Inside the Q3 2025 Labor Report: Trends, Operator Insights, and What To Do Next [Sponsor Bonus]

In this special bonus episode, we break down Actabl's Q3 2025 Hotel Labor Benchmarking Data and explore what it means for hotel operators planning for 2026. Sarah McCay Tams, Head of Research and Editorial for HotelData.com, walks through the major trends shaping wages, overtime, headcount, and productivity across U.S. hotels. She’s joined by experienced operators Shanell Marinuzzi and Peter Kilbourne, who share practical insights on staffing models, forecasting accuracy, cross-training, and using overtime strategically. Listeners will come away with a clearer understanding of how top-performing hotels protected margins in 2025 -- and what to do now to better align labor with real-time demand in the year ahead.

Resources:

• See the charts: Q3 2025 Hotel Labor Benchmarking Data
• Read: How Hotels Used Labor Efficiency to Protect Margins in 2025
• Read: The Future of Hotel Labor Management: A Smarter, People-First Approach to Profitability
• Request a call with Actabl to learn about how they can help you right-size labor

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Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 5:27 2025 at a Glance: Wages, Headcount, Overtime, and HPOR
• 9:24 Three Labor Realities Hotel Leaders Had to Face in 2025
• 11:13 Peter’s Playbook: Part-Time Hiring, Cross-Training, and Flexibility
• 12:37 Department-Level Productivity: Guest Services, Housekeeping, Management
• 13:41 How CSM Cut Overtime 50% with Tools and Housekeeping Training
• 15:12 Behaviors That Drive Productivity and Smart Labor Goals
• 17:24 Wage Growth and Labor Cost per Occupied Room by Role
• 19:11 Using Overtime as a Strategic Tool
• 21:14 Where Overtime Rose, Where It Fell, and What That Signals
• 23:39 What 2025 Labor Trends Mean for 2026
• 28:22 Aligning Labor with Real-Time Demand
• 31:54 Q&A: Small Properties, Contract vs In-House, F&B, and Banquet Labor