The Hotel Comeback Ordinance requires hotels to rehire employees laid off or furloughed because of COVID-19 before hiring any other job candidates.
Many Providence hotels have been closed for months, and more than 700 hotel workers are out of work because of COVID-19.
The City of Providence has made significant investments in tourism, in part via tax stabilization agreements - significant tax breaks - that encouraged hotel investors to finance the construction and operation of lodging properties in the city.
The ordinance will remain in effect until 1 November 2022.
