Save NYC hotels from a killer City Council bill
Recently enacted regulations and just introduced legislation on New York City hotels risk undermining the industry’s ability to adapt, innovate, and contribute fully to the city’s economic rebound, causing harm to its vital tourism sector.
The COVID-19 pandemic dealt a severe blow to the city’s hotels, with occupancy rates and revenues plummeting. As the sector continues to face headwinds and profitability pressure, it now faces a barrage of newly proposed mandates and bureaucratic red tape that threatens not only current performance but its future growth and vitality.
One of the most concerning developments is a new City Council bill requiring hotels to obtain an annual license. This abruptly introduced legislation, with no advance consultation or notice to the industry, would impose stringent operational mandates, including arbitrary and onerous staffing requirements that would create a rigid, one-size-fits-all approach that fails to account for the diverse needs of the city’s nearly 700 unique budget, boutique, limited-service, and luxury hotels — and would severely damage the scores of small businesses that serve them.