US Hotels Brace for Summer Surge Amid Staffing Shortages

When it comes to planning the perfect summer getaway, the last thing on vacationers’ minds is whether their hotel has enough staff to clean their rooms or serve their meals. Yet, as many travelers have found, the hospitality industry is grappling with severe staffing shortages that threaten to put a damper on their much-anticipated vacation. Despite improvements in staffing since the pandemic, many hotels are still struggling to operate at full capacity.

The statistics are staggering. According to the National Hotel & Lodging Association, a whopping 76% of hotels across the country are understaffed. This shortage is acutely felt in bustling tourist destinations like Las Vegas, where the hotel industry is finding it particularly challenging to rebound post-pandemic. Suzanne Hinde, the general manager of the Sheraton in Myrtle Beach, noted that her housekeeping team, which should be between 20 and 40 strong during the summer, is far from meeting those numbers. It’s not just housekeeping either—food and beverage services are also seeing similar deficits.

To cope with the lack of staff, hotels have had to make significant changes to their operations. For example, some have reduced the frequency of room cleanings to every other day or even a few times a week. While this cutback helps manage the workload, it’s hardly the luxurious experience guests expect. Some hotels are even turning to technology to fill the gaps. Take the Sheraton in Myrtle Beach, for example, which has employed a robot named Wiz to clean long hallways. While Wiz saves on labor costs and time, not all hotels can afford such high-tech solutions.

Despite the increase in wages post-pandemic, hiring enough staff remains a formidable challenge. In Beaufort, North Carolina, Peter Grills, the general manager of the Beaufort Hotel, reveals they are just a few housekeepers and chefs short of their goal. This slight shortage has led to scenarios where the hotel couldn’t sell 6 to 10 rooms because they simply didn’t have the manpower to clean them.

There is a silver lining on the horizon, though. Kevin Carey, the interim president of the National Hotel & Lodging Association, mentioned that they are working on legislation to expand the H-2B visa program. This program allows migrants to work temporarily in non-agricultural jobs, a move that could help fill some of those unoccupied positions and alleviate the staffing crisis.

In the end, while your hotel stay might not be the seamless experience you envisioned, it’s important to remember that the hospitality industry is working tirelessly to get back on its feet. So the next time your room isn’t cleaned as frequently or your meal takes a bit longer to arrive, think of the dedicated folks behind the scenes, doing double duty to make your vacation as enjoyable as possible. After all, even a robot named Wiz can’t replace the human touch.