Labor double-whammy for hotels affects planners, too

Even as they pay front-line employees the highest average hourly rate ever, more than two-thirds of properties nationwide still have notable staffing shortages

As meeting planners send out requests for proposal for upcoming meetings and communicate with hotels that respond, it seems likely that their property counterparts will not be amenable to negotiating on price.

Key takeaways

• December 2023 saw the highest average hourly rate ever for front-line employees at hotels across the country: $23.91, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.;
• Even so, 67 percent of more than 400 hotel managers who responded to the latest survey conducted by the American Hotel and Lodging Association say they still face a staffing shortage;
• More than four out of five hotels have increased wages within the last six months alone, as leisure and business travel has been robust, according to the AHLA survey.

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