Mayor Adams, DCWP Celebrate Efforts to Protect Hotel Workers and Guests, Bolster Tourism Industry

July 24, 2025

Video available at: https://youtu.be/NGuyTuja-0M

Legislation Signed by Mayor Adams Last Year Helps Keep Hotel Guests and  
Workers Safe With New Licensing Requirements and Safety Standards

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga today celebrated the city’s ongoing efforts to create safer hotels for employees and visitors alike and bolster the city’s tourism industry. Last year, Mayor Adams signed Intro. 0991 — also known as the Safe Hotels Act — into law to set new, stronger standards around safety, staffing, and cleaning in the city’s hotels, as well as establish licensing requirements to help enforce worker and guest protections. Since the law went into effect earlier this year, the Adams administration has actively worked to implement and enforce the legislation, making sure that all active hotels that the law applies to have a license to operate and are upholding new requirements around worker and guest protections.

“When we came into office, crime was skyrocketing, and our hotels were shuttered. Three years later, the opposite is true. Crime has dropped for six straight quarters in a row while our city is welcoming millions of tourists every single month,” said Mayor Adams. “The Safe Hotels Act is helping us double down on those efforts, keeping guests and workers safe while strengthening our city’s tourism industry. These efforts would not be possible without our partners in law enforcement, labor, business, and, most importantly, our dedicated hotel workers and staff.”

“Our administration is steadfast in our commitment to both protecting workers and consumers and being the best place in the country for industry to flourish,” said Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrion, Jr. “That is as true for the hotel and tourism industry as any other, and I am thankful to DCWP, our industry and labor partners, and our partners in the New York City Council for getting this balance right with the Safe Hotels Act and in ensuring that we continue to provide customers and staff alike with a safe and positive experience in our city’s hotels.”

“Visitors flock to our city to enjoy all we have to offer, from food to culture, and it’s crucial we do all we can to ensure they have a safe and comfortable stay,” said DCWP Commissioner Mayuga. “Tourism is a vital piece of our economy, and we’re committed to supporting our city’s hotel industry. Thank you to Mayor Adams, Councilmember Menin, and the hotel industry for working together to make sure that our city’s guests and hotel staff are safe.”

Thanks to the Safe Hotels Act and enforcement efforts by the Adams administration, New York City is taking several steps to keep city hotels safe, healthy, and clean. Many hotels must now receive a license from the city and ensure that staff — including front desk staff at all hotels and security guards at large hotels — are on-site whenever a guest is staying at the hotel. Hotel operators are required to train employees on recognizing human trafficking and equip employees with panic buttons. Additionally, hotels are now required to clean guest rooms every day unless a visitor declines the service. The Safe Hotels Act also created a private right of action for hotel workers who have experienced retaliation. Finally, the law requires hotels to keep records demonstrating compliance with all these requirements.

In 2020, DCWP began enforcing a local law that expanded consumer and worker protections to hotel workers and guests. The law created a private right of action for hotel service workers who were illegally terminated after a change in hotel ownership and management, and required hotels to notify guests of a specific service disruption that would impact their stay. In 2024, in response to 18 consumer complaints about a range of issues with hotels, DCWP recovered more than $23,000 in relief through mediation. Most of these complaints were for failure to refund deposit holds or charging excessive undisclosed fees. 

###