On Tuesday, Lisa Lombardo, chief people and culture officer for Ocala-based HDG Hotels, joined U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., in calling for more federal assistance for the hotel industry. Along with facing problems in hiring workers, the industry has suffered from a drop in business travelers during the pandemic. Hoteliers had hoped business travelers would help take the place of leisure travelers after the new school year began.
“The labor crunch has made affording talent a goal,” Lombardo said in a conference call. “It might seem as though hotels are packed in some markets. And it’s hard to find rooms in some markets. But we know of friends in the industry who are closing down entire floors of their hotels because there aren’t team members to clean the entire hotel, to prepare that hotel for what we hope will be the return of business.”…. SEE MORE.