Riviera Maya Hotel Layoffs Worsen as Occupancy Hits 49%

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Low hotel occupancy in the Riviera Maya has dropped to just under 50 percent, leaving hospitality workers facing widespread layoffs and difficulty finding new jobs in what employees describe as a downturn worse than previous summer seasons or even the 2020 pandemic.

According to the Riviera Maya Hotel Association, occupancy reached 55.15 percent on Saturday but fell to 49.36 percent by Monday. The decline has kept hotel employees out of work and forced some to accept jobs in stores and other businesses that pay far less.

Ana Salazar Olguín, a housekeeper who has lived in Playa del Carmen for 20 years, said she has gone 20 days without finding a job. She said that while hotel pay was never high, tips, union benefits and legal protections once allowed workers to cover their expenses.

“In small companies, employees often earn only the minimum wage, with no tips or benefits,” she said. “That makes it hard to pay for food, utilities, transportation and school supplies.” She added that the cost of living in Playa del Carmen makes the situation worse.

Gabriela Velázquez, a former hotel employee, said she was laid off 20 days ago because of the drop in guests. She said hotel job openings are scarce, and she eventually found work in a store earning 200 pesos a day, without meals or transportation. Other businesses offer 300 pesos per shift, which she said is not enough to cover family expenses.

Velázquez said she has searched many establishments for work, but the wages offered are too low. Rents in the area range from 5,000 to 6,000 pesos a month, plus water and electricity, she said. To get by, she has begun selling some belongings while waiting for hotel occupancy to improve in December, when she hopes to return to the sector.

Alejandro Torres, a merchant, said the minimum wage is insufficient to keep pace with rising prices. He said breakfast out costs between 150 and 200 pesos, while a meal can range from 180 to 250 pesos, even for street tacos.