In the three years since America’s leisure industry was nearly killed off by the pandemic, it has come roaring back: Hotels are fully booked, room prices in some regions are nearly double what they were pre-pandemic, and industry profits recently hit a record high.
What hasn’t come back, many travelers and workers grouse, is the service. Many hotels dramatically reduced housekeeping during the pandemic—initially as a health measure. But with the public health emergency officially over, and hotel occupancy surging back to its pre-pandemic levels, housekeeping is still lagging in many places. Indeed, the frequency of hotel housekeeping has turned into a major flashpoint between hotels and the staff they employ—not to mention guests.
