Marriott faces guest lawsuit over ‘junk fees’ at Los Angeles hotels
Nobody likes those random extra fees that go by various names — resort fees, destination fees, amenity fees or urban fees, just to mention a few of the monikers — that get tacked onto nightly hotel room rates.
Some don't like it so much that they're willing to file a lawsuit against the world's largest hotel company.
Hotel guests filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Marriott International in Los Angeles County Superior Court for what they allege were nightly surcharges on room rates that violated California's consumer protection and unfair competition laws. The fees were labeled as "Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance Cost Surcharge" on guest bills and ran anywhere from $10 to $14 per night, depending on the hotel.
Those charges first appeared in response to an ordinance signed last year by then-Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. That measure requires Los Angeles hotels to provide workers with security devices like a panic button to better protect themselves against potential sexual assault. The measure also required larger hotels to provide higher wages to housekeepers cleaning above a certain threshold during a shift.
But the lawsuit maintains that the surcharge — billed as covering the costs associated with the employee protection measure — goes well above what it would actually cost a hotel owner.
"The Los Angeles Airport Marriott, for example, is a 1,004-room hotel that typically averages around an occupancy rate above 80%. Even at just 80% occupancy (803 occupied rooms per night), however, the hotel makes over $10,000 per night from guests by charging the [Hotel Worker Protection Ordinance] Fee—working out to over $3,600,000 annually at that single hotel," reads the lawsuit. "The HWPO Fee is nothing more than a 'junk fee' under the guise of 'worker protection,' directly benefiting Marriott at the expense of their guests."
Representatives with Marriott declined to comment when contacted by TPG.
Multiple Marriott-affiliated properties are highlighted in the lawsuit: the Los Angeles Airport Marriott, the Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles LAX/Century Boulevard, the Residence Inn by Marriott Los Angeles LAX/Century Boulevard and the Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport.
While most of the hotels accused of charging the fee were located near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), the lawsuit also names the Beverly Hills Marriott.
Fee fatigue
The lawsuit arrives amid swelling anti-fee fervor across the travel sector. U.S. President Joe Biden earlier this year even targeted resort fees in his State of the Union address amid a push to eliminate hidden fees, which are widespread in the travel industry, as part of his Junk Fee Prevention Act.
"We'll ban surprise resort fees that hotels tack on to your bill," Biden said in the address. "These fees can cost you up to $90 a night at hotels that aren't even resorts."
Marriott settled with the Pennsylvania attorney general over a lawsuit targeting its resort fee practice, and the company now maintains that hotels include the fee as part of an initially advertised nightly rate.
Earlier this year, separate lawsuits in Texas were launched against Hyatt and Hilton over their respective resort fee practices.
While Marriott is once again in the legal hot seat over surcharges added to its room rates, the company's CEO, Anthony Capuano, earlier this year touted the hotel brand's leadership in bundling resort fees into nightly rates.
The fees aren't going away, but better transparency might be the end game for the broader industry.
"It is not as if those were hidden somehow. We're simply further clarifying and enhancing that transparency," Capuano said on the company's first-quarter earnings call. "I will leave it to the state [attorneys general] around the rest of the country for the rest of the industry. But I am pleased that we will lead the industry in terms of the transparency of our disclosure for our guests."
Related reading:
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees