Hotels in New York must be required to directly hire core staff and have 24-hour staff

Hotels in New York City must now obtain an operating license, while most hotels must directly employ a “core” group of workers, including front desk staff and housekeeping, rather than relying on subcontractors, according to legislation introduced Monday by Mayor Eric Adams has been signed.

The Safe Hotels Act, which passed the city last month on a 45-4 vote, was heralded by supporters as a crucial step in protecting the safety of hotel workers and guests. But some industry officials say the measure will hurt the city’s tourism sector.

Mayor Eric Adams said during a signing ceremony Monday at City Hall that the legislation “creates safer hotels for workers and visitors and strengthens the city’s tourism industry.”

The Washington DC-based American Hotel & Lodging Association was among a number of industry groups that lobbied against the bill and succeeded in securing some changes in the final legislation.

Even with the changes, Kevin Carey, president and chief executive of the association, last month called the measure a “power play by special interests that will cause irreparable damage to the hotel industry and the city’s tourism economy.”

The legislation stipulates that all hotel operators in the city are required to obtain a license from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection or face civil penalties. The $350 license, which must be visibly displayed at the hotel, would be valid for two years.

Meanwhile, every hotel would be required to have a 24-hour front desk available at all hours, or during overnight shifts, a security guard would be required to keep an eye on the property while a room is occupied. Operators of hotels with more than 400 rooms would be mandated to employ at least one security guard, the bill said.

Hotel employees would also be provided with panic buttons and be required to follow training in the field of recognizing human trafficking. Hotels would also be required to clean all rooms daily unless a guess declines the service.

The most controversial part of the legislation requires hotels with 100 or more rooms to “employ their core staff directly,” including front desk staff and housekeepers, rather than using subcontractors or relying on management companies or employment agencies.

Amendments to the bill exempted food and beverage staff, security and technical functions, and hotels with fewer than 100 rooms.

Councilwoman Julie Menin (D-Manhattan), the bill’s lead sponsor, said the measure will protect the city’s estimated 64.5 million annual visitors.

“The Safe Hotels Act marks a historic step toward improving public safety and ensuring the protection of workers in the city’s hotel and hospitality industries,” Menin said in a statement. “This groundbreaking legislation requires hotels to be licensed to operate in the five boroughs of New York, and implements critical safety measures such as panic buttons for housekeepers, human trafficking recognition training, and subcontracting restrictions for critical, public-facing hotel workers.”

The bill will take effect in 180 days. In the meantime, the Ministry of Consumer and Worker Protection is expected to draw up rules on how the measure should be enforced, officials said.

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has been with Newsday since 2011. He is an alumnus of Queens College and American University.