NYC hotels banning guns after agreement with union

NEW YORK - Hotels across New York City are joining together to ban guns from hotel rooms - they say in an effort to protect guests and tourists. 

After the US Supreme Court struck down New York’s concealed carry law which was over a century old, the state Legislature passed a bill that allows guns to be prohibited in "sensitive areas," including private businesses. 

"This is really important because it's a destination marketplace for the world," Vijay Dandapani President & CEO, Hotel Association of NYC said. "The focus of this is entirely on the safety of the people coming in here."

The Hotel Association of New York City, which represent hundreds of hotels in the city, struck a deal with the Hotel Trades Council so that most hotel rooms will prohibit guns of any kind.

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On-duty officers and agents will still be allowed to carry a gun, as well as anyone else exempted under the state’s bill. 

Employers will also notify all customers and guests about this ban on firearms. 

"The agreement will be there at some point, either in the reservation confirmation or on their website," Dandapani explained. "That’s up to each hotel."

After the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Hotel Trades Council wrote a letter to state lawmakers, urging them to pass the bill allowing guns to be banned from private businesses, Times Square, and more.

"Public accommodations and tourism hubs may always be targets for people with guns to commit terrible acts of violence, but by achieving this agreement to keep guns away from these vulnerable areas, we can better ensure the security of workers and customers while also promoting the economic recovery of the hospitality sector," Rich Maroko, President of the NY Hotel & Gaming Trades Council (HTC) stated. 

Hotels will begin enforcing this policy in the coming weeks.