The Hotel Jerome
It appears that the chief indicator of economic woes, layoffs, have found their way into the luxury bubble that is Aspen. The Daily News is reporting that the Hotel Jerome (owned by a subsidiary of Vail Resorts) has cut three members of their staff: a chef, a caterer and a front desk clerk.
Troy Hooper of Aspen Daily News:
"The Jerome is just the latest in a growing number of employers cutting staff through attrition and layoffs.
“I don’t think anyone is immune,” [Hotel Jerome General Manager Brendan] Carlin said.
The phones at lodging properties aren’t ringing with the same frequency as they used to. The Aspen Chamber Resort Association’s monthly occupancy report released last week showed bookings at Aspen and Snowmass properties are down significantly from a year ago. Aspen Skiing Co. officials recently said reservations through Jan. 11 were down more than 20 percent compared to 2007, although its bookings for later in the season were looking better than usual."
The Daily News also notes that greatly lauded Aspen staples the Little Nell and the St. Regis Aspen are noticing some unusual vacancies this close to the start of the season, but both hotels expect to fill unreserved dates and are optimistic that they will be able to maintain full staffing.
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