Phuket Hotel News: Hotels Struggle to Maintain Service Levels
Behind the polished lobbies and Instagrammable views of Phuket’s hotels lies a brewing crisis that few are willing to address publicly. A growing number of resorts and hospitality businesses on the island are being forced to operate with skeleton crews, inflated wage bills, and no clear path to building a sustainable workforce. This silent emergency is reshaping the operational landscape of one of Thailand’s most tourism-dependent regions.
Phuket’s hotels are battling to stay open with rising wages and shrinking workforce
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This Phuket Hotel News report found that staffing shortages are affecting everything from housekeeping turnaround times to F&B outlet operations. Many hotels are now cross-training staff to take on multiple roles, while others have resorted to reducing services altogether—cutting buffet hours, limiting room cleanings, and delaying check-in times to cope with workforce limitations.
Wages Are Rising but Loyalty Is Not
To fill vacancies, hotels have significantly increased salaries across entry- and mid-level roles. However, higher pay is not translating into long-term retention. Many staff members, especially younger ones, hop between properties chasing signing bonuses or quick promotions. Others abandon the industry altogether, opting for jobs in retail, logistics, or even abroad, where work hours and conditions are more predictable.
Recruitment efforts have extended into Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia, but visa complexities, language barriers, and rising costs are making it harder to bring in reliable foreign workers. Several operators interviewed say that what used to be a dependable staffing pipeline has now become a source of constant disruption.
Training and Talent Pipelines Have Collapsed
COVID-19 decimated hospitality education pipelines. Once-thriving vocational programs and hospitality schools are seeing dwindling enrollments, and many graduates are no longer viewing hotel work as a viable career path. Internships, once a backbone of Phuket’s service training, have been slashed or eliminated.
The absence of a robust talent pipeline has forced many GMs to compromise on experience and training in order to simply fill positions. Some luxury hotels have even scaled back planned expansions due to the inability to guarantee adequate staffing levels for new rooms or services.
A Long-Term Risk to Phuket’s Global Reputation
If unresolved, this labour crisis threatens to undermine the guest experience Phuket is known for. Negative reviews tied to slow service or untrained staff are already emerging across online platforms. While demand for travel may continue rising, the island’s ability to deliver high-quality hospitality is dangerously stretched.
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