Occupancy drop forces layoffs at NYC hotels | crainsnewyork.com

Housekeeping staffs take the biggest hit; upcoming events, new properties offer hope. Now that the holiday season—one in which deep discounts kept Big Apple hotels hopping—is over, the industry is joining the pink slip parade. Tourists have skipped town, leaving in their wake plummeting occupancy rates and hotel managers who have little choice but to trim their staffs. Nearly every hotel in the city, from Marriott properties to the Waldorf-Astoria to budget brands like Comfort Inn, are either temporarily laying off employees, reducing hours, eliminating jobs entirely or planning to do so soon. Some are closing entire floors.