Hotel Facility Execs Praise Talent and Sustainability

“Everyone is trying to be more ecologically friendly. We were an early adopter of bulk amenities, getting away from individual bottles,” Moore says. “We found the guests really like that.” 

The team at Thunder Valley is also currently using a green chemical line for cleaning and have added ozone machines to the laundry to cut down on chemical and hot-water energy use. 

At Feather Falls, the staff has found innovative ways to reduce waste while benefiting local nonprofits. 

“We’ve partnered with the local SPCA (a non-profit that helps promote animal welfare and responsible pet ownership) and a wildlife refuge so that all of our soiled and demanded linens and towels go to those locations,” instead of throwing them away, Nash says. 

At the Shoreline and Coconut Hotels, the simple act of replacing older light bulbs with LED bulbs has made a big difference in energy savings and costs, Nagata says. 

The War for Talent 

Workforce issues are nothing new to managers and execs in hospitality. But coming back from the pandemic, they are facing a few new wrinkles, including generational differences and preferences for remote work. 

“After we came back from COVID, we came back wildly with full occupancy,” recalls Moore. “Our challenge was having enough people to clean those rooms.” 

Cleaning is hands-on, in-person work and can be demanding in facilities that are open 24-7. While Thunder Valley Casino and Resort is mostly staffed now, they still use outside help to fill in when needed. 

“We’ve partnered with Pride Industries, a company that helps people with disabilities find employment opportunities. They work in laundry and housekeeping, as well as helping detail vehicles in our fleet,” Moore says. “The partnership is not just about saving money. It’s about giving people opportunities which they are very grateful to have and to be able to get into the workforce and create a more inclusive work environment.” 

Although some hospitality facilities have found workarounds to the labor shortages, managers struggle with generational differences. Younger workers are more likely to want flexibility, work-life balance, defined career paths, and benefits packages. Social and soft skills that have been well-honed by older generations are less common in Gen Z workers. This impacts the way younger workers perform their tasks, and how that translates to the requirements of service-oriented hospitality jobs. 

Not only did workers leave the industry during the COVID disruption, meaning there are more industry newcomers joining the hospitality workforce, but there’s a disconnect between technology skills and the interpersonal communication skills needed to do the job. 

“We see some people struggle to communicate with guests, and it’s challenging,” Moore says. 

Nagata agrees. He is concerned with the lack of commitment to the mastery of key hospitality skill sets, which is why he has embarked on a personal mission to help develop the next generation of leadership. 

“Hotels are challenged with making housekeeping as exciting and appealing as working the front desk or being a concierge,” Nagata says. “How do we create a passion for housekeeping? As an industry, we have to identify what we can do and how we can pivot to be able to provide the services our guests expect.” 

Lisa Ridgely is a freelance writer based in the Milwaukee area.