In case you missed it
The BizBash editorial team recently rounded up all the fun (and philanthropic) ways that cities and venues are celebrating LGBTQIA+ pride this month. We also reviewed some of the creative ways the venue is leaning towards events – including the San Diego Padres fundraising festival in the middle of the building and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center luncheon inside the trash – including the key community points at Harrah’s new Cherokee Casino Resort.
Here are five things you should know this month…
1. Hotels are still facing labor problems…
Here are the statistics that surprised us: 82% of hotels are still showing a shortage of staff. This is according to a new survey of hoteliers conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), which shows that the hotel is offering new incentives such as increased wages, greater flexibility, and additional benefits. (The most important employee need is housekeeping, with 40% ranking it as their top hiring need.)
There is good news: The number is up significantly from this time last year, when 97% of respondents reported a shortage of staff. And since the pandemic, most hotel wages have risen faster than average wages for the rest of the economy, and hotel profits and flexibility are better than ever, the AHLA says. “The demand for workers in the hospitality industry continues to improve the recognition of opportunities for hotel workers, who are enjoying higher wages and better benefits and flexibility than ever before,” said AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers.
2. …but American hotels support nearly 1 in 25 US jobs.
Despite the decline, American hotels support 8.3 million American jobs, which equates to 1 in 25 US jobs, according to an economic analysis released last month by AHLA and Oxford Economics. This new study shows the hotel industry’s financial impact: Guests spend more than $691 billion on lodging, transportation, food and beverage, shopping, and other essential purchases, and for every $100 they spend on lodging, guests spend another $220. on their journey. The top five countries in 2022 for hotel guest spending? California, Florida, New York, Nevada, and Texas. “Hoteliers are investing in our employees to create quality jobs that boost the local economy, and this analysis is a testament to that,” said Rogers.
NoMo SoHo’s Rose Garden is open Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.mPhoto: Courtesy of NoMo SoHo
‘Tis the season for drinks in the sun – and hotels are getting creative this year. The InterContinental New York Barclay, for example, partnered with Veuve Clicquot for a special theme park; The 1,300-square-foot space offers views of the Chrysler Building and features pops of Veuve’s signature yellow. Also in New York, the NoMo SoHo hotel has opened its Rose Garden patio, which is lined with pink roses and greens and offers floral drinks such as the SoHo Spritz rosé or the Lo-Fi Gentian Amaro blend La Vie en Rose.
In Canada, the Fairmont Empress in British Columbia has introduced Sunset Sips, a new evening restaurant and cocktail bar that plays host to afternoon tea. There are energy drinks with drinks such as the “Mad Hatter” (with fresh tequila, Cointreau, raspberry lemonade, lime and pineapple) and the “Lady Whistledown,” inspired by the popular Netflix series (including gin and pineapple). chamomile tea juice, garnished with pickled cucumbers and served with a side carafe of prosecco). The tapas menu is served at the top of the three teahouses.
And in a modern twist, The Hampton Social’s nine restaurants in Illinois, Florida, and Tennessee are celebrating National Rosé Month with 30 days of rosé programming, rosé-themed happy hours—and a ChatGPT hotline. For the past two years, beverage director Greg Innocent has created a global hotline to answer burning questions about rosé. (What foods go best with a pale-pink drink? What are some rosé cocktail recipes? Is there a difference between light and dark rosés?, etc.) This year, the hotline is the ChatGPT-inspired Rosé Bot-line . Led by Innocent and his team of bartending experts, the digital bot-line uses information shared with real human bartenders to generate answers to rosé-related questions.
4. To settle is to be on the show.
Sustainability continues to be one of the world’s hottest topics, and there have been several trends this month. At BizBash, we recently spoke with teams at Allegiant Stadium—home of the Las Vegas Raiders—and nZero, a near-real-time carbon accounting and management platform that will provide 24/7 tracking and monitoring of carbon emissions and water use data. The new deal makes the Raiders one of America’s leading sports teams to track their carbon footprint.
Some of the places they boarded include The Beverly Hilton and the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, two of the most famous hotels in Los Angeles, which partnered with Nostromo Energy, a provider of energy storage solutions for commercial buildings. Nostromo’s sustainable energy storage system, which will serve two neighboring hotels, is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enable the hotels to meet their sustainability goals and save on energy costs.
5. Graduate Hotels are paying the latest grades to travel.
Graduate Hotels recently began accepting applications for its first Victory Lap program. The new project will provide four recent graduates with a stipend starting at $20,000 to travel to 16 Graduate locations—from Nashville to the United Kingdom—to capture the true magic and spirit of each university town. The 10-week internship will give graduates a unique opportunity to develop their business skills while exploring their future careers. Those interested in travel, social media, and storytelling can apply here by submitting a 60-second video that captures the spirit of their college town. Applications are open until July 7.
