The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) revealed that more than 15,000 hotels have signed up for its new initiative—Hospitality for Hope, which identifies hotel properties that have offered to provide temporary housing for emergency and healthcare workers as the COVID-19 public health crisis grows.
While the program will primarily focus on housing for the healthcare community, some hotels could potentially be used as “Alternative Care Sites,” such as an emergency hospital or place for those quarantined to stay if needed.
Upscale economy lodging brand Red Roof has launched Room in Your Heart: Opening Doors to First Responders as part of the brand’s giving program, Room in Your Heart. Through May 31, Red Roof is donating a limited number of available rooms to these first responders, giving them a place to sleep and stay in between shifts at participating properties across the country.
At this time of crisis, those associated with the hotel industry make every effort to take care of their own, as well as others in the areas that they serve. Here are some organizations that are helping any way they can during the coronavirus pandemic:
Innisfree Hotels Donates Rooms to Healthcare Workers
Innisfree Hotels will donate up to 6,300 room nights to frontline medical professionals leading the fight against COVID-19. The company will make rooms available without charge to doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics and other frontline medical staff through the end of May. The initiative will be executed in partnership with Hilton and American Express’ commitment to donate up to 1 million hotel room nights across the U.S.
Best Western Rolls Out Support Package for Frontline Workers
Best Western Hotels & Resorts has launched a support package designed to offer help to frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The package includes a discounted rate at participating BWHR-branded hotels, a custom loyalty offering for essential workers and expanded donation offerings supporting COVID-19 relief efforts. In addition to keeping its doors open to essential workers in their time of need, BWHR is offering a Best Western Rewards (BWR) Elite status upgrade to those on the front lines. Elite BWR members can enjoy bonus points for every stay, exclusive promotional offers and discounted rates at BWHR-branded hotels worldwide.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Honors Everyday Heroes
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has launched the #EverydayHeroes initiative, offering all essential workers on the front lines of COVID-19 instant complimentary Gold membership upgrades in its Wyndham Rewards loyalty program.
Hard Rock International, Seminole Gaming Donates Soap
Clean the World Foundation has joined forces with Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming, which operates the Hard Rock Hotel-Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, FL, to fight the spread of COVID-19. The organizations donated 350,000 bars of soap to Clean the World in order to provide life-saving soap to individuals and families across the globe that are most vulnerable to hygiene-related illnesses.
Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming currently participate in Clean the World’s Hospitality Recycling program. Through this program, room attendants collect the soap and bathroom amenities left behind by hotel guests and ship them to a Clean the World facility. The soap is ground, sanitized, melted and reprocessed into a brand-new bar of soap. The plastic bathroom bottles are sent to recycling or an energy-from-waste facility. Since 2018, Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming have diverted a combined 15,000 pounds of waste from landfills and distributed almost 33,000 bars of soap to those in need.
Source: Hotel Business