INDUSTRY NEWS

By Jim Dallke  –  Senior Editor, Chicago Business Journal

As Chicago and the rest of Illinois enters phase five of Covid reopening, the city is planning to temporarily close three of its business streets for dining, performances and other activities this summer.

Hotel News Now

By: Sean McCracken

While the past year has been the most challenging on record for the hotel industry, the CEOs of the top global hotel brands agree the table is set for a comeback that might come more quickly than outside observers would expect.

SHRM

By: Kylie Ora Lobell

Leisure travel is back following a year of lockdowns. But in the time it's taken hospitality companies to restart their hiring efforts, many of their former employees have found new jobs in other sectors. The result: Restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues nationwide can't find enough workers.

Lodging Magazine

By: Lodging Staff

More than a year into the pandemic, there is optimism for the travel industry. Four in 10 U.S. travelers plan to take at least one vacation this summer, a percentage similar to pre-pandemic summer travel of 2019. A desire for health safety continues to weigh on travelers more so than finances. At least 75 percent of travelers are considering factors such as COVID-19 restrictions, crowd avoidance, vaccination status, social distancing, and CDC guidelines when selecting their vacation destination.

Lodging Magazine

In April 2020, the hotel industry saw the bulk of its key performance indicators stoop to unprecedented levels due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following 12 months have been slow, but as the world recovers from the pandemic, hotel performance metrics are recovering, too. But although performance is improving, numbers are still lagging from the pre-pandemic era.

HR Dive

By: Ryan Golden

Federal equal employment opportunity laws do not prohibit policies requiring that all employees who physically enter a workplace receive a COVID-19 vaccination, so long as such policies comply with the reasonable accommodation provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act as well as other applicable laws, according to technical assistance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission updated May 28.

Chicago Business Journal

By I-Chun Chen  –  Staff Reporter

Pendry Hotels & Resorts has opened its latest hotel at the iconic 1920s-era Carbide & Carbon Building in the heart of the Loop district.

Lodging Magazine

By Phillip Sprehe

The hospitality and leisure sectors employ arts, entertainment, recreation, lodging, and food service workers, among many others. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the landscape of hospitality and leisure employment; the industries were forced to hibernate as employment plunged between February and April 2020.

Lodging Magazine

By David Brebner

The pandemic has spurred a greater interest and demand for touchless or socially distant interactions between hotel team members and guests. A digital concierge can meet this demand without the impersonal and sometimes frustrating experience of kiosks and touchscreens. Public expectations for health screenings post-pandemic are yet to be determined, but as the mask mandates lift and businesses reopen, a digital concierge platform can provide a better option for customized services and health monitoring to respond to regulatory requirements and guest preferences.

By Jeff Weinstein HOTELSMag.com

Ace Hotel Group President Brad Wilson expressed how the pandemic has changed him as a leader in HOTELS Tuesday feature story. In Part 2 of this Q&A, Wilson talks more about the future and opines on what the lifestyle hotel segment needs to do to come back even stronger, including accommodating “bleisure” travelers.

Read on for more about Wilson’s take on the way forward, Ace’s pipeline and his message for hoteliers, quoting the brand’s founder, Alex Calderwood.