Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic: If hotels have lost it, will it ever return?

As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches into its second year, it's becoming clear that many hotel perks and services cut "due to coronavirus" might not return.

Many hotels have eliminated services such as breakfast, housekeeping, restaurants, lounges, pools, spas, gyms, kids' clubs, room service, and even concierge services.

Some guests are noticing that items like pens, notepads, and "Do Not Disturb" signs have also seemingly disappeared from certain properties.

Tim Jue, a travel and airline reporter based in San Francisco, stated, "I doubt these reductions will be reversed soon; I would be surprised to see any of these amenities back in the coming years."

Resort and destination fees are one of the few things that remained intact during the pandemic, even as the benefits associated with these fees keep diminishing.

This situation frustrates Jue, who shared with TPG, "The real issue is that many hotels continue to impose high resort fees despite these reductions. Ultimately, you're paying more for less, which is a poor deal for your wallet."

Some experts believe that guests will soon start protesting due to the absence of amenities and services. "When you visit a city where mask mandates are easing, bars and gyms are open, but your hotel resembles a deserted East Berlin with everything shut or blocked off—especially in full-service establishments—guests will be outraged and won't tolerate it," remarked Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research.

So, what has been removed and how does it affect guests? Keep reading.

No more complimentary breakfast.

Many hotels eliminated breakfast services during the pandemic. Although breakfast is returning to numerous hotels, the selection, timing, and variety have often been drastically reduced.

"Hotel owners are like injured animals, fiercely reacting to their guests as they try to recover," stated Harteveldt. "They show no remorse, prioritizing their profits over the needs or expectations of guests, even when brands indicate that services should be reinstated."

We reached out to readers in the TPG Lounge group on Facebook, and, unsurprisingly, it sparked a lively conversation.

They informed TPG that breakfast has yet to return at some locations.

During her recent stay in Fort Lauderdale, Suzanne Wolco was not surprised to find no room service but was taken aback by the absence of breakfast entirely. She mentioned being, "... advised to visit local restaurants if I didn’t want to grab a coffee from the lobby café."

Kelly Albomonti expressed her longing for hot, satisfying breakfasts, stating, "The idea of microwaving a frozen breakfast sandwich myself doesn’t appeal to me."

Throughout much of the pandemic, many hotels only provided grab-and-go breakfast packs. Thankfully, that practice seems to have largely faded.

Don Digison shared his experience, saying, "I stayed at the Hilton Doubletree Miami International Airport before a cruise. The room was clean, service was just okay, and the dining room breakfast was lackluster at best. It was overpriced (even with the Gold member credit) and of very poor quality."

A social media post last weekend caught my eye regarding the reduced breakfast perks at Hilton.

Throughout the pandemic, Hilton introduced a "temporary" policy for complimentary breakfast for its Gold and Diamond members, which has now been extended through at least 2022. Instead of a free breakfast, Hilton elites receive a food and beverage credit to use during their stay. The catch? It seldom covers a complete breakfast.

Jue noted that while a daily room credit of $10 to $25 sounds appealing in principle, "... when the hotel restaurant charges $15 for a bagel and schmear, the costs add up quickly. You typically end up spending more than the daily credit. Nowadays, I usually go out for my breakfast."

This reduction in breakfast benefits is just one of many significant changes we've witnessed at hotels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What happened to the lounges?

One of the oddest and most enduring cutbacks in hotels has been the disappearance of hotel lounges. In many establishments, executive floor lounges are either closed or stripped of any substantial food or beverage offerings.

"What's truly frustrating is when guests pay for amenities that aren't provided," stated Harteveldt. "If you've paid for a club-level room expecting a premium experience, only to find the lounge closed, that’s not what those guests are paying for."

When I surveyed readers in the TPG Lounge about what they missed the most, many expressed nostalgia for the hotel lounge, which in numerous locations across the United States is either nonexistent or significantly diminished.

When lounges are open, they often offer a disappointing selection of granola bars and, if you're fortunate, a bottle of water.

"Many hotels I've visited have announced that their lounges won't be returning," shared Larry Kaplan in the TPG Lounge. He added, "What's the purpose of having VIP floors at a premium rate if there’s no lounge?" Kaplan described it as a, "... deceptive method of cutting costs to boost profits, attempting to shift the blame onto COVID-19."

Colleen Caldwell Specht recounted to TPG, "We stayed at the Marriott in Irvine a few months back, and the executive lounge was only open on weekends. Since I arrived on Saturday and left mid-week, we only got to enjoy our complimentary breakfast on one day during our stay."

Blair Soucy mentioned, "The Hyatt O'Hare Regency Club was closed during my last visit, but they offered a $20 breakfast buffet... which should have been complimentary... ."

Another reader informed me that the lounges at both the Hyatt Regency and Grand Hyatt in Denver are still closed, not due to COVID-19, but because of staff shortages, as both hotels indicated.

The staffing shortages might be just as responsible for the absence of certain amenities as COVID-19 itself. Tim Jue remarked:

"Hotels faced significant challenges during the pandemic and continue to navigate turbulent waters, leading them to cut costs wherever possible to stay afloat. The labor shortage, increased operational costs, and supply chain issues are intensifying the pressure on this industry, making it unlikely for many hotels to reinstate hot breakfast buffets or lounges for elite members in the near future. For travelers, this translates to diminished value for your money. Elite hotel lounges traditionally featured excellent happy hour offerings, but I believe those days are behind us,"

Gary Hoel expressed skepticism about some hotels' explanations, saying, "... they claim it’s due to staffing shortages. Yet, international hotels seem to manage just fine, unlike those in the U.S. (I’ve recently stayed in Iceland, London, Miami, and Anchorage)."

No more daily room cleaning service

Numerous hotels suspended daily housekeeping during the pandemic, and in many chains like Hilton, this practice has become a relic of the past. At Hilton, housekeeping is now "available by request only." Guests needing their rooms cleaned must contact the front desk, and even then, it may only result in fresh towels and a cleared trash bin.

"Housekeeping at many of the hotels I've visited is now only upon request, and I foresee this trend becoming standard due to ongoing labor shortages in the sector," remarked Jue.

"In some hotels, daily housekeeping might be a permanent loss," confirmed Harteveldt, adding:

"While daily housekeeping may vanish or become by request at three-star and two-star hotels, guests at four-star establishments are paying for services and amenities, creating the most intense conflict. Hotel owners could face significant issues here. When brands establish expectations for guest experiences, and loyalty programs enhance those promises, guests will anticipate fulfillment. This is particularly true for longstanding brands like Hilton, Marriott, Westin, Crowne Plaza, Kimpton, Hyatt, and other four-star hotels where housekeeping, restaurants, and gyms are expected to be available,"

One of the most common grievances we heard in the TPG Lounge was about the absence of daily housekeeping.

Kyle Parks mentioned that he is currently staying at the Renaissance in St. Augustine, where "Housekeeping refreshes the towels but doesn’t make the bed or take out the trash."

No gym access

Gyms were shut down at the onset of the pandemic when the transmission of COVID-19 was still uncertain. Most hotels have since reopened their fitness centers, but some remain closed or operate with restricted capacity and hours. In certain locations, gym reservations are mandatory.

Traci Chenini expressed her frustration, saying, "I dislike having to make reservations to use the gym. On a brief visit, if you’re not aware to book ahead, you miss out. Plus, the gym is often empty since many reserve but don't show up."

Erica Ramos shared her concerns about the gym at the Hyatt House in Emeryville, saying, "... it's reservation-only, making it nearly impossible to snag a morning slot if you check in the day before. Plus, there's no notification about this when you check in via the app."

No pool, hot tub, or other aquatic amenities

During the pandemic, many hotels, including Hilton Waikiki and Sonesta in Kauai, closed their pools, hot tubs, saunas, and waterparks, as depicted in the photo above, with hot tubs remaining shut during the peak of the crisis.

While most pools and aquatic features have reopened, some properties still keep their pools closed, and others with multiple pools may have only one available at a time.

No more hotel shuttles

I personally experienced significant frustration with hotel shuttles a few times. For instance, when I arrived late one night in Fairbanks with my elderly father, the hotel shuttle was missing. After trying to reach the front desk at the Hyatt Place where we were booked, no one picked up. Thankfully, a driver from a nearby hotel took pity on us and gave us a ride. When we got there, I noticed the shuttle sitting out front, but without a driver. The front desk informed me that the phones sometimes don't work, but there was simply no driver available. How convenient.

The following day, I had to plead with the overnight clerk to give us a ride to the train station, as ride-share options were scarce in Fairbanks.

These days, it's increasingly common for hotels to eliminate shuttle services altogether or significantly reduce their operating hours. Coupled with Uber and Lyft driver shortages, this creates a challenging situation.

Beverly Kerr shared, "Last year, the hotel in Denver did not provide the 24-hour airport shuttle as advertised on their website. It took a long time to reach someone when I called, only to find out that the shuttle had stopped running half an hour before our arrival. We had to rely on Lyft instead. On another occasion, the hotel shuttle to the airport was contracted out and made multiple stops at other hotels, which caused a lot of stress for passengers trying to make their flights on time."

Many spas are either completely closed or are operating with reduced hours these days.

Numerous spas have either shut down or are functioning with limited hours, as seen at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska.

Restaurants are either closed or offering limited menus and hours.

Often, hotel lobbies have shut down their restaurants completely or retained just one with restricted hours. Many hotels have also eliminated room service. During my stays in Anchorage, I found only one restaurant open with limited evening service.

On another visit to the upscale Hotel 1000 in Seattle, the restaurant was fantastic but operated only a few hours on select days each week.

Jeffrey Eslinger shared in the TPG Lounge that during his week at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, he experienced, "... no room service, no lunch dining options, and the only sit-down dinner choice was Ruth's Chris." However, he noted that housekeeping was excellent during his stay, which is a plus.

Farewell to the concierge

In many hotels, the concierge desk appears neglected and deserted—either eliminated altogether or providing inconsistent service. The pandemic accelerated a trend where hotels moved away from traditional concierge services, relying more on Google. Some establishments even recommend searching for local attractions on Trip Advisor or finding restaurants via apps like Uber Eats.

Poor service and understaffing concerns

When we inquired about what’s lacking in hotels these days, Dan Horvath responded to TPG, "It's the little things. For example, a simple acknowledgment like, 'thank you for being a Marriott Titanium elite member. We value your loyalty.' I'm not asking for anything extravagant, but gestures like that matter. Also, any removed amenities that are justified by 'health and safety' annoy me. I'd prefer if they were upfront and said, 'we're cutting this because we’re short-staffed and trying to save money.'"

This sentiment echoed among our readers—many feel everything is diminished. Ta Lia Krajcovic mentioned:

"We recently stayed at a luxury hotel and while nothing was explicitly 'missing,' everything felt inconsistent and unreliable, from the service to the amenities. One day, service was outstanding; the next, we could not get anyone at the hotel to answer the phone. It seems like the system is overwhelmed by a surge in travel demand combined with a shortage of trained staff. It genuinely feels like travel is on the rise, but the industry might struggle to keep up. The frustration is palpable. I believe travelers would find more satisfaction by opting for fast casual options and lowering their expectations regarding amenities and services they were once accustomed to."

The bottom line

Many of the aspects we loved about hotel stays were cut during the pandemic, and two years later, they might not be returning. While some services and amenities are gradually making a comeback, others may be lost for good—especially with inflation, staff shortages, and companies' drive for higher profits appearing to be persistent issues. Sadly, it seems resort fees are here to stay. If the pandemic didn’t eliminate them, it’s likely nothing will, unless governments take action against them. Meanwhile, those resort fees are covering less and less.

However, analysts warn that hotels are taking a risky gamble. "What will happen is that hotel guests will start to behave like airline passengers, perceiving hotels as interchangeable commodities and prioritizing price, opting for the cheapest rooms and rates available," noted Harteveldt. "If hotel owners and operators aren't careful, they could spiral their businesses into a downturn."