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Amid today’s strong jobs report comes news that the leisure and hospitality industry is finally returning to pre-pandemic employment levels. Can we finally expect the cost cuts and better services brought about by the end of COVID-19? Sadly, I doubt it.
The employment rate in the hotel industry has rebounded significantly, but why has the same situation not happened in the hotel service industry?
According to the New York Times:
In a landmark move, the leisure and hospitality industry returned to employment levels in February 2020, with approximately 16.9 million jobs currently employed.
So, can we finally expect hotel lounges to reopen, rooms to be cleaned, valet service in mid-market hotels, and more than one waitress running around a full restaurant?
I wouldn’t be too optimistic.
We have seen a return to service levels in most high-end hotels, which is very welcome. But at many mid-level hotels, some of the cuts appear to be permanent. Among them:
- Lounges closed or operating reduced hours
- Pool closed
- Restaurant hours + limited menu
- Buffet breakfast reduced
- No valet parking service
- No room service
- Dirty rooms and common areas (worn carpets, scratched furniture, broken lights)
- Poor staff training
- The room was not ready when checking in
- Room cleaning service is available upon request only
The last one is the most important…I lamented the dirty planes the other day, but we also see hotels cutting corners on cleanliness. “We clean your room every other day and change sheets and towels only on request” is now common.
Frankly, we don’t see a quality product in so many mid-market hotels (Westin, Marriott, Hyatt)…the prices are up, but the service isn’t great…more like a limited service hotel. While there is an overall improvement from the dark days of 2020 and 2021, it is still not back to pre-COVID levels. The hotel gym and other facilities have not been updated, the public areas are dilapidated and the rooms are very old. If you leave your room service tray outside your door at night, chances are it will still be there in the morning.
What’s more, employees are often poorly trained on how to politely speak to customers or handle service recovery.
Of course, I’m speaking in generalities…but I suspect most of you would agree with me, wouldn’t you?
in conclusion
It’s certainly good to see hotels investing more in their properties, but it seems that even as hotel industry employment returns to pre-pandemic levels, hotels have entered a new era of “take it or leave it” service levels, where you really One has to question whether the marginal cost of a mid-market hotel versus a limited-service hotel is worth it, since you can expect a mediocre experience at both places…
Photo: Marriott Hotel
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