With over 4,000 hotel employees nationwide on strike for improved wages and better working conditions, hotel guests have also begun to voice their concerns.

Visitors were not only upset about the reduced services at the resort, but also the lack of prior notice about the strike and the absence of any refund offers from the hotel.

The Hilton Hawaiian Village, employing about 2,000 staff, voted to strike on August 14, following the expiration of their contract with the UNITE HERE union. Workers are seeking fair pay and manageable workloads. Even though the hospitality sector has recovered, employees feel the pressure of pandemic-related layoffs and continue to struggle financially with increased responsibilities. The strikes began on September 23, and no end date has been set as talks are ongoing.

Sylvia Clark, a guest at the resort from September 30 to October 5, was among the protesting visitors. “It was stressful,” she shared with YSL News. “I thought it was very unfair that Hilton didn’t inform their guests about the potential for a strike sooner.”

Clark learned about the strike only three days before her family’s flight from California to Oahu, and she received this information from the booking company, Costco, rather than the hotel. “At that point, it was too late for us,” she remarked.

Clark’s holiday at the resort was far from what she expected when she booked it over two months ago. In their room, there were no towels or trash bags, and it took an entire day to receive toiletries like shampoo and conditioner. Additionally, hearing the protesting workers from downstairs was also unsettling for her. “We didn’t fly for five hours to listen to chanting, but I do understand their cause, which made it a tough situation for me,” she said.

A spokesperson for Hilton Hawaiian Village stated to YSL News, “Our focus is on our guests’ comfort and well-being. We are addressing any inconveniences experienced by guests on an individual basis to make their stay as satisfactory as possible.”

Upon checking in at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, guests received a notification regarding the changes in services, like the absence of room service and limited housekeeping. However, guests noted that a pile of towels and toilet paper were available on each floor for them to take. Reports and images shared by visitors with UNITE HERE indicated that there were also heaps of used towels scattered on the floor and extensive wait times at the front desk due to reduced staffing.

“No one wants a hotel experience where guests must manage their own trash, restock their own towels, and find dining options that are closed,” Gwen Mills, international president of UNITE HERE, stated to YSL News. “Guests booking a stay at a striking hotel deserve prior notification and the option for a refund to allow for rebooking. Hotel employees take pride in their work, and a major part of this movement is advocating for the restoration of pre-pandemic staffing levels and services necessary for excellent hospitality, which begins with treating guests with respect during this challenging period.”

“The service was incredibly frustrating,” Clark recounted. During her stay, she found out that some guests were receiving refunds from the hotel, but when she inquired at the front desk, they informed her, “we’re unable to assist you” since her booking was through a third-party.

Clark asserts that it was Hilton’s duty to inform her well in advance so that she “could have made alternative arrangements for my family’s stay.”

“I was completely unprepared; I scrambled to book a car and extend my rental. It created so much hassle,” she explained. “The issue wasn’t with the protesters, rather it was Hilton’s failure to communicate with us.”

Now back home, Clark has reached out to both the hotel and Costco but has only received reimbursement for her parking expenses thus far. Reflecting on the Hawaiian vacation she invested in, she remarked: “I’ve charged it all to my credit card, so I still have to figure out how to pay for everything.”

(This article has been updated with new information.)