Amid a Labor Crunch, One Hotel Tried Something Different

HotStats | October 22, 2021

Opening a hotel amid even normal times is a challenge. But these times are anything but ordinary. For The Rockaway Beach Hotel, in Queens, NY, opening last fall was compounded by a raging global pandemic and a resultant labor crunch. According to HotStats data, labor costs globally are on the rise, but still below their 2019 levels. In the U.S., total hotel payroll on a per-available-room basis sat at $52.99 in August 2021 and has been on a steady incline since the beginning of the year—now 62% of 2019 levels. Labor costs are now more than $20 higher YOY per available room than at the same time a year ago. Europe, likewise, is seeing...