Protect NYC Tourism Coalition Rallies Against City Council’s Catastrophic Hotel Bill

Yesterday, over one thousand hotel owners, workers, and small business owners, as part of the newly formed Protect NYC Tourism Coalition, rallied on the steps of City Hall to fight against the City Council’s so-called “Safe Hotels” bill. The Coalition is asking the City Council to reject the bill, Int.991, as it threatens the sustainability of New York City’s hotel and tourism businesses and puts the livelihoods of thousands of dedicated workers at risk.

The Coalition includes members of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), Hotel Association of New York City (HANYC), the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), the Coalition for Hotel Subcontractors, the NYC Minority Hotel Association, the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators and Developers (NABHOOD) and numerous other groups and stakeholders that support New York City’s tourism industry.

“This legislation will cause irrevocable damage and hurt thousands of guests, hotel owners, workers, and small business owners who support New York City’s hotel and tourism industry,” said American Hotel & Lodging Association Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey. “The economic toll of this bill will reverberate for years, forcing hotels to lay off hard-working staff, raise rates, and even permanently close. This is not a licensing or safety bill. It’s a government takeover of New York City hotels, and we will not stop fighting until it’s defeated.”

“The National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers stands with New York City’s hotel owners, workers, and small businesses in opposing Int. 991,” said Andy Ingraham, President, CEO and Founder of NABHOOD. “This bill would disproportionately impact minority-owned hotels and developers, who have worked tirelessly to contribute to the city’s tourism industry and create jobs within their communities. The operational costs and regulatory burdens of this legislation threaten to undo decades of progress in creating inclusive opportunities for Black and minority hotel owners. We urge the City Council to reconsider this bill and work with us to find solutions that support economic growth and job creation – not stifle them.”

“Int. 991 is a solution in search of a problem. It imposes staffing mandates that most hotels cannot afford, forcing closures, and disrupting hotel lending and transactions,” said Vijay Dandapani, President & CEO of the Hotel Association of NYC. “This bill harms the financial health of hotels and threatens the sustainability of New York’s tourism industry. The City Council should be working with us, not against us, to support job creation and economic recovery.”

“The Safe Hotels Act will have devastating effects on our hotels and the hospitality industry,” said Rahul Patel, Treasurer of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association. “This bill would require our small hotels to stop partnering with other small businesses and force them to let go of their employees. Our hotels offer personal service, often with a small team of staff. If we could hire more employees, we would, but it is a shame that this bill is trying to force us to work outside our current functioning business model. It is patently unfair for the City Council to impose a one-size-fits-all business model on all hotels. This bill will destroy our livelihoods.”

“This legislation is a dagger to the heart of our City’s hotel, tourism, and entertainment industries,” said Jim Whelan, REBNY President. “It will hurt the City’s economic recovery, cut jobs and slash tax revenue. If enacted, it is yet another deterrent to investing in New York.”

“The hospitality industry could not function without family-owned businesses, first- and second-generation immigrant entrepreneurs, and small business owners who provide housekeeping and maintenance services, as well as other needs specific to the hospitality industry, and today we made it clear we are a strong, unified coalition coming together to fight for our livelihoods,” said Camilo Torres, Chief Operating Officer of Lumina HR, a hospitality staffing solutions company located in Manhattan. “We hope this rally sends a message to the City Council that they should reconsider this legislation and bring us to the table to discuss the issues we face and how we can work together to solve them.”

First introduced by Councilwoman Julie Menin over the summer, Int. 991 has been positioned as a “simple licensing bill” by its supporters, but in reality, it would impose harsh and costly operational mandates that would force many hotels out of business and eliminate jobs. It jeopardizes New York City’s 42,000 hotel jobs, the nearly 260,000 jobs New York City hotels support, and billions of dollars in revenue for New York City. Last year, New York City’s tourism industry generated $74 billion in economic impact with more than $48 billion coming from direct spending.

The Coalition also made clear the important safety protocols already in place at member hotels, and the industry’s long-standing commitment to end human trafficking. Int. 991 is not a hotel safety and human trafficking prevention bill. New York hotels are already required to train all employees on human trafficking awareness and training – because of a law the hotel industry worked to pass in 2022.