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Hotel Jobs at Your ServiceChicago is home to an array of elegant, world-class hotels, many of which need friendly, smiling people with good hospitality skills. Employment opportunities exist at all levels, from housekeeping staff to front desk clerks.
With the economy growing stronger, business is improving for the hotel industry. Hotel consultant Ted Mandigo, president of TR Mandigo & Co., says that hotels in the downtown Chicago area had occupancy levels above 70% in 2004. Mandigo expects that number to go up in 2005, and predicts an increase in employment opportunities as hotels re-hire staff members who were laid off during the recession, and add new positions to serve a growing commercial and leisure travel market. Marc Gordon, president and CEO of Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA), is also optimistic. "The [hotel] industry is continuing to improve. … Our hope is that it will recover to where it was in 2000," says Gordon, adding that the planned expansion of McCormick Place (to be completed in 2008) will be a significant factor in attracting more convention business which, in turn, will further boost the Chicago hotel industry.
According to Cook County industry projections from the State of Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES), nearly 32,000 people were employed in hotels and other lodging places in the year 2000. By 2010, that number is expected to jump to more than 35,000 -- an increase of almost 10%. (1) In a city the size of Chicago, there is no shortage of hotels eager to employ and retain a diverse staff. In 2002, Cook County boasted more than 400 hotels and motels combined, and employed more than 25,000 workers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. (2) Many of the city's most luxurious hotels are located in the heart of downtown Chicago and the surrounding areas. IHLA lists more than 70 hotels within the metro Chicago region in its 2005 membership directory. (3)
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