Connecticut Lodging Association
04/26/2022
Essential Workers, Essential Protections Food Services Webinar
The Wage and Hour Division’s Northeast Region will host a virtual training and Q&A session for employers and workers in the food services industry.

The presentation will discuss common FLSA minimum wage, overtime, tip rules, worker, and child labor violations found in the restaurant industry and how to avoid them. The webinar will also discuss recent regulatory changes involving tipped workers and tip pools.

The FLSA’s break time for nursing mothers requirements and the Family and Medical Leave Act’s (FMLA) leave protections will also be discussed. Links to helpful USDOL/WHD resource materials will be provided during the webinar, and a Q&A session will follow the presentation.


FREE TO ATTEND
Date: Thursday, May 19, 2022
Time: 10 AM – 11:30 AM ET
Online via Microsoft Teams: click here to register
CBRE Hotels | U.S. Hotel Update 04.26.22
Here's are our recent observations on the current State of the Union from CBRE Hotels, plus our download link below with a special International Visitor Data page below. 

  • ADR gains have outpaced near term inflation but wages continue to be a concern for operators and owners. Hotel wages are up 15 percent year-to-date while the 2022 CPI has increased at a healthy clip to 7.2 percent in April. CBRE remains optimistic that inflation will temper after 2022 however indicators for 2022 seem to point towards continued near term increases in CPI. Estimates at this time indicate ADR growth in 2023 is anticipated to outpace increases in CPI in 2023.

  • Demand growth continues to be strong through the 1st quarter 2022. Through March 2022, demand growth was down approximately 10% to 2019 levels and ADR was up over 12 percent, the strongest gains since the beginning of the pandemic. Demand growth forecast for 2022 is now at 8.2 percent and this is likely due to the return of corporate travel and the continuing positive impact of leisure travel.

  • As COVID restrictions have eased, there is a growing perception that travel has become more safe. However, corporate group and large association and convention type group business remains well below 2019 levels. It is anticipated that corporate group will return to stronger levels by the end of 2022 and that overall demand growth for 2023 will remain well above inflation. TSA throughput during March and April were roughly 90 percent of 2019 levels. This may have been strengthened due to the influence of “Spring Break” during March and April.

  • U.S Hotel total operating revenue performance has also continued a steady increase through 2022 and the most recent data available (through February), indicate that US Total Operating Revenue as a percent of the same month in 2019 was at 96 percent. 

  • There is room for growth and improvement with regard to international visitors to the west coast. East coast gateway markets such as New York, Boston, Washington, DC and Miami are rebounding on a monthly basis relative to 2019 levels, while Asia-dependent west coast markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle are lagging. In February 2022, international visitor penetration rates for New York and Miami relative to February 2019 were respectively 98 and 132 percent, while respective Los Angeles and San Francisco levels were 57 and 55 percent. This is largely due to the “rolling” COVID restrictions worldwide. It is anticipated that as COVID case decline in the east, that travel to the west coast of the U.S. will likely improve.  
 
  • Data pertaining to foreclosures and CMBS delinquencies continue to exhibit declines as hotels benefit from increases in guest stays, due mainly to significant increases in air travel.
Coronavirus (COVID19) in Connecticut
Connecticut Update: as of Apr. 25, 2022 4:00 p.m. portal.ct.gov/coronavirus
Overall Summary Total**; Change Since Yesterday
COVID-19 Cases; 815,751; +5,261
COVID-19 Tests Reported; 14,010,297; +67,332
Daily Test Positivity; 7.81%
Patients Currently Hospitalized with COVID-19; 179; +34
**Includes confirmed plus probable cases
U.S. - COVID19: What is the current situation?
Cases & Latest Updates 4/25/22 Cases in U.S.
Total cases: 80,807,564 +15,249
Total deaths: 988,707 +28
Global
World Health Organization Situation Report who.int
507,501,771 cases; +4,425,066
6,220,390; deaths; +14,753

Connecticut News

State Urges School Officials to Plan for Increase in COVID-19 Cases nbcconnecticut.com

Health Headlines: COVID-19 vaccines for young kids, drug just approved for their use
National News

This week in travel: Mask mandates and tourist tax

As COVID cases rise, the U.S. is in a better place than before npr.org
Hotel News
New Global Research From Expedia Group Spotlights Growing Consumer Interest in Sustainable Tourism hotel-online.com

Deloitte: Business Travel to Ascend But Will Not Reach 2019 Levels by Year End

Travel & Tourism Sector Expected to Create Nearly 126 Million New Jobs Within the Next Decade

STR: Q1 U.S. Hotel Construction Dips, Planning Up
DE&I Best Practices Guide
As the AHLA Foundation makes progress on its five-year commitment towards advancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in our hospitality community, we wanted you to be the first to know about our next milestone: A brand-new industry best practices guide. Reflecting a year’s worth of development in partnership with our industry’s DE&I Task force and experts at Korn Ferry, the DE&I Best Practices Guide is composed of actionable tips tailored specifically for brands, owners, and management companies to help guide you, your company or property toward greater, measurable diversity goals.

The inaugural DE&I Best Practices Guide is a resource to help members start or accelerate their DE&I journey. Every DE&I journey will be unique, and this is intended serve as a starting point that should be adapted based on your organization’s unique situation. This version – which contains key resources for brands, managers and owners – will provides robust tips and guidelines to become a more inclusive leader. The guide includes:

  • Crafting your DE&I strategy 
  • Creating and benchmarking DE&I metrics
  • Establishing a Council or Task Force focused on DE&I
  • Building a more inclusive hiring process
  • Instilling career advancement and mobility opportunities for employees

To support you in navigating this wealth of material, AHLA Foundation and Korn Ferry experts will lead a series of webinars and "Office Hours” between May and September. This guide will be followed by an interactive microsite, which will be available in the next few months so you can easily access and digest this resource.
Resources