Four-fifths of surveyed hotels report staffing shortages

As more than 80 percent of hotels experience staffing shortages, hoteliers are offering potential hires a host of incentives to fill vacancies, according to a new survey of hoteliers conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).

Some 75 percent of respondents are increasing wages, 64 percent are offering greater flexibility with hours, and 36 percent are expanding benefits — but 87 percent say they are still unable to fill open positions.

Some 82 percent of survey respondents indicate they are experiencing a staffing shortage, 26 percent severely so — meaning the shortage is impacting the hotel’s ability to operate. The most critical staffing need is housekeeping, with 40 percent ranking it as their top hiring need.

These numbers have increased slightly from January 2023, when 79 percent of survey respondents indicated they were experiencing a staffing shortage. The figures have improved since May 2022, however, when 97 percent of surve