren Wolfe, counsel for the consumer advocacy group Travelers United and founder of KillResortFees.com, has called resort fees “the most deceptive and unfair pricing practice in the hotel industry.”
As consumer sentiment against the fees has grown, public officials have filed several court challenges nationwide, including a lawsuit against Marriott International by Pennsylvania’s attorney general. That suit led to a 2021 settlement, which led to Marriott’s announcement in May 2023 that it would start including resort fees in initial website search results. Hyatt followed with a similar change in July 2023, Hilton in September.
In 2023, President Biden denounced resort fees and the Federal Trade Commission proposed a rule targeting junk fees and related practices. A Junk Fee Prevention Act was introduced to the Senate in March 2023, followed by a Hotel Fees Transparency Act in July, but so far, Congress has taken no action.
Meanwhile, some questions remain about how the travel industry will respond to California’s transparency law. For instance: What about companies that continue to advertise the lowest version of their rates in large type, while simultaneously disclosing the large true full price in smaller type?
“That seems to violate the intent of the law,” Court said, but “It’s up to a court to figure out. Companies are going to push to the limit.”
For those ready to make hotel or rental property reservations, a second new state late could also be helpful: Beginning July 1 under legislation known as SB 644, California consumers must be given 24 hours to cancel most lodging bookings without any charge, so long as the consumer has made the booking at least 72 hours ahead of arrival. The law includes hotels, rental agencies and third-party booking services.
new video loaded: Fashion Highlights From the 2026 Golden Globes
By Vanessa Friedman, Chevaz Clarke, Gabby Bulgarelli and Jon Hazell
January 12, 2026
My husband and I live in Pasadena. We moved from Los Feliz about 10 years ago. We have struggled to find LGBTQ+ events this far east. We can only hit up Boulevard so many times (although we love it). Any advice for finding LGBTQ+ events in Pasadena, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Glendale or the SGV? I feel like there are bars out here that may host weekly events that I just don’t hear about. — Will Birnie
Looking for things to do in L.A.? Ask us your questions and our expert guides will share highly specific recommendations.
Here’s what we suggest:
Will, you are so right. While there are several queer bars around your former neighborhood (Hi Tops in Los Feliz, Akbar in Silver Lake, Club Bahia in Echo Park and Honey’s at Star Love in East Hollywood), they are few and far between in the eastern part of L.A. County. But your question sent me down a rabbit hole and I’m proud to report that I’ve found a handful of spots and regular events that you should check out in your area. (Shout out to my colleagues and everyone who responded to my request for help on Instagram.)
Highland Park is home to the Offbeat, which is one of my friend Jaycen Mitchell‘s favorite bars in the area. The beloved dive bar hosts karaoke nights, drag shows, live music performances, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” screenings and other themed nights throughout the week. “I’ve been able to see all of my favorite drag queens there in more intimate settings, and the DJs have had me and my friends dancing until we were the last ones there,” Mitchell tells me. Also in Highland Park is Blind Barber, a speakeasy that hosts Homo Happy Hour on Thursdays. Mitchell says the happy hour is always a good time and a chance to “show up as your authentic self, be in community and queen out with your girls.”
Then in Glendale, there’s Junior High, a nonprofit art gallery and inclusive gathering space that hosts a variety of events, including music shows, artist showcases, comedy nights, pottery workshops and more. A standout event is Fantasy Suite, a pole dance show that features queer dancers with varying body types. Cherry Jayne and Jax “Lil Sumthin” launched the queer strip club experience in 2022 after struggling to find work due to “fatphobia that plagues traditional strip club hiring,” they told me. The next event will take place Feb. 7 and will feature Valentine’s Day songs of love, lust and heartbreak.
At Footsies in Cypress Park, Latino queer artist and DJ Mino Sanchez and his boyfriend, Ivan Castaneda, who also DJs, have been hosting Gay Night for nearly four years. The event, which happens on the second Saturday of each month, features BIPOC queer DJs who spin house, disco, Spanish dance music, electronica, pop and international sounds. There’s also a drag performance at midnight. In El Monte, the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center hosts Gayme Night on the third Thursday of every month. The all-ages event features karaoke along with video and board games.
And you already know and love Boulevard — it really is a gem (and it’s the only gay bar in Pasadena). Though it was at risk of closing during the pandemic, the 45-year-old bar survived and continues to host a drag trivia night on Tuesdays and a drag show on Friday nights hosted by Borgia Bloom Facade. Times food columnist Jenn Harris writes that the Boulevard bar has served as a “safe haven for the gay community in the area and an alternative to the West Hollywood bar scene.”
If you’re looking for a different type of community beyond bars and events, my colleague Jaclyn Cosgrove recommends Throop Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena. “My pastor, Rev. Tera Landers, likes to say she doesn’t like religion, but she loves church,” says Cosgrove, who also lives in Pasadena. “That’s in large part because of the community we have at [the church] including our choir, which has a large number of transgender and queer members. It is where I go to refill my cup every Sunday.”
I hope this list helps you and your husband find more spaces around your neighborhood to build community and have a great time.
Ariana Grande arrives at the 83rd Golden Globes on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
The brightest stars in TV and film kicked off the 83rd annual Golden Globes tonight in Beverly Hills, Calif. with Ariana Grande, Noah Wyle, Teyana Taylor and George Clooney are just some the names who walked the red carpet. This year’s ceremony was hosted by comedian Nikki Glaser.
Here’s a glimpse of what some of the attendees are wearing tonight.
Michael B. Jordan
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Ryan Coogler and Zinzi Evans
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images
Jean Smart
Jordan StraussInvision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan StraussInvision/AP
Teyana Taylor
Jordan Strauss/Invision/Invision
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/Invision
Jenna Ortega
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Owen Cooper
Jordan Strauss /Invision/Invision
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss /Invision/Invision
Sara Wells and Noah Wyle
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Claire Danes
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Stellan Skarsgård and Megan Everett-Skarsgard
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Amy Poehler
Jordan Strauss/ Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/ Invision/AP
EJAE
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Amanda Anka and Jason Bateman
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Paul Mescal
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Adam Brody and Leighton Meester
Jjordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jjordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Laufey
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Chris Olsen
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Lisa Ann Walter
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Jacob Elordi
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Ryan Destiny
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Jennifer Garner
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Rose Byrne
Jordan Strauss/Invision//AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision//AP
Kate Hudson
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Snoop Dogg
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Timothée Chalamet
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Miley Cyrus
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
George Clooney and Amal Clooney
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Michel Martin
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Steve Inskeep
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP/AP
Leila Fadel
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
A Martinez
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Amanda Seyfried
Jordan Strauss/Invision/InvisionAP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/InvisionAP
William Stanford Davis
Jorden Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jorden Strauss/Invision/AP
Tessa Thompson
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Kathy Bates
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell
Jorden Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jorden Strauss/Invision/AP
Skylar Diggins
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Monica Padman
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Adam Scott and Naomi Scott
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Jayme Lawson
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson
Gilbert Flores/Penske Media/Getty Images
hide caption
toggle caption
Gilbert Flores/Penske Media/Getty Images
Emma Stone
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
Nischelle Turner
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
Brett Goldstein
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Parker Posey
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Vince Gilligan
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Chloé Zhao
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Mark Ruffalo and Sunrise Coigney
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Hannah Einbinder
Jordan Strauss/ Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/ Invision/AP
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP
Justin Sylvester
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Judd Apatow and Lesley Mann
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Keltie Knight
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Sarah Snook
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Glen Powell
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Piper Curda
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Justine Lupe
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Helen Hoehne
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Natasha Rothwell
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Minnie Driver
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Orlando Bloom
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Hudson Williams
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Connor Storrie
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Erin Doherty
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Wanda Sykes
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Nikki Glaser
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Julia Roberts
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Emily Blunt
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Chris Perfetti
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Rhea Seehorn
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Dakota Fanning
Jordan Strauss/Invision/Invision
hide caption
toggle caption
Jordan Strauss/Invision/Invision
Queen Latifah
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
ICE officers use tear gas after confrontation in Minneapolis near shooting memorial
Pittsburgh Steelers release inactive list for Texans playoff game, including two young players
Finding Solutions: Augusta nurse opens new end-of-life care facility
Head of DC restaurant association warns 2026 could be another hard year for eateries – WTOP News
Cleveland firefighters battle house fire on city’s West Side
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Video: What Our Photographer Saw in Minneapolis
Conservative legal group targets CFPB rule mandating race, sex data in home loans
EU auditors warn eased EU budget rules could undermine oversight
More federal agents head to Minnesota. And, U.S. Figure Skating announces Olympic team
San Antonio ends its abortion travel fund after new state law, legal action
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology6 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX4 days agoAnti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
-
Delaware4 days agoMERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
-
Dallas, TX1 week agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Montana2 days agoService door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says
-
Iowa6 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Virginia2 days agoVirginia Tech gains commitment from ACC transfer QB