While COVID-19 has adversely affected hospitality industry revenues due to a decrease in travel by potential customers, it has also affected hotels' ability to maintain an adequate work force. The H-2B program allowing U.S. employers to petition U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to hire foreign nationals for temporary non-agricultural jobs may enable hotels to address temporary staff shortages. READ MORE

The lodging and hospitality industry and its owners and operators have a service orientation that demands constant interaction with guests, employees, vendors and those in the host communities where they operate. Lodging operators need to be aware and vigilant of the changing landscape of their legal environment due to COVID-19. READ MORE

Many hotel employers were forced to lay off staff when shelter-in-place orders grounded travel and tourism. Now hoteliers face a host of new legal obligations. In an effort to put laid off workers in the same position they were pre-pandemic, a number of municipalities and states have enacted "right to recall" laws that require that employers offer re-opened positions to previously laid off staff before hiring new employees. READ MORE

The Biden administration's rescission of a series of presidential proclamations that restricted international travel into the United States from multiple countries following the outbreak of COVID-19 will likely offer immediate benefits to hotels, restaurants, and the travel industry in general. After almost 18 months of closure, is America really open for business? READ MORE

The hospitality industry has been plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic continues to impact occupancy rates and conference bookings, hotels have a number of restructuring options available to avoid foreclosure. This article highlights the best practices for engaging with lenders to explore available restructuring options in the event of prolonged financial distress. READ MORE