Cory Booker

Published: 13:52 EDT, 30 October 2026 | Updated: 16:09 EDT, 30 October 2026

A top Democratic senator who has spent recent months touting his party's commitment to tackling an 'affordability crisis' amid his re-election bid has dropped tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash on elite 4-star and 5-star luxury hotels across the United States, including a high-end hotel abroad.

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey shelled out over $37,000 between January and early October 2026 to cover accommodations at world-renowned luxury spots, high-end resort casinos and posh boutique retreats, a Daily Mail review of his campaign expenses found.

The eye-popping expenses come as national Democrats continue to push economic messaging centered on the rising cost of living for middle-class working families.

Booker, 57, who recently hammered President Donald Trump in a Facebook post – saying Americans 'deserve leaders who understand the struggles and pain working people face' – has repeatedly positioned himself as a champion for working families grappling with inflation, housing costs and basic daily expenses.

Yet the New Jersey senator's campaign filings reveal a massive travel tab exceeding $11,700 at the exclusive London West Hollywood Hotel in Southern California – an all-suite luxury hotel known for its rooftop pool and celebrity sightings, including Oprah Winfrey and the Kardashian sisters.

Elsewhere in the Golden State, Booker's donor funds covered another $1,124 at the nearby Palihouse West Hollywood and an eye-popping $5,120 bill at the iconic 5-star Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, which offers luxury spa services, a health club and sauna, executive business meeting spaces and iconic dining destinations like the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar.

And Booker didn't miss a $210 pit stop at the super swanky Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills.

The campaign also spent more than $1,300 at the historic 4-star Stanford Court Hotel in San Francisco.

Senator Cory Booker's campaign has spent more than $37,000 at luxury hotels across the US and abroad so far this year, campaign expenses seen by the Daily Mail reveal

The New Jersey Democrat recently took aim at President Donald Trump in a Facebook post, declaring that Americans 'deserve leaders who understand the struggles and pain working people face'

And Booker has racked up tabs totaling thousands of dollars in the nation's gambling capital, spreading campaign cash across several top-tier resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.

Receipts show $2,238.00 spent at the Bellagio, $1,961.00 at the Wynn, $1,612 at the Luxor Hotel and another $868 at Caesars Palace.

On the Senate floor and the campaign trail, Booker has railed against economic policies that favor the wealthy, unveiling sweeping legislation like his Keep Your Pay Act – aimed at eliminating federal income taxes on the first $75,000 earned by middle-class households.

Booker argued the measure was essential to provide immediate 'wallet relief' and combat a system that he warned remains 'rigged against working families' struggling with everyday expenses.

He has also frequently highlighted his commitment to economic fairness across public appearances, including delivering opening remarks at the 2026 CAP IDEAS Conference to detail how economic growth must directly benefit working families.

During interviews, he's emphasized the severe daily financial pressures facing ordinary citizens, arguing that a massive tax cut on earnings would be a total 'game changer' for households dealing with high prices and stagnant wages.

The Booker campaign's lavish travel trail wasn't restricted to California and Las Vegas.

In the elite New York playground of the Hamptons, Booker's campaign shelled out $3,500 at The Hamlet Inn, which is described as a 'cozy' beach-style boutique accommodation that offers several amenities, including a heated pool, hammocks and soccer field, and is minutes from Cooper's Beach.

Booker's campaign racked up more than $11,700 in expenses at the exclusive London West Hollywood hotel in California, a luxury all-suite property known for its rooftop pool and celebrity clientele

Campaign finance records show Booker's team spent $5,120 at San Francisco's five-star Fairmont Hotel

His campaign also dropped $1,838 at the Dockside Inn on Martha's Vineyard, an award-winning boutique hotel on the celebrity-favorite Massachusetts island.

In the Big Apple, the senator racked up a $1,459.74 bill at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square and one over $700 at the Kimpton Hotel Eventi. Campaign filings also show $932.57 spent at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.

Rounding out the domestic stays were stops at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Denver, Colorado, which cost $916, a $350 charge at the Four Seasons Hotel in New Orleans and another $1,878 at the 4-star Fairmont Hotel in Austin, Texas.

Crossing the Atlantic, Booker's campaign also racked up an international tab, spending $1,766 at the prestigious Biltmore Mayfair in London.

While campaign finance rules permit political candidate committees to cover travel expenses, ethics watchdogs regularly critique the optics of using donor dollars for ultra-luxurious accommodations, particularly when politicians frame their campaigns around working-class economic struggles.

A longtime Democratic strategist told the Daily Mail that Booker's spending is a 'slap in the face' to voters and donors who support his affordability agenda.

'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 isn't the only Democrat who has spent thousands of dollars on luxury hotels this year.

The Daily Mail revealed last week that Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York spent over $17,000 on hotels outside her district between July and September.

The Daily Mail reached out to the Booker campaign multiple times for comment but did not receive a response by press time.