HBI Staff | Hyderabad 
According to India Today, A group of South Asian immigrant hotel owners in New York City is voicing strong opposition to a proposed bill they believe could severely impact the city’s hospitality industry and jeopardize their American Dreams. The Indian-American members of the New York City Minority Hotel Association, who own approximately 120 non-union hotels mainly outside of Manhattan, are pushing back against the Safe Hotels Act, which aims to ban the outsourcing of jobs such as housekeeping.
Mukesh Patel, a New York City hotelier and founding member of the association, expressed concerns about the bill’s potential impact, stating, “Our coalition represents the American Dream—hardworking immigrant families who came to this nation, took a chance to build their small businesses, and over decades, created a community within the walls of their hotels.” Patel, who immigrated to the U.S. from India 30 years ago, warned that the bill “has the potential to destroy all of that progress, put thousands of people out of work, and shut down small businesses all over the city.”
The bill, sponsored by Upper East Side Democratic Councilwoman Julie Menin, would require hotels to apply for an annual license, with the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection overseeing regulations. Supported by the Hotel Trades Council (HTC), the bill also seeks to prevent hotels from outsourcing cleaning and front desk jobs to private firms.
Patel criticized the bill as an effort to force hotels to unionize, which he argues would increase costs and harm the industry. “I don’t think most council members are aware of the consequences this bill will have on the hotel industry,” he said, noting that many hotels are still struggling to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patel also expressed concern that the new licensing authority could lead to unfair revocation of licenses, making banks hesitant to lend to hotels due to increased uncertainty.
