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Downtown Marriott layoff

Kansas City’s largest hotel announces more layoffs and reduced hours.

Long held as the largest hotel in the Kansas City area, Marriott is not exempt to the strain COVID-19 has placed on many businesses in the metro.

The Kansas City Marriott Downtown is has announced it will begin more layoffs and reduced hours, according to KCTV5, and is one of several hotels in the area to make the announcement. Other hotels making similar statements include its sister hotel, the Marriott Kansas City Country Club Plaza, as well as Crossroads Hotel, Adams Mark Hotel and Ameristar Casino Hotel, among a growing list of others.

In a WARN Act notification last week, the hotel’s owner, the Kansas City Hotel Group LLC, said 280 employees were affected by the moves, which began around March 20 and have now been extended beyond its initial six-month duration, according to article by KCUR.

“The challenges posed by COVID-19, as well as the ongoing government directives, however, have continued to expand and be extended, and have required or encouraged people to remain in place, resulting in restriction of business, large gatherings and business/personal travel,” the notification said. “Further these challenges have caused a sudden, severe and worsening downturn in the travel and hospitality industry that now makes it reasonably foreseeable that the Temporary Actions will likely be extended beyond six (6) months.”

As COVID-19 continues to take its toll on the travel and hospitality industry, the announced layoffs came shortly after the manager of two other big area hotels managed by the Marriott Corp., the Westin Crown Center and the Sheraton Crown Center, collectively laid off, furloughed or cut the hours of nearly 500 employees, according to KCUR.

The larger hotels in the area, such as the two hotels located in Crown Center, have been hit hard by the cancellation meetings, conventions and other activities canceled due to COVID-19.

Jason Fulvi, president and CEO of Visit KC, said 96 meetings and conventions had been canceled this year due to the pandemic, costing the city an estimated $162 million in lost economic impact, according to KCUR. Visit KC, formerly known as the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association, has furloughed nearly half its staff of about 45 people. A large portion of its $11 million budget, about 39%, comes from hotel lodging taxes.