Monday — which critics had once assailed as a “nuclear bomb” on the industry — but the fight seems far from over.
Mayor Eric Adams has signed the controversial new hotels bill which critics had once called a “nuclear bomb” on the industry.Adams said the new legislation will set “stronger standards around safety, staffing, and cleaning in our city’s hotels, as well as licensing requirements to help enforce worker and guest protections.”
Arthur Kremer, an outspoken critic of the bill who reps the Minority Hotel Association, called it a “dramatic misuse of the City Council’s powers.” “I think the mayor caved in, just like the city council did, because he wants the support of the hotel union.”The City Council approved the controversial new hotel regulation last month which will now require hospitality businesses to cough up $350 for licenses.
Council member Julie Menin , the bill’s sponsor, thanked advocates Monday who helped get the bill across the finish line. She pointed to NYPD reports of 39 murders at NYC hotels since 2009 and the more than 14,000 criminal complaints between 2019 and 2023.