Doing More With Less: Labor and Technology in the Hotel Industry

With a spring travel boom just around the corner, hoteliers are focusing on staffing to ensure they can provide the guest support that is demanded. Most are predicting that a combination of thorough employee training and an increase in technology will be most successful in retaining quality staff and continuing to grow business. 

The managing principal of Crown Hospitality, Amanda Chivers, notes that after two years of high turnover during the pandemic, exit interviews are important for hotels to understand ways to improve culture and employee experiences. She stresses that providing quality training is critical to prevent employees from burning out and leaving quickly. 

Other principals have implemented new benefits to stay attractive to employees such as moving up start dates for health insurance and offering weekly or daily pay. While hiring quality staff is crucial, some of that work demand can be filled by technology and we are seeing a big shift towards less reliance on human labor. 

Many hotels have opted for guests to check-in digitally and make requests through an app instead of calling the front desk. Introductions to new technology can be slow, but principals say that the hotels that are willing to test them out will see long-term success. While some see it as doing more with less, many hoteliers say it’s actually about prioritization, efficiency, and flexibility.