Senator Cory Booker, a leading Democrat who has spent months promoting his party’s focus on the “affordability crisis” during his re-election campaign, has used tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds for stays at elite four- and five-star hotels across the country, including one luxury property overseas.
A review by Our News Outlet of campaign spending records found that the New Jersey senator paid more than $37,000 for accommodations between January and early October 2026. The expenses included luxury hotels, resort casinos and upscale boutique properties.
The spending comes as Democrats continue to center their economic message on the escalating cost of living confronting middle-class and working families.
Booker, 57, recently criticized President Donald Trump in a Facebook post, writing that Americans “deserve leaders who understand the struggles and pain working people face.” The senator has repeatedly portrayed himself as an advocate for families dealing with inflation, housing costs and rising prices for everyday necessities.
Campaign filings, however, show more than $11,700 spent at The London West Hollywood in Southern California. The all-suite hotel is known for its rooftop pool and celebrity clientele, including Oprah Winfrey and the Kardashian sisters.
Booker’s campaign also paid $1,124 at the nearby Palihouse West Hollywood and $5,120 at San Francisco’s five-star Fairmont Hotel. The property features spa services, a health club, sauna, executive meeting facilities and dining venues such as the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar.
The campaign additionally charged $210 at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills.
Another $1,300-plus went toward accommodations at San Francisco’s historic four-star Stanford Court Hotel.
Campaign records reviewed by Our News Outlet show Senator Cory Booker spent more than $37,000 on luxury hotels in the United States and abroad so far this year
The New Jersey Democrat recently criticized President Donald Trump on Facebook, saying Americans “deserve leaders who understand the struggles and pain working people face”
Las Vegas was another major destination, with the campaign distributing thousands of dollars among several high-end resorts along the Strip.
The records list $2,238 at the Bellagio, $1,961 at the Wynn, $1,612 at the Luxor Hotel and an additional $868 at Caesars Palace.
On the Senate floor and while campaigning, Booker has criticized economic policies he says benefit wealthy Americans. He has also introduced proposals such as the Keep Your Pay Act, which would eliminate federal income taxes on the first $75,000 earned by middle-class households.
Booker has described the legislation as a way to deliver immediate “wallet relief” and challenge what he calls a system “rigged against working families” struggling to cover routine expenses.
He has made economic fairness a recurring theme at public events, including his opening remarks at the 2026 CAP IDEAS Conference, where he argued that economic growth should produce tangible benefits for working families.
In interviews, Booker has also pointed to the financial strain facing ordinary Americans, saying a major tax cut on earnings could be a “game changer” for households contending with high prices and stagnant wages.
The campaign’s luxury travel spending extended well beyond California and Las Vegas.
In the Hamptons, the affluent New York vacation destination, Booker’s campaign spent $3,500 at The Hamlet Inn. The property describes itself as a cozy, beach-inspired boutique hotel with a heated pool, hammocks and a soccer field, located minutes from Cooper’s Beach.
Booker’s campaign spent more than $11,700 at The London West Hollywood, an upscale all-suite California hotel known for its rooftop pool and celebrity guests
Campaign finance records show Booker’s team paid $5,120 at San Francisco’s five-star Fairmont Hotel
The campaign spent another $1,838 at the Dockside Inn on Martha’s Vineyard, an award-winning boutique hotel on the Massachusetts island popular with celebrities.
In New York City, the senator’s campaign incurred a $1,459.74 charge at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square and a bill exceeding $700 at the Kimpton Hotel Eventi. Records also show $932.57 spent at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.
Other domestic stays included the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Denver, which cost $916; a $350 charge at the Four Seasons Hotel in New Orleans; and $1,878 at the four-star Fairmont Hotel in Austin, Texas.
The campaign’s international spending included $1,766 at London’s upscale Biltmore Mayfair.
Political campaign committees are permitted to pay for candidate travel, including lodging. Ethics watchdogs, however, frequently question the optics of using donor money for luxury accommodations, especially when candidates emphasize the financial hardships facing working-class voters.
A longtime Democratic strategist told Our News Outlet that Booker’s hotel spending amounts to a “slap in the face” for voters and donors who support his affordability platform.
“I think that Senator Booker has done a lot of good for New Jersey, but his spending on luxury hotels is a slap in the face to the average voter who cannot afford such luxuries, and a complete contradiction of his rhetoric on affordability and the economy,” the strategist said.
Booker is not the only Democrat whose campaign has spent thousands of dollars on luxury hotels this year.
Our News Outlet reported last week that Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, spent more than $17,000 on hotels outside her district between July and September.
Our News Outlet contacted the Booker campaign several times for comment but had not received a response by press time.
