This City's $30 Hotel Worker Wage Was Supposed to Hit in 2028 — Now It Might Not Happen Until 2030
The LA City Council voted to potentially delay its 'Olympic Wage' ordinance, which would have raised hotel worker pay to $30/hour by 2028.
Los Angeles hotel workers may have to wait longer for a $30-per-hour minimum wage. The LA City Council voted 9-6 on May 13 to advance a proposal that could push the implementation of its Citywide Hotel Worker Minimum Wage Ordinance from 2028 to 2030.
The mandate, sometimes called the "Olympic Wage" ordinance, was signed into law last year and requires LA hotels to pay workers $25 per hour starting July 1, 2026, rising to $27.50 in July 2027 and $30 in July 2028. The new proposal would stretch that final increase by two years.
City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson described the vote as a placeholder to allow continued negotiations between city officials, hospitality organizations, and labor unions. A second vote is required to formally delay the timeline.
Industry Groups and Workers Divided
Hotel industry organizations welcomed the move. The Asian American Hotel Owners Association said the delay creates an opportunity for solutions that protect workers while ensuring hotels can continue operating. The American Hotel and Lodging Association called the current wage schedule one of the most aggressive in the nation, saying LA hotels are already struggling to make the math work under rising labor and operating costs.
Hospitality workers pushed back sharply. Council Member Eunisses Hernandez argued that workers planned their lives around the scheduled raises, budgeting for rent, groceries, childcare, and medical appointments based on the promised timeline.
The debate reflects a broader tension playing out across the hotel industry in 2026, with rising labor costs ranked among the top concerns of hotel owners nationwide. The council is expected to revisit the discussion this week.