September was another big month for headlines in the hospitality industry.
The past month was a pivotal one for the hotels and resorts sector as workers took to the picket lines, major brands revealed expansion plans and industry leaders descended on Washington, D.C. to lobby lawmakers for better policies.
Here are the hospitality industry's biggest stories from September.
Thousands of Hotel Workers Strike
This past month will be remembered for significant strike action that saw thousands of hotel workers at major brands walk off the job in multiple cities in hopes of securing higher pay and reduced workloads.
The industry has been hit hard by staffing shortages since the COVID-19 pandemic more than four years ago but a rising cost of living in many big cities has workers pushing for raises to support themselves and their families.
"Workers aren’t making enough to support their families. Many can no longer afford to live in the cities that they welcome guests to...We won’t accept a ‘new normal’ where hotel companies profit by cutting their offerings to guests and abandoning their commitments to workers," said UNITE HERE International president Gwen Mills.
Park Hyatt Los Cabos at Cabo del Sol aerial view rendering (Photo Credit: Hyatt)
Major Brands Expand
Amid this month's crippling strikes, multiple major hotel chains revealed ambitious expansion plans in September, including Hyatt, which has a slew of new properties set to open across the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean in the coming year.
Meanwhile, hotel giant Hilton is gearing up for several notable openings while some other properties will receive renovations.
New Michelin Key Properties Revealed
Michelin announced a "comprehensive refresh" of its hotel selection this year, revealing the very best stays across the country for 2024.
Guest checking in at a hotel front desk. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Charlie's)
This year, five new hotels and resorts joined Michelin’s exclusive Three Key club, including Sage Lodge in Montana, Amangiri in Utah, and Canyon Ranch Tucson in Arizona.
What's more, Austin, Texas and Charleston, South Carolina were big winners, adding a combined 15 new Key hotels.
Hotel Leaders Head to DC
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) held its annual Hotels on the Hill fly-in event on Capitol Hill this September, with more than 200 hoteliers and industry leaders from as many as 36 states pushing for important policies.
The sought-after legislation included bills designed to grow the industry and improve the guest experience. Attendess lobbied for the the bipartisan Hotel Fees Transparency Act and the Closing the Workforce Gap Act, among others.
"From tax policies that promote small business growth to expanding the hotel workforce to challenging burdensome regulations, there’s no limit to what hoteliers can achieve when we’re united and speak with one voice. Hotels on the Hill gives us a unique opportunity to do just that," said AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey.
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