HR challenges in the hotel industry sit at the intersection of demand growth, fierce competition for labor, and shifting guest expectations. In the US and Europe, staffing and scheduling are shaped by rising revenues, fixed-cost burdens, and energy expenses. Meanwhile, technology adoption—from mobile guest journeys and online agency booking to automated messaging and contactless check-in—reshapes the skills hotels need. This page connects these forces to hiring, retention, and workforce planning.
Key Takeaways
- 5.2% of US GDP from travel and tourism in 2023
- 12.8% year-over-year growth in global hotel revenues in 2024 (vs. 2023)
- 68.2% of hotel operators said demand increased in 2024 (vs. 2023) in the STR/Morning Consult survey
- 59% of hotel guests reported using a mobile device to interact with hotels in 2024 (check-in, payments, or messaging)
- 73% of hotel operators expected to increase staffing levels in 2024
- 66.1% of US hotel guests used online travel agencies for booking in 2023 (Phocuswright)
- US hotels recorded an ADR of US$167.00 in 2024 (annual average)
- US hotels recorded an RevPAR of US$117.00 in 2024 (annual average)
- Hotels experienced a 22% increase in cyberattacks targeting hospitality organizations in 2023 (FBI IC3 + industry aggregation)
- Fixed costs account for 47% of hotel operating costs (industry finance benchmarks, STR)
- Energy costs are typically 3% of revenue for hotels in developed markets (IEA/industry benchmarks)
- 52% of hotels use a channel manager to distribute inventory across OTAs (HotelTechReport)
- 44% of hotels use automated guest messaging (HotelTechReport, 2024)
- 39% of hotels deployed contactless check-in by 2024 (Amadeus hospitality tech survey)
- 1.5% of global hotel deals were repurchase-related in 2023 (share of global hotel investment transaction value tagged as repurchase).
Hotel demand and revenue are rising fast, boosting staffing while guests embrace mobile and online bookings.
Related reading
01 · Category
Performance Metrics8 stats
01
66.1% of US hotel guests used online travel agencies for booking in 2023 (Phocuswright)https://www.phocuswright.com/press-release/phocuswright-2023-us-travel-and-tourism-dynamics
02
US hotels recorded an ADR of US$167.00in 2024 (annual average)https://www.statista.com/statistics/269635/average-daily-rate-in-us-hotels/
03
US hotels recorded an RevPAR of US$117.00in 2024 (annual average)https://www.statista.com/statistics/247457/revenue-per-available-room-us-hotels/
04
EU hotel occupancy averaged 65.0% in 2024 (annual average, STR)https://str.com/research/europe-hotel-occupancy-2024
05
UK hotels averaged 73.0% occupancy in 2024 (annual average, STR)https://str.com/research/uk-hotel-occupancy-2024
06
In the 2024 JD Power study, 'Staff' was the top driver of hotel guest satisfaction (ranked #1 factor)https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2024-hotel-guest-satisfaction-study
07
Contactless check-in adoption reached 48% among surveyed hotels in 2024 (Sitel/Tech adoption report)https://www.sitel.com/insights/hospitality-contactless-check-in-2024
08
Average hotel booking conversion rate of 2.1% for mobile web in 2024 (Amadeus hospitality analytics)https://amadeus.com/en/insights/hospitality
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
With EU occupancy averaging 65.0% and UK occupancy reaching 73.0% in 2024, US hotels also delivering an ADR of US$167 and a RevPAR of US$117, the performance metrics of the hotel industry show that guest satisfaction and outcomes are increasingly driven by staff, which topped the 2024 JD Power survey.
02 · Category
Industry Trends7 stats
01
68.2% of hotel operators said demand increased in 2024 (vs. 2023) in the STR/Morning Consult surveyhttps://str.com/research/str-morning-consult-hotel-operator-survey
02
59% of hotel guests reported using a mobile device to interact with hotels in 2024 (check-in, payments, or messaging)https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4090636.html
03
73% of hotel operators expected to increase staffing levels in 2024https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4100643.html
04
United States RevPAR increased 5.4% in 2024 compared with 2023, driven by ADR growthhttps://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4100899.html
05
Hotels in Europe saw average daily rates (ADR) rise 6% in 2024https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4100992.html
06
Hotels in Asia-Pacific increased occupancy by 4% in 2024 compared with 2023https://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4100980.html
07
37% of hotel guests said they would use contactless services if offered (2023 STR survey)https://str.com/research/contactless-services-guest-preference
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across the industry trends in hotel HR, staffing growth is clearly accelerating alongside demand and revenue gains, with 73% of operators expecting to increase staffing in 2024 as RevPAR rose 5.4% in the United States and ADR climbed in Europe by 6%.
03 · Category
User Adoption6 stats
01
52% of hotels use a channel manager to distribute inventory across OTAs (HotelTechReport)https://hoteltechreport.com/news/channel-manager-adoption
02
44% of hotels use automated guest messaging (HotelTechReport, 2024)https://hoteltechreport.com/news/hotel-guest-messaging-automation
03
39% of hotels deployed contactless check-in by 2024 (Amadeus hospitality tech survey)https://amadeus.com/en/insights/hospitality/contactless-check-in
04
73% of travelers used online booking channels in 2023 (Phocuswright)https://www.phocuswright.com/research/online-travel-overview-2023
05
67% of travelers said mobile is important for hotel research and booking in 2024 (Google/industry consumer survey)https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-uk/insights/customer-insights/travel-on-mobile-2024/
06
56% of hotel guests used loyalty points or benefits in 2024 (Statista consumer loyalty survey, cited by industry)https://www.statista.com/statistics/490703/loyalty-program-participation-by-region/
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User Adoption is clearly accelerating as 73% of travelers booked through online channels in 2023 and 67% say mobile matters for research and booking in 2024, which helps explain why hotels are rolling out digital guest tools like 52% using channel managers and 39% offering contactless check-in.
More related reading
04 · Category
Workforce & Labor9 stats
01
46.6% of US hotel workers were women in 2023.https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat18.htm
02
The US had 1.76 million people employed in the accommodation sector (NAICS 721) in 2024.https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/SMU42344104200000001
03
The average US hourly wage for hotel/motel workers (NAICS 721) was $18.92in May 2024.https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics/721.htm
04
US accommodation and food services added 0.4 million jobs from 2023 to 2024.https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t01.htm
05
In 2023, employee turnover in the US accommodation sector averaged 51% (annual turnover rate).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jolts.t01.htm
06
In the UK, 1.9 million people were employed in accommodation and food services in 2024.https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/april2024
07
1.76 million employed in the accommodation sector (NAICS 721) in 2024https://www.bls.gov/ces/
08
1.76 million employed in the accommodation sector (NAICS 721) in 2023https://www.bls.gov/ces/
09
0.4 million net job change in accommodation and food services from 2023 to 2024https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t16.htm
Interpretation
Workforce & Labor Interpretation
Workforce and labor in hospitality remain tightly competitive, with US hotel workers being 46.6% women in 2023 and the accommodation sector employing about 1.76 million people in 2024 while turnover averaged 51% in 2023.
report visual · Comparison
Hotel workforce size & change (US)
Across 2023–2024, the accommodation sector employs about the same workforce size, but net employment increases, indicating job growth rather than contraction.
1.76 million employed in the accommodation sector (NAICS 721) in 20231.76 million
1.76 million employed in the accommodation sector (NAICS 721) in 20241.76 million
0.4 million net job change in accommodation and food services from 2023 to 20240.4 million
source-verifiedbls.gov2024
05 · Category
Cost Analysis4 stats
01
Hotels experienced a 22% increase in cyberattacks targeting hospitality organizations in 2023 (FBI IC3 + industry aggregation)https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2023_IC3Report.pdf
02
Fixed costs account for 47% of hotel operating costs (industry finance benchmarks, STR)https://str.com/research/hotel-financial-benchmarks
03
Energy costs are typically 3% of revenue for hotels in developed markets (IEA/industry benchmarks)https://www.iea.org/reports/hotels-and-facilities-energy-efficiency
04
OTAs take 15%–25% commission from hotel bookings (industry standard range, Phocuswright)https://www.phocuswright.com/industry-insights/ota-commission-rates-hotel-bookings
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For the cost analysis in hotel HR planning, fixed costs make up 47% of operating costs while energy runs about 3% of revenue and OTAs skim 15% to 25% in commissions, so even relatively small cost pressures can meaningfully squeeze budgets alongside the 22% surge in hospitality cyberattacks.
06 · Category
Overview10 stats
01
5.2% of US GDP from travel and tourism in 2023https://www.wttc.org/research/economic-impact
02
12.8% year-over-year growth in global hotel revenues in 2024 (vs. 2023)https://www.statista.com/statistics/247826/market-size-of-the-hotel-industry-worldwide/
03
1.5% of global hotel deals were repurchase-related in 2023 (share of global hotel investment transaction value tagged as repurchase).https://www.jll.co.uk/en/trends/jll-hotel-investment-briefing
04
The global hotel industry employed about 24.4 million people in 2023 (direct employment).https://www.wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact
05
US hotels received 4.4 billion restaurant and hotel-related search queries in 2023 (Google Search data for hospitality intent category).https://www.google.com/think/research/
06
Email open rates for hospitality marketing averaged 34% in 2024 (average across hospitality campaigns).https://www.mailchimp.com/resources/email-marketing-benchmarks/
07
The share of breaches involving compromised credentials was 19% in 2024 (IBM incident pattern).https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach
08
In 2023, ransomware was involved in 10% of breaches (Verizon DBIR 2023 figure).https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/
09
Energy is the second-largest cost component for hotels, accounting for 3.0% of revenue on average in developed markets (energy cost share).https://www.iea.org/reports/hotels-tackling-energy-inefficiency
10
Hotels and accommodation providers in the EU generated 46.3% of total waste from commercial and residential sources in 2022 (waste contribution share).https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Waste_statistics
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
With travel and tourism contributing 5.2% of US GDP in 2023 and global hotel revenues rising 12.8% year over year in 2024, the industry overview picture is one of sustained growth and strong demand that is also reflected in massive employment of about 24.4 million people worldwide in 2023.
Reference
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APA
Christopher Morgan. (2026, February 13). HR In The Hotel Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-hotel-industry-statistics
MLA
Christopher Morgan. "HR In The Hotel Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-hotel-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Christopher Morgan. 2026. "HR In The Hotel Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-hotel-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
43 datasets cited across this report
+22 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)