Langham Huntington Pasadena price gouged when wildfire victims forced to flee their homes: suit

A luxury Pasadena hotel that has welcomed guests for more than a century will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars after Los Angeles County accused it of illegally hiking room rates as families fled the devastating Eaton and Palisades wildfires.Langham Hotels Pacific Corporation, which operates the historic Langham Huntington Pasadena, agreed to pay $320,000 and provide at least $216,795 in refunds to hotel guests to settle a consumer protection lawsuit alleging it violated California’s anti-price gouging law during the January 2025 wildfire emergency.However, the company did not admit liability as part of the settlement. “It is reprehensible to overcharge and take advantage of wildfire victims who were in desperate need of housing as they fled their homes from raging fires last year,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Monday.“During a time when our community was meant to come together to help those in need, Langham Hotels Pacific Corporation profited from other people’s tragedies.”Hochman said his office has worked alongside law enforcement and consumer protection agencies since the fires to crack down on price gouging, looting, unlicensed contracting and other crimes targeting disaster victims.The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed jointly by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and County Counsel’s Office alleging the hotel charged guests more than 10% above its regular room rates after Gov.Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Jan.

7, 2025, when the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted across Los Angeles County.California law prohibits hotels from increasing advertised room rates by more than 10% during a declared emergency unless a statutory exception applies. County Counsel Dawyn R.Harrison said the agreement ensures consumers will be made whole.“My office values our partnership with the District Attorney’s Office on consumer protection enforcement, and we are committed to preventing price gougi...