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1. Houston hotel strike ends
Unionized workers at the Hilton Americas-Houston agreed to a deal with owner Houston First Corporation to end its 40-day labor strike, Houston Chronicle reports.
The new contract includes a minimum wage of $20, up from $16.50, with guaranteed raises that will increase to $22 by 2028. Also as part of the new deal, housekeepers will have a reduced workload, workers will have a 401(k) plan option and Hilton will pay for any increases in healthcare premiums.
“Forty days ago on Labor Day, these courageous workers took a stand,” United Here Local 23 lead negotiator Willy Gonzalez said at a news conference. “And 40 days later, I’m here to say, they came together and won.”
2. Nor'easter storm hits East Coast
A nor'easter — a large storm that forms along the East Coast of North America — is causing flooding and travel cancellations in the Northeast U.S. and along the East Coast, the Associated Press reports.
Delaware emergency management officials activated the state National Guard in response to flooding and harsh winds. South Carolina cities along the coast such as Charleston saw flooding that led to closures. New Jersey and New York have declared a state of emergency that is expected to last through Monday night.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul advised people to avoid travel. There have been some flight delays and cancellations in airports from Washington, D.C., to Boston.
3. EAST Miami leads priciest US hotel deals in third quarter
The hotel transaction market has remained relatively muted in 2025, but there are still deals getting done. CoStar News' Bryan Wroten compiled a list of the highest-priced hotel transactions that closed during the third quarter of 2025, with the $300 million EAST Miami deal leading the way.
There were five hotel deals that eclipsed $100 million, including the EAST Miami; Marriott Seattle Waterfront; Sunseeker Resort Florida Gulf Coast, Curio Collection by Hilton; Washington Marriott at Metro Center; and The Wagner at the Battery.
4. AI grows economy but not worker productivity yet
Investment in artificial intelligence has been a hot-button topic over the past few years, including in the hospitality industry. The Wall Street Journal reports that while it has helped grow the U.S. economy, AI tools haven't substantially boosted the productivity of American workers on the whole yet.
JPMorgan Chase economists didn't find a strong link between AI use and industry productivity outside of tech industries in a report conducted earlier this year. An analysis from Yale Budget Lab found that in the three months ended November 2022, 18.2% of U.S. workers were in occupations highly exposed to ChatGPT; in the three months ended in August 2025, that share was at 18.3%.
“The thing about AI is it is such amazing technology, so it feels like the economic impacts should match the emotional impacts,” said Yale Budget Lab executive director Martha Gimbel. “And I don’t think we’re quite there.”
5. US companies, consumers hit hardest by tariff policy
Early indications show that U.S. companies and consumers are enduring the worst of the effects of President Donald Trump's new import tariff policy, Reuters reports. Since the start of the tariff rollout in early March, imported goods have become 4% more expensive and domestic products are 2% costlier.
"Most of the cost seems to be borne by U.S. firms," Harvard University professor Alberto Cavallo said in an interview to discuss his findings. "We have seen a gradual pass-through to consumer prices and there's a clear upward pressure."