LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Some hotels in Little Rock are having trouble filling open positions as more people get out and travel again this summer.
The Residence Inn and Homewood Suites in downtown Little Rock are sold out almost all the time now. It's a welcome surprise for Stephanie Harkness, the market director of sales for McKibbon Hospitality.
"Very busy. It's looking really promising for both my hotels and the city," she said.
She was not expecting hotels to bounce back so quickly amid the pandemic.
"The metrics last year were telling us we wouldn't get back to this point until 2023 and as an industry we're starting to see numbers getting back to 2019 levels," Harkness said.
While it's good news people are traveling again, Harkness is having problems keeping a full staff at all four of her hotels in Little Rock.
"We are in 16 different states and we're seeing the same thing in all of our markets," she said.
The restaurants inside are still shut down, and cleaning service has been limited for inside the rooms.
"Both of the brands have implemented something where you request housekeeping when you need it," Harkness said. "We close our inventory at times so we don't overwhelm the housekeepers we do have."
On top of being down multiple housekeepers, she has multiple other positions open as well.
"Front desk, engineering, bistro staff. We really need it all," Harkness said.
As Harkness tries to find people people to work, she hopes people will be understanding.
"Just be patient with us if it takes a little bit longer to check you in or if we don't have all of the amenities available that you might be used to. Hotels as a whole, not just my hotel, are trying to get back to pre-covid times," Harkness said.
If you are interested in a job with McKibbon Hospitality, click here.