Standards for lodging, and for meals and incidentals, to remain at 2025 levels

Rosanna Maietta, CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), said the decision by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to keep government per diem rates flat in fiscal year 2026 “will place a strain on the hospitality industry as well as government travelers seeking lodging.”

In a statement, Maietta said, “Government travel is a vital economic driver for the hotel industry and the broader travel economy; that’s why it’s so important for government per diem rates to keep pace with rising costs across the economy.”  She said the association will continue to advocate with the GSA and members of Congress for per diem rates that reflect hotels’ rising costs of doing business.

GSA’s standard lodging rate for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30, 2026, is $110, the same as in fiscal year 2025. GSA’s standard meals and incidentals allowance for the 2026 fiscal year is $68, also unchanged.

This is the first time in five years that GSA has not increased the per diem year over year. GSA said in a statement that the decision not to raise the per diem reflects “the federal government’s commitment to being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars,” adding that the steady per diems “are made possible by the reduction from the historically high inflationary pressures seen during the previous administration.”