Premier Inn warns over staff shortages as hotel bookings recover
The Premier Inn hotel chain is making a quicker than expected recovery and could return to pre-pandemic profits by next year, as it boosts wages and offers one-off bonuses to tackle staff shortages in the hospitality industry.
The chain warned that it faces a “material number of vacancies” and plans to spend an extra £12m to 13m this year to boost wages in a bid to attract staff to its hotels. It has also set aside £10m to offer one-off retention bonuses in the second half of the year for staff who stay beyond the summer months.
Premier Inn’s owner, Whitbread, said the staff shortages and supply chain problems that are taking a toll on the hospitality sector could pose a risk to its early recovery.
Whitbread’s results for the six months ending
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