Hotels across India make meal packets for migrant workers and families

Ever since the outbreak of the dreaded Coronavirus, the hospitality industry has been doing its best to make a difference. Many hospitality companies across the country have also stepped forward when it comes to preparing meals for the needy and engaging in the best way possible with local authorities.

“At Radisson Hotel Group, we are committed to support our community and the country in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. 

The group has contributed INR 35 lakhs to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund and also donated to United Way Delhi for Covid-19 related initiatives.

“We are routinely engaging with the government, industry bodies and fellow industry leaders at the highest levels to advocate for relief measures for the hospitality industry,”

The Atria Foundation, owners of Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru has offered to serve 1,50,000 free meals every day for the needy in Bengaluru. Similarly, Arpit Projects Limited, owners of Radisson Udyog Vihar Gurugram and KJS Group, owners of Park Inn by Radisson IP Extension, New Delhi are providing meals to the needy.

The Pride Group of Hotels announced the distribution of 1000 food parcels every day till April 14th 2020 (lockdown period) in the cities of Pune, Ahmedabad, New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, and Nagpur.

Kerala Hotel & Restaurant Association (KHRA), an association with around 2500 members across the state are also contributing their bit.

“700 of our members are participating actively and supporting the state government in their community kitchen initiative. A lot of others have voluntarily offered their hotels,” said G Sudhiesh Kamar, President of KHRA.

Initiative By Roseate Hotels & Resorts & CII and Dwarka Dist. Police to Fight against Corona

Another Day to Brighten and Help someone. Together WE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN. Dwarka Dist. Police in Partnership with Roseate Hotels & Resorts & CII gets ready to feed 1000 people on a daily basis under Relief & Rehabilitation initiative.Great initiative to fight against Corona

Thai Airways to ground its entire fleet for two months, all employees to take unpaid leave

2nd April 2020 – (Bangkok) Embattled Thai Airways International announced that they will ground all flights for 2 months and the employees have been requested to take two months off from 4th April to 31st May.

From today, flights to destinations in the same region have been suspended until 31st May. All flights to Europe will be cancelled from now till end of May.

Since the beginning of this year, the passenger load per flight has dropped to fewer than 50%. The President of the airline, Chakkrit Parapuntakul said many countries are on coronavirus lockdown, so the company has to suspend flights and close its offices.

Vineet Manocha Senior Vice President - Culinary at Lite Bite Foods Pvt Ltd - A Great Place to Work certified company

The 21 days Lockdown all over the country to combat COVID-19, has left thousands of destitute, daily wagers, migrant labourers struggle hard to manage even one meal. We have partnered with Swiggy to provide them daily meals, so that no one goes to bed hungry. It's our bit of giving back to the society.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts MEA names Samy Boukhaled as vice president of operations in the UAE

Millennium Hotels & Resorts MEA has named Samy Boukhaled as vice president of operations for the UAE. Boukhaled has been instrumental in implementing the expansion strategy of the company in KSA while assuming the position of vice president of operations that cultivated great success. Thus, his new appointment comes to leverage his experience in UAE.

Renowned for his revenue-oriented approach, Boukhaled has more than 30 years of experience in the industry, having held several leadership roles with hotel companies such as Accor and Sofitel, across France, Bahrain, Morocco and the KSA.

He holds an MBA in International Hotel Management from Vatel International Business School Hotel & Tourism Management in France and a Baccalaureate Degree from Morocco, among other awards and certifications.

Avani Hotels and Resorts Announces Key Management Appointments in Asia and the Maldives

Avani Hotels & Resorts is announcing a number of key appointments for its new hotels in Thailand, Indonesia and the Maldives.

Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort and Avani+ Koh Lanta Resort, Thailand

In Thailand’s south - Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort’s newly renovated 178-keys completed in January 2020 and Avani+ Koh Lanta Krabi Resort which will offer 87-keys and secluded access to the stunning white sand Klong Dao Beach which is scheduled to open by end of 2020 will be managed by Farah C. Jaber as Cluster General Manager.Farah started his career with Minor Hotels in 2013 as an Executive Assistant Manager at Anantara Rasananda Koh Phangan Villas in Thailand.

Avani+ Khao Lak Resort, Thailand

Scheduled to open in late 2020, the brand new Avani+ Khao Lak Resort will offer 328-keys and direct access to the pristine beaches of Khao Lak, just north of Phuket. Stephan Moonen has been appointed as General Manager and Karun Cornell as Director of Sales & Marketing for the property.

Karun also brings more than 10 years’ hospitality experience and is a graduate of Thailand’s Mahidol University International College in Travel and Hospitality Management; upon completion of his study, he started his career with Bandara Hotels & Resorts while undertaking his Master degree prior to joining Fair House Group in Koh Samui as a Group Director of Sales & Marketing.

Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort, The Republic of Maldives

Scheduled to debut in 2021, the 200-key Avani+ Fares Maldives Resort is located in the Maldives’ Baa Atoll which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve that is home to unique species of marine, fauna, and flora. Marlon Abeyakoon has been appointed as General Manager for the property.

Avani Seminyak Bali Resort, Indonesia

Scheduled to be rebranded in mid-2020, Avani Seminyak Bali Resort will introduce 21 residence-style accommodations and 16 private pool villas to the popular holiday island with the announcement of I Made Subrata as the new General Manager.

Made began his career in hospitality on his home-island Bali as the pre-opening team of InterContinental in 1993

Abu Dhabi Hotels Show Significant Year-over-year Declines for March

Reflecting the circumstances around the COVID-19 pandemic, STR’s preliminary March data for Abu Dhabi shows significant year-over-year declines in the three key performance metrics.

Compared with March 2019 data:

• Occupancy: -32.9% to 55.1%
• Average daily rate (ADR): -32.6% to AED333.92
• Revenue per available room (RevPAR): -54.7% to AED183.86

Daily data for the month showed 31 consecutive days of double-digit decreases in each of the three key performance metrics.

STR continues to monitor the COVID-19 impact on the hotel industry. 

We Will Travel Again - An Update from Marriott International CEO Arne Sorenson

I want to let you know how we’re focused on supporting the communities where our associates live and work. I also want to provide you with an update on our room cancellation policy and Marriott Bonvoy status and points expiration dates.

In the Community

Marriott understands that the pulse of the world beats as one to overcome COVID-19 and its devastating impact around the globe.  To that end, we have established the following programs to aid in the urgent fight against the pandemic.

With support from our credit card partners, American Express and JPMorgan Chase, Marriott has committed to provide $10 million worth of hotel stays for healthcare professionals leading the fight against COVID-19 in the United States. The initiative, called Rooms for Responders, will provide free rooms in some of the areas most impacted including New York City, New Orleans, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C. and Newark, N.J. To implement this initiative, we collaborated with the American College of Emergency Physicians and the Emergency Nurses Association to match doctors and nurses with free accommodations at participating hotels.

In a separate effort for frontline healthcare workers, we have joined with a number of our hotel owners and franchisee partners to launch the Community Caregiver Program. This initiative, available in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America, provides significantly discounted rates for first responders and healthcare professionals who want to book rooms at hotels in close proximity to the hospitals where they’re working. The rate is available on Marriott.com at nearly 2,500 hotels.

With both initiatives, our goal is simple – we want to support the frontline heroes who are selflessly supporting us.

For Our Customers

We remain committed to ensuring our customers experience flexibility during these challenging times, so we have further extended our cancellation policy and I wanted to give you an update on those changes.

For guests with existing reservations for any future arrival date, including reservations with pre-paid rates that are typically more restrictive, we will allow full changes or cancellation without a charge up to 24 hours prior to arrival, as long as the change or cancellation is made by June 30, 2020. Please note that any changes to existing reservations will be subject to availability and any rate differences.

For guests making new reservations for any future arrival date, including reservations with pre-paid rates, between March 13 and June 30, 2020, we will allow the reservation to be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival date.

For Our Marriott Bonvoy Members

• Status Extension: We want you to be able to enjoy the status that you earned in 2019. With that in mind, the status you earned in 2019 will be extended to February 2022.

• Points Expiration: To provide you ample time to redeem points, the expiration of points will be paused until February 2021. At that time, your points will only expire if your account has been inactive for at least 24 months.

Best Practices for Hotel Management Company CROs Responding to COVID-19 - By Kaitlin Dunn, Writer, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI)

HSMAI hosted a Hotel Management Company (HMC) Chief Revenue Officer Virtual Roundtable on March 25 that focused on the impact that COVID-19 is having on hotel revenue optimization. In addition to discussing key indicators they are using to track how the hospitality industry is doing, HMC CRO participants shared their best practices, lessons learned, and ideas for preparing to accelerate as quickly as possible. Here are five of their suggestions, presented in their own words:

1) EXPLORE NEW STAFFING MODELS:

“We’re lucky enough to still have 90 percent of our corporate team, but completely redeployed our team into a secure division, a support division, and a succeed division. Succeed is focused on ramping back up — procedures, staffing, strategy plans, markets to proceed with, staffing messaging, communicating with properties. It’s been our main focus.”

2) WORK ACROSS MARKETS:

“We have been focused on a solid post-COVID plan, taking as much information across markets as we can to build that. We’re also synergizing our efforts across markets and sharing knowledge across markets. We’ve been heavily focused on our weekly forecast across all markets, so we’ve come up with a market-level focus for each market as well. We are also gathering a lot of digital information and consolidating it on a common forum.”

3) RECOGNIZE YOUR TEAM MEMBERS’ WORK:

“It’s been exciting to see my team in the field step up. They’ve been sharing what trends they’re seeing, leads that come in. We’re trying to focus on the good things we’re seeing

“We had to lay off a lot of employees last week, but those who have remained showed great compassion and empathy toward those who were furloughed. They’re all having to learn different brands that they never thought they would have to know three weeks ago. This is a great time for cross-training, and they are willing and open to learning.”

4) FOCUS ON RECOVERY:

“Anything that we can put together that’s hopeful or positive looking forward is more important than ever and is better received by employees. I look forward to putting that together for each property.”

“We’re focusing on when we are going to reopen and what happens then, instead of focusing on right now when we’re closed. We’re cross-training our revenue team with other departments who can’t work remotely. We’re also making sure we’re educating teams that discounting isn’t the best way to go.”

Automating hospitality in times of social distancing

The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought the travel and hospitality sectors to a halt. The calls to enact social distancing measures mean no more travelling or meeting friends at pubs or restaurants. The consequences are devastating for airlines, hotels, events, restaurants etc. and result in closures and job loss around the world. Although governments have taken various measures to address these, we can expect consumers to remain cautious when interacting with others, thus continuing the negative impact beyond t he end of the crisis.

 Giving a careful consideration to immediate and long-term impacts of the pandemic and social distancing measures on overall consumer behaviour and business continuity, integrating automation into service operations could help addressing some of the issues around safety and access

Attitude Change

 In this period of isolation, we are witnessing how people change behaviours that long have been taken for granted: shaking hands or standing closely next to somebody to order drinks at a bar

Importantly, having limited mobility and restricted access to services while in lockdown may bring about felt needs for automated services and self-service technologies. Some consumers may get used to ordering meals online or through an app and opting for 'click and collect' or delivery for other shopping needs.

Beneficial Automation

As suggested here, key to implementing automation in travel and hospitality is ensuring that the technology will bring value and benefits to the industry and its people. We have seen cases where robots and other automated machines can help with the operational upkeep of buildings and facilities. Hotels employ robots to sanitise rooms and common areas, freeing staff from risk of contamination

With the likes of World Health Organisation (WHO) implementing chatbots to spread information about COVID-19, businesses can use similar conversational agents to engage employees and customers while they are on lockdown

Responsible Adoption

Looking into the future, the emphasis should be about responsible adoption of automation, whereby technologies augment people in delivering what the businesses do best: hospitality. As outlined here, adoption of automation in the travel and hospitality sectors should be balanced with priorities to invest in people. Perhaps while letting the robots handle things at work, we should give employees opportunities to up their digital skills at home, but only if they wish to.

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Accor launches day-room bookings across 10 hotels in Bangkok for use as private offices

Accor is offering a day-use room package across 10 hotels in Bangkok to guests who need a private office space for the day.

Bangkokians who are desperately looking for a spacious hideaway to get their job done or who need a quiet place to focus on an important project can now book a room for up to 8 hours between 8:00am-8:00pm in 10 hotels.

Participating hotels are located all over Bangkok to enable local residents to select a private office location that is close to their homes:

• GRAND MERCURE ASOKE RESIDENCE

• GRAND MERCURE BANGKOK FORTUNE

• PULLMAN BANGKOK KING POWER

• PULLMAN BANGKOK SUKHUMVIT

• VIE HOTEL BANGKOK MGALLERY

• IBIS Styles Bangkok Sukhumvit Phra Khanong

• IBIS STYLES BANGKOK SUKHUMVIT 50

• NOVOTEL BANGKOK ON SIAM SQUARE

• NOVOTEL BANGKOK SUKHUMVIT 20

• MERCURE BANGKOK SUKHUMVIT 11

   Accor recommends that all travellers review guidance from the World Health Organization and follow any travel advice issued by the Thai authorities.

  Last week, Accor announced the launch of the 'ALL Heartist Fund', a COVID-19 special purpose vehicle dedicated to supporting employees and partners globally. This fund will typically assist the Group's 300,000 employees, pledging to pay for their COVID-19-related hospital expenses, for those who do not have social security or medical insurance, as well as furloughed employees suffering great financial distress.

  The fund will also seek to support individual partners facing financial difficulty and assist in the deployment of solidarity initiatives to support front-line healthcare professionals and non-profit organisations.

Marriott International Lights Up Across Asia Pacific To Spark Hope

Hong Kong -- Marriott International across Asia Pacific will light up its properties to send a positive message, offering a ray of hope to the communities they are in for locals and travellers alike. The "Light for Hope" initiative looks to spread positivity amidst the challenging times the world is currently facing.

 Over 270 hotels across various cities and regions, from Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Saigon, Jakarta, Maldives, Mumbai and many more have lit up their hotel rooms to the symbol of a smiley face, as seen from the façade of the hotel. The symbol was chosen to project a happy demeanour radiating positivity, with hopes that it brings a smile to the faces of everyone who sees it.

"In times of uncertainty one thing remains certain - we are in this together, and we will come out stronger", said Craig S.

Putting people first is at core of Marriott International. Hotels across Asia-Pacific have been going above and beyond to demonstrate the extraordinary collective power of people to help others

In these challenging and unprecedented times, associates from hotels across Asia Pacific have volunteered over 40,000 hours to serve their communities

Throughout April, guests and travellers can view the "Light for Hope" initiative at select Marriott International hotels across Asia Pacific.

Nevada Extends Casino Coronavirus-Related Closures Until April 30

Las Vegas casinos will be closed at least another month due to coronavirus fears, but the dormant resorts and convention halls are getting alternatively used for healthcare services.

The new order keeps the state’s hospitality industry and most other businesses shuttered in line with national social distancing guidelines that President Donald Trump decided over the weekend to extend until April 30 to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Sisolak said activating the National Guard will speed up and make logistical planning and delivery of medical supplies more efficient, as well as provide additional resources for the state’s labor force. It also makes Nevada eligible for additional federal funding.

At least 31 people have died of the coronavirus in Nevada, and more than 1,000 people in the state have been diagnosed with the COVID-19.

Officials said up to 1,000 beds could be provided at about 12 Las Vegas-area hotels, motels, convention halls, surgical centers and warehouses to shelter recuperating coronavirus patients who don’t need hospitalization. Clark County Commission Chairman Marilyn Kirkpatrick said more sites were sought.

The facilities are in addition to a 40-bed temporary hospital being built next to the Southern Nevada Health District office and a 350-bed tent complex under construction next to Cashman Center for homeless people who need isolation but not hospitalization.

Hilton, American Express Offer 1 Million Rooms to Coronavirus Frontline Medical Staff

Hilton and American Express are partnering on an initiative to provide up to one million hotel room nights for doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other frontline medical staff who need somewhere to sleep or safely self-isolate between April 13 and the end of May, the companies announced Monday. Rooms will either be paid for by Hilton and American Express or, in some cases, donated by individual hotel owners.

“During this crisis, we have seen so many examples of medical professionals working in the most challenging circumstances, sacrificing their own needs for the greater good,” Hilton President and CEO Christopher Nassetta said in a statement. “They truly are heroes.”

Hilton is initially working with 10 medical associations, including the American Hospital Association and the Society of Critical Care Medicine, to assist the organizations’ more than one million members find a place to sleep away from home as a precautionary measure against spreading coronavirus to family members.

Rooms will be available across a variety of Hilton brands and be staffed by team members who underwent additional safety and health training to protect themselves and guests during the ongoing pandemic. Hotel rooms and common areas will also be sanitized with industrial-grade cleaners and updated cleaning protocols in light of coronavirus.

Hong Kong’s Top Tourism Executive Plans Marketing Blitz to Revive Travel by July

The impact of the novel coronavirus on Hong Kong’s tourism sector is unprecedented and the city can hope to start seeing things returning to normal by July, in part by trying to develop new markets, the head of the tourism board told Reuters.

The coronavirus crisis has paralysed the global financial hub’s economy, which was already reeling from months of anti-government protests, with travel restrictions to curb the spread of infection grinding tourism to a halt.

The tourism sector accounts for about 4.5% of Hong Kong’s gross domestic product and employs around 260,000 people.

Cheng was speaking hours before the government announced relief measures worth HK$137.5 billion ($17.7 billion) to help businesses and people crippled by the coronavirus outbreak to stay on their feet.

In a bid to stamp out the disease COVID-19 caused by the virus, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has already imposed tough restrictions, including banning all tourist arrivals and prohibiting gatherings of more than four people.

The city’s tourist arrivals plunged 96.4% year-on-year in February to 199,123 visitors, the latest data shows, compared with a 52.7% year-on-year drop in January. The number of mainland visitors fell 97.8% year-on-year in February to 98,804.

Candy Marth has been appointed General Manager at IntercityHotel Rostock

43-year old Candy Marth is an experienced manager who has emerged from Deutsche Hospitality's own ranks. Candy Marth took over the reins at the 174-room IntercityHotel Rostock on the Baltic Coast with effect from 1 April.

Candy Marth has worked for the hotel group for 20 years. During this period, she has fulfilled various roles in the fields of management assistance and human resources as well as being Head of Events at the Intercity Hotel Stralsund.

Ms. Marth replaces Katrin Schissler as General Manager of the IntercityHotel Rostock.

Steven Drewery Named Executive Assistant Manager for the Pan Pacific London Hotel

Pan Pacific London announced the appointment of Steven Drewery as Executive Assistant Manager for Pan Pacific Hotels Group's first London property, opening in Autumn 2020.

Steven joins from The Biltmore Mayfair, where he was an integral part of the pre-opening and operational activity for the first London outpost of Hilton's most upmarket brand, LXR Hotels & Resorts.

In the new Executive Assistant Manager position, he will support Anne Golden, General Manager, on strategic decision making in addition to overseeing all Pan Pacific London's food and beverage operations. A highly established professional within the industry, Steven has an exemplary background in luxury hotel management and F&B operations, which includes positions at JW Marriott Grosvenor House; Fairmont Bab Al Bahr; Giorgio Armani, Ritz-Carlton and Conrad in Tokyo; Swissotel Singapore; and Peninsula Hong Kong.

Set to open its doors in Autumn 2020, Pan Pacific London will be taking reservations from Spring 2020. Located in a mixed-use development at One Bishopsgate Plaza, the City's new landmark tower, the hotel is currently under construction and will provide a new hospitality offering to The City of London. 

Lodging Partners Announces Sale of Residence Inn Durango

Lodging Partners, LLC, a member of Hotel Brokers International, announced the 66-guestroom Residence Inn located in Durango has sold to a regional owner/operator of premium-branded select-service hotels.

Lodging Partners along with HREC Investment Advisors represented the seller on this transaction. The marketing and negotiations were led by Ford Barton of Lodging Partners and Jeffrey Duni at HREC Investment Advisors.

Durango is considered to be an authentic Colorado town with a rich history and an endless supply of recreational activities, making it an exceptional tourist destination with diversified demand drivers. 

 The Hotel recently completed a major renovation of all guest rooms and public areas. The Hotel is in great physical condition and is well-positioned to capitalize on the market’s continued economic growth and expanding leisure demand.

"This is the second Marriott property that Lodging Partners has represented for the seller, and we were pleased to assist them in reaching their goals and objectives," said Ford Barton, Principal of Lodging Partners.

Sandra Wigger Promoted General Manager At IntercityHotel Zurich Airport, Switzerland

30-year old Sandra Wigger began her career by training as a hotel specialist at the Mövenpick Hotel Zurich Airport and has continued to expand her knowledge base ever since.

In September 2019, she obtained a degree level qualification in "Hospitality Controlling & Hotel Asset Management" after completing a 6-month course of study at the IST University of Applied Sciences.

Sandra Wigger was employed at the Steigenberger Bellerive au Lac between November 2014 and December 2019. She held positions as Front Office Manager and then as Rooms Division Manager during this period before making the switch to IntercityHotel GmbH on 1 January 2020.

Payment Processing Data Shows Severe Impact on Hotels and Restaurants

Shift4 Payments, the leader in integrated payment processing solutions, has announced the launch of Shift4Cares.com, a round-the-clock online resource for government agencies, news outlets and businesses affected by COVID-19. The website offers a wealth of valuable information on the economic impact of this pandemic and is part of Shift4’s initiative to raise over $200 million for restaurants and other small businesses — including up to $10 million contributed directly from the company.

Nationally, restaurant transactions declined from 42 million to 11 million during this time period, while hotel transactions declined from 144 million to 20 million. Nationwide and state-by-state data is available at Shift4Cares.com.

Shift4 to Raise Over $200 Million for Small Businesses

In addition to this transaction data, Shift4Cares.com includes the ability for consumers to support local hospitality businesses greatly affected by the Coronavirus crisis by purchasing gift cards, with Shift4 contributing an additional 5% of the amount spent to each merchant. Shift4 is working to raise over $200 million for the small business community through this gift card initiative — with Shift4 donating up to $10 million of the company’s own money.

For every gift card purchased through the site, Shift4 Payments will contribute an additional 5% to the business — up to $10 million. For example, a $100 gift card purchase on the site would result in $105 for the merchant.