The American Hotel & Lodging Association has established Sept. 1 as National Hotel Employee Day in the National Day Calendar. National Hotel Employee Day will be celebrated annually to thank hotel employees for their work and to recognize the integral role they play in the nation’s travel, tourism and hotel industries.
This year, National Hotel Employee Day will take on added significance, as hotels across the nation are working to quickly fill more than 120,000 open hotel jobs, according to the AHLA. To attract more talent, hotels are offering current and prospective employees higher wages, better benefits and more flexibility.
“On this inaugural National Hotel Employee Day, we thank America’s nearly two million hotel employees. Every day in communities across the nation, hotel employees’ service and dedication help facilitate some of Americans’ most important life events—from wedding receptions to family reunions and vacations,” AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers said in a statement. “And with more than 120,000 open hotel jobs across the nation, now is the time to consider one of the more than 200 enriching careers in the hotel industry.”
Nearly all hotels are experiencing staffing shortages, and half report being severely understaffed, according to a member survey conducted by the AHLA. Ninety-seven percent of survey respondents indicated they are experiencing a staffing shortage, 49 percent severely so. The most critical staffing need is housekeeping, with 58 percent ranking it as their biggest challenge.
These staffing challenges coupled with strong summer travel demand are resulting in historic career opportunities for hotel employees. National average hotel wages have increased from $18.74 per hour before the pandemic to $22.25 per hour in May.
“There has never been a better time to work in the hotel industry than right now,” Rogers said.
The hotel industry presents more than 200 different career paths and many opportunities for upward mobility, with 80 percent of entry-level workers eligible for a promotion in less than one year and 50 percent of hotel general managers having started in an entry-level position, according to the AHLA.