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☆ I was charged ‘junk fees’ by a New York City hotel. Here’s what happened next
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

In this article HMARBKNG Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTMy hotel bill from a three-night trip to New York City included 21 charges. Nine were for "destination fees." Federal Trade Commission estimates show consumers paid around $2 billion in hotel fees before the pandemic, and mandatory fees have grown since then. The bill, the Hotel Fees Transparency Act, prohibits hotels from advertising rates without mandatory fees. Former presidential candidate and current Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., introduced the Hotels Fees Transparency Act to the U.S. Senate in late July.

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☆ Americans are setting vacation records and splurging at bars, restaurants and hotels
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Bryan Mena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

This expected strength in leisure spending means big business for an industry that was on its knees just three years ago. When the pandemic began, restaurants, bars and hotels were hard hit, shedding more than 8 million jobs in the first few months of 2020. A recent survey from Bank of America showed that 68% of Americans plan to take a vacation this year. Vacationing remained elevated in April with 2.7 million Americans not at work because they were on vacation, the highest level for that month since 2017. Leisure spending is usually first on the chopping block because of its discretionary nature.

☆ Franchisers, Facing Challenges to Business Model, Punch Back
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Lydia Depillis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Matthew Haller, chief executive of the International Franchise Association, cited a 2021 survey by the market research firm Franchise Business Review in which 82 percent of franchisees said they supported their corporate leadership. Hotel franchisees, squeezed by lost revenue during pandemic lockdowns, say they have also been hurt by the hotel brands’ loyalty programs, which require the hotelier to rent rooms at a reduced rate. “There comes a point when you’ve tried and tried to meet with the franchisers to ask for changes, and they refuse to listen,” she said. In Arizona, legislation introduced to enhance franchisees’ ability to sell their businesses and prevent retaliation from franchisers if they band together in associations has also faced resistance. The bill was approved by two committees in February and March, but the International Franchise Association hired two lobbying firms to fight it.

While travel demand is roaring back, many hotels, airlines, cruise operators and airports are still racing to hire and train workers. That means the level of customer service will likely take a hit, industry experts say. One potential bright spot can be found at sea: During the summer, several cruise lines had to cancel voyages due to staffing shortages, but major disruptions have been largely resolved. “It’s highly unlikely your holiday cruise will be canceled due to lack of staffing,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, a Tripadvisor-run travel site. “This year, I moved my annual holiday travel to earlier in December,” said Abby Rhinehart, an educational researcher in Tucson, Arizona.

☆ Business groups optimistic Congress may finally strike immigration deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Shannon-Pettypiece-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Shannon Pettypiece | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

WASHINGTON — Some of the largest business groups in Washington are making a last-ditch effort to get Congress to pass immigration legislation before the end of the year and are optimistic a bipartisan agreement could fall into place. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., began circulating the contours of a possible deal. Businesses have been calling on Congress to change the immigration system and make it easier for them to hire foreign workers for years, but the situation has grown increasingly dire since the pandemic. We hope it can be successful.”Republicans who have been involved in past efforts to change immigration laws poured cold water on the Sinema-Tillis push. I appreciate them working on it — there’s a deal to be done down the road — but it’s not money, it’s policy.”

☆ 'Deadly drop': Hotel housekeeper faces avalanche of laundry showing desperate hotel labor shortage in viral TikTok posts
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-21 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

One housekeeper uses TikTok to show how much laundry she must fold in an 8-plus hour shift. Zeiber's TikTok videos showing what she calls "deadly drops" from a linen chute into the hotel's laundry room, have gone viral, shocking viewers. In the comments section of her account, Zeiber clarified that she is not the only housekeeper at the hotel, but she's the only person responsible for laundry. Sometimes her workdays last beyond eight hours and include more than just laundry, according to Zeiber. Kasea Zeiber is the only housekeeper responsible for folding laundry in an 126-room hotel in the Pittsburgh area.

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