HONOLULU (KHON2) — It’s day two of Hawaii’s hotel worker strike and guests say it’s not the dream vacation they were expecting as strikes continue into Tuesday.
“Nobody’s working. We’re not getting our rooms, our bathrooms cleaned,” stated Abid Chaudhry, a guest at the Moana Surfrider. “It’s just horrible. It’s not a not a very pleasant vacation.”
Many visitors blamed staffing shortages for the lack in guest services and delays during check-in.
“We support them for what they’re trying to achieve but we’re having to get our own towels and make our own beds,” said Lauren Armstrong, a guest staying at the Sheraton Waikiki.
Returning guests remember a time when their experiences were much different.
“The service is just not there. There’s no customer service. You call. Nobody cares,” said Chaudhry. “The morale is not there. You can tell the workers aren’t happy.”
The strike involves four major hotel groups including Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott and Kyo-ya.
A statement from Hyatt read, “Hyatt hotels have contingency plans in place to minimize impact on hotel operations related to strike activity.”
A Hilton spokesperson told KHON2, “We respect the union and Team Members’ right to express their points of view, and we remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that is beneficial to both our valued Team Members and to our hotel.”
UNITED HERE Local 5 representatives, a union representing hotel workers, said they hope their employers realize how essential they are for providing quality guest services.
“For the price these rooms are, I’m quite sure the owner can afford to pay them a little bit more money, a living wage because it’s expensive here,” stated Hyatt guest, Rashawn Thompson.