A data-backed examination of hotel industry workforce culture covering upward mobility, poverty wages, physical injury rates, high turnover, trafficking exposure, and the post-pandemic labor shift.
The article argues that AI "vibe coding" tools let hotel training managers build adaptive, personalized training apps for as little as $25/month, addressing a turnover crisis costing operators nearly $6,000 per replaced employee.
Case study shows how repositioning a GM role as a transformation opportunity and using targeted outreach instead of job postings led to successful hire within five weeks.
Halekulani's executive housekeeper Audrey Goh shares insights on leading 160+ housekeepers, rebuilding after pandemic losses, and maintaining luxury standards through family-style management.
A hospitality veteran reflects on his early career at Marriott Griffin Gate, emphasizing the importance of developing raw talent rather than dismissing inexperienced workers.
The article provides hotels with practical steps to train staff on recognizing trafficking signs and establishing reporting protocols to protect guests and avoid legal liability.
Time off from school, warmer weather and a flurry of travel discounts drive millions of Americans to book vacations during spring break. And this year, changing vacation habits could see even more people booking getaways during this ideal travel time. Experts predict springtime travel is growing more popular as Americans begin to favor vacations in the months outside the busy summer season while also trying to prolong their trips.
It was a busy Saturday night at a luxury resort restaurant. Short-staffed and overwhelmed, the Assistant Restaurant Manager, Alex, rolled up his sleeves and started bussing tables, taking orders, and running drinks. Guests were happy, and the team appreciated Alex’s effort—but when tips were pooled at the end of the shift, a server hesitated: Can Alex really take part of the tips? Isn’t he management?
The recent ruling by a Texas federal judge to vacate the Department of Labor’s (DOL) overtime rule sent shockwaves through the hospitality industry. The proposed salary threshold increase would have expanded overtime eligibility to approximately 3.6 million lower-paid salaried workers across industries, many of whom are employed in hospitality. While this decision provides temporary relief, it also opens the door for deeper introspection and strategic action.
The hospitality industry is a dynamic sector characterized by fluctuating demands and a diverse customer base.
As of April, the total number of job openings remain elevated at more than 10 million—nearly twice the number of available workers. While the job openings have fallen since their peak at more than 12 million in March 2022, there are still three million more openings than the month before the pandemic began.
Jamie Mageau recently had the pleasure of attending the Travel and Tourism Research Association’s Marketing Outlook Forum in Houston with over 200 industry researchers, marketers, vendors and partners.
The first jobs report of 2023 overshot expectations. Overall, the economy added a staggering 517,000 jobs in January—far higher than the 187,000 increase that was expected—and the unemployment rate fell to 3.4%, its lowest since 1969.
This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the latest employment data, which surpassed expectations and showed that the economy added 263,000 jobs in November. This is worrying investors who fear that the Federal Reserve will respond to a still-hot jobs market with even more aggressive interest rate hikes.
The big picture: The latest jobs data shows that Leisure & Hospitality (L&H) jobs continued to grow, but nowhere near what is needed for industry growth or to fill the large, and growing, number of openings.
We at HVS have long valued the importance of embracing diversity, celebrating our differences, and building a better consulting team as a result. Exceptional teams do this: embracing, accepting, and understanding these differences to become more deeply connected and effective. When a hotel operations team is similarly understanding and celebratory of differences, guests can feel the difference and often become repeat guests as a result.
The big picture: The latest jobs data came out stronger than expected and the Leisure & Hospitality (L&H) industry accounted for nearly one third of all jobs gained in September.
High staff turnover has always been one of the biggest management challenges faced by owners and operators in the hospitality industry. But now, as the nation is experiencing record levels of inflationary growth, rising wages, and labor shortages, the hospitality industry is encountering extreme difficulty finding workers. So, how are hotel owners and operators managing rising labor costs and inflationary risk to drive their bottom line during these unprecedented times?
Given the challenges U.S. hotels are having attracting and retaining employees, the need to invest in employee training is as great as it has ever been. Unfortunately, training expenditures, like all operating expenses, have been subject to major cuts in response to the extremely reduced levels of revenue incurred during 2020 and 2021.
Today’s employment environment is like nothing we have experienced before. The last pandemic happened in 1918, with a very different labour and economic atmosphere. There are no easy answers to a vast number of questions and nuanced circumstances. The travel industry has been particularly hard hit, as so many people were furloughed last year without any real answer about when they would return. As an “academy industry,” a large portion of these furloughed people were in line-level and entry-level management positions – the most vulnerable faction of the American economy.