The Hidden Epidemic in America’s Hotels
In the summer of 2018, a 17-year-old girl named Elizabeth found herself selling sex from a room on the second floor of a Days Inn in Marietta, Georgia. Her story is not unique. Across the United States, hotels have become typical venues for sex trafficking, with victims forced to sell their bodies in rooms that should be havens for travelers. This dark reality has sparked a crucial question: Should hotel chains be held liable for the human trafficking occurring on their properties?
5 Key Points
- Hotels are typical venues for sex trafficking in the U.S.
- New legal strategies target corporate franchisers
- Victims are filing lawsuits against major hotel chains
- Industry responses include training programs and policy changes
- Franchising model complicates liability issues
Shocking Statistics: The Scope of Hotel Human Trafficking
The prevalence of human trafficking in hotels is staggering. According to the 2018 Polaris Survivor Survey, over 60% of sex trafficking victims reported being forced to sell sex from hotels. The Human Trafficking Institute’s data paints an even grimmer picture: 46% of federal criminal sex trafficking cases included allegations of commercial sex taking place in hotels.
These numbers reveal a troubling intersection between the hospitality industry and human exploitation. Louise Shelley, director of George Mason University’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime, and Corruption Center, emphasizes, “We focus not enough on how human trafficking intersects with the legitimate economy. This is one of the key points in the supply chain where it does.”
Legal Revolution: Targeting Hotel Chains for Accountability
In recent years, a new legal strategy has emerged, aiming to hold not just individual hotels but corporate franchisers accountable for trafficking on their properties. Since 2015, over 110 civil sex trafficking lawsuits have been filed against hotel franchisers in federal courts across the country.
Steven Babin, an Ohio attorney at the forefront of this legal revolution, explains the rationale: “It’s a top-down problem, right? Considering who is in the position to affect most what’s happening and who’s benefitting the most—all signs point to these corporations.”
These lawsuits are reshaping the landscape of accountability in the hospitality industry, forcing major chains to confront their role in inadvertently facilitating human trafficking.
The Franchising Dilemma: Profits vs. Responsibility
The modern American hotel industry is built on franchising, a model that allows brands to expand their reach while minimizing real estate and overhead costs. However, this structure also complicates questions of liability when it comes to issues like human trafficking.
Greg Hanis, a veteran hotel consultant, explains the financial incentives: “When I’m a franchiser, whether that franchisee is performing well or not, I get a royalty fee on those rooms that sell.” This arrangement has led to a situation where corporate brands closely police material consistency, such as the type of coffee served in the lobby but have historically been less involved in decisions regarding crime prevention.
The franchising model creates a complex web of responsibility, making it challenging to determine who should be held accountable for trafficking incidents at individual properties.
Industry Awakening: Hotel Chains Respond to Trafficking Concerns
As lawsuits mount and public awareness grows, the hotel industry has taken steps to address human trafficking:
- Training Initiatives: The American Hotel and Lodging Association Foundation partnered with ECPAT-USA to create a “No Room for Trafficking” training program, which has been taken over 800,000 times.
- Policy Overhauls: Some hotel chains, like Wyndham, have updated their policies and mandated training for team members and franchisees to help identify and report trafficking activities.
- Law Enforcement Collaboration: Hotels are increasingly encouraged to work closely with local authorities to identify and report suspicious activities.
- Survivor Support: Many hotel chains have donated rooms and funds to support trafficking survivors, demonstrating a commitment to addressing the aftermath of these crimes.
Persistent Challenges: Obstacles in Prevention and Prosecution
Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain in preventing and prosecuting hotel human trafficking:
- High Turnover Hurdle: The hospitality industry’s notoriously high employee turnover rates make consistent training difficult, as Brad Bonnell, head of security at Extended Stay America, notes: “You have to train and retrain and remind people.”
- Franchising Gaps: The franchising model can create gaps in oversight and accountability, with corporate brands often distancing themselves from day-to-day operations.
- Profit Prioritization: Some hotel owners may prioritize profits over safety concerns, disregarding suspicious activities to maintain occupancy rates.
- Legal Complexities: The intricate web of franchising agreements and corporate structures makes it difficult to establish corporate franchisers’ liability in court.
Victims’ Voices: The Human Cost of Hotel Trafficking
Behind the statistics and legal battles are real people whose lives have been irrevocably changed by trafficking. Elizabeth, now 22, recalls her time at the Days Inn: “I sat down in the middle of the worst days of my life, and I manifested this life for myself.”
Another survivor, Anastasia, was trafficked through multiple hotels on the East Coast, including a Howard Johnson in Pennsylvania. She eventually escaped and later testified against her traffickers and the hotel staff who facilitated her exploitation. “It was a haven for the traffickers,” Anastasia said. “It’s just too easy for them because no one does anything about it.”
These stories highlight the human cost of hotel trafficking and underscore the importance of holding the industry accountable.
The Road Ahead: Reshaping Hotel Industry Accountability
The hotel industry faces a reckoning as more cases go through the courts. The outcome of these lawsuits could reshape how hotel chains approach safety and security, potentially leading to more proactive measures against human trafficking.
For victims like Elizabeth and Anastasia, these legal actions represent more than potential compensation. They offer a chance for accountability and a voice for those who have long been silenced.
The path forward requires continued vigilance from all stakeholders—including hotel staff, law enforcement, and the public. Only through collective effort can we hope to combat this form of exploitation and ensure that hotels become the safe spaces they were meant to be.
