REPORT FROM THE U.S.—In conjunction with a spike in holiday week occupancy, the U.S. hotel industry expanded its staffing to nearly half of its pre-COVID19 normal levels, according to labor-management data from Hotel Effectiveness.
All segments have added significant employee headcount over the past three weeks, but the most dramatic gains were seen in the luxury and resort segment. Propelled by leisure demand, all hotels added rooms division employees to provide expected service levels within the constraints of vastly changed offerings.
Guest services has been able to keep up with demand with minimal staffing changes, but high post-holiday room turnover has pushed hotels to re-hire additional housekeepers and keep them aboard in the week following Independence Day.
As teams increase in size, hotel managers are working to implement health and safety processes to protect staff and guests from coronavirus. More than half of all U.S. states now require pre-shift symptom screening.
The data and chart above represent a sample of more than 3,300 same-store hotels and excludes hotels which have been closed during the analyzed period.
Del Ross is Chief Revenue Officer for Hotel Effectiveness.
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