Hotel Albuquerque bringing back furloughed employees, hiring more staff

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town is preparing for more people to visit the city.

"We are seeing tourism come back, and we are seeing guests wanting to come back to New Mexico," said Molly Rickman of Heritage Hotels and Resorts.

After being forced to lay off employees at the height of the pandemic, Hotel Albuquerque is now planning job fairs.

"Now we’re able to bring those hotel employees back as well as Sawmill employees and Bluewater Linen, but now we’re able to hire new employees for different positions,"Rickman said.

Adrian Montoya, general manager of the hotel and board president of the Greater Albuquerque and lodging association, has seen a broader picture of the pandemic-induced challenges.

"We’ve been one of the industries that has been affected the most by the pandemic," he said. "But we definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. We continue to get busier and busier each and every day."

Montoya said people can make a career in the hospitality industry.

"At 18 years old, I was a bellman at this property, formerly known as Sheraton Old Town. Not only was I able to move up in this company, but now I’m fortunate enough to be the general manager. So we look forward to interviewing and potentially hiring candidates today, to potentially haven an opportunity just like I did," he said.