Showing Results for tag: coronavirus
'Keep doors open with digital marketing' online session
Europe: On 15 April 2020, Cvent is hosting a webinar that outlines best practices for digital marketing during the current crisis, with free registration.
Here To Help London launches to assist key workers during COVID-19
UK: The initiative has been established by Tony Matharu, chairman of Integrity International Group, with a number of partners to help London’s key NHS workers and the wider community during the crisis.
Profitroom launches live insights and analysis dashboard
Worldwide: Profitroom, a provider of booking and marketing solutions, has launched a live dashboard that displays booking, cancellation and demand trends to help hoteliers make real time decisions.
Reversed hotel HomeSuiteHome opens in Amsterdam
Netherlands: HomeSuiteHome, a hotel experience delivered to your own home, is launching in Amsterdam this Easter weekend.
Bootle predicts V-shaped recovery from coronavirus impact
Global: Economist Roger Bootle of Capital Economics says the medium-term prospects for the hospitality industry are "extremely good".
Tudor Farmhouse in Gloucestershire launches pay it forward scheme
UK: A 20 room boutique hotel in the Gloucestershire Forest of Dean has launched a pay it forward scheme to keep the business alive during the global pandemic.
Government extends coronavirus loan scheme to all SMEs
UK: Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled new measures to extend the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) to all viable small businesses affected by COVID-19, and also announced a scheme for larger companies.
Avvio launches digital marketing training platform
UK: In a bid to up-skill hospitality workers who are out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic, Avvio has launched its Hotel Digital Academy free to all those within the industry.
Claridge’s opens its doors to NHS staff
UK: On 3 April, the five-star hotel in Mayfair will offer free accommodation to an initial 40 NHS workers, with dinner and breakfast provided.
OakNorth Bank calls for government review of business loan scheme
UK: OakNorth Bank is calling for several changes to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) to better support British businesses though the COVID-19 crisis.
Unemployment rates increase dramatically in Europe and US
Europe and US: Jobless claims in the US have soared past three million to a record high, whereas at least one million people have lost their jobs in the last two weeks in Europe.
The Bermondsey Square donates to Hospitality Action fund
UK: The Bermondsey Square Hotel in London, also known as b2, is donating £10 from every direct booking on the b2Cares Rate to charity Hospitality Action.
More than 4,000 hotels reopen in Shanghai
China: Around 4,200 hotels in Shanghai have reopened as coronavirus lockdown restrictions are lifted and the city comes back to life.
Government issues guidance on Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme claims
UK: Almost one week after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the launch of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the government has published guidance for employers to claim funding for employee wages.
Tripadvisor announces company steps to tackle the coronavirus crisis
Worldwide: Tripadvisor’s CEO, Steve Kaufer, has announced in a personal video message some of the steps that the company is taking to “weather the storm” of coronavirus.
Chicago announces ‘pioneering model’ to rent hotel rooms for patients
US: Chicago will reserve at least 1,000 hotel rooms to quarantine confirmed and suspected cases of the new coronavirus illness in a bid to offer relief to hospitals.
Global hotels providing quarantine packages for self-isolating travellers
Worldwide: As hotels find that their usual business has been stymied by the coronavirus, many are turning to unique packages in order to continue making money going forward.
The Old Palace Lodge to house NHS staff for free
UK: The 16-bed boutique hotel, located on Christ Hospital Terrace in Lincoln, has closed its doors to the public but opened them to in-demand NHS staff.
Impact of COVID-19 on North American destination organisations
US: MMGY Travel Intelligence, in partnership with Destinations International Foundation, has released findings for its bi-weekly survey on the impact of coronavirus on the sectors outlook, operations and market spending.
US hotel industry on ‘brink of collapse’
US: Data from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) shows a historic drop in room demand, with hotels operating at 25 per cent occupancy and estimations of nearly 3.9 million job losses in the coming weeks.
Sonder cuts workforce by one third
US: San Francisco-based hospitality startup Sonder has announced it has laid off 22 per cent of its workforce and furloughed an additional 11 per cent of its staff as the reality of the coronavirus impact on the travel industry bites hard.
Coronavirus and the hotel industry: An existential threat urgently requiring concerted collaboration and action
Journalist and communications expert Stuart Pallister covers the recent HoCoSo Connect online forum, and examines the threat that the Covid-19 coronavirus poses to global hospitality.
UK on lockdown following PM’s speech
UK: In a speech to the public yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced tight lockdown measures will go into effect across the county.
The Standard Stands Together Relief Fund launches
Worldwide: Standard International has launched a fund, seeded by the leadership team at The Standard, to provide financial support to team members who have lost jobs due to the effect of COVID-19.
IQD offers free services for small hospitality businesses
UK: IQD, a content marketing agency, is to offer its services complimentary to small business owners and hospitality companies to provide support and guidance through the coronavirus crisis.
Palé Hall to pay staff during temporary closure
Wales: Palé Hall, located on the edge of Snowdonia National Park, is to close for eight weeks from 23 March to support the government initiative to reduce public gatherings.
Hungarian hospitality industry mobilises to fight coronavirus
Hungary: With Budapest's streets empty due to the impact of coronavirus, the Hungarian hospitality industry has responded with kindness.
Hotels reopen as travel in China rebounds
China: Marriott and IHG are among the first to report an increase in the number of hotels reopening in Greater China as travel demand bounces back.
Hotel beds offered to rough sleepers in London
UK: Over the weekend, around 300 rooms were made available to vulnerable people already known to homelessness charities.
Shropshire hotel ‘devastated’ after food raid
UK: The Old Vicarage near Bridgnorth was broken into on Friday night, with intruders taking around £1,200 worth of food set aside for a community food delivery service during the coronavirus crisis.
PM announces closure of pubs and restaurants
UK: In the latest of a regular daily briefing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced further measures to tackle coronavirus by ordering the closure of cafes, pubs, and restaurants from Friday 20 March.
IHG to cut $150 million in costs
Worldwide: With hotel demand at record lows, InterContinental Hotels Group, the group behind Kimpton and Hotel Indigo, announced $150 million in cost cuts.
Tourism board ‘speechless’ as Scottish hotel fires and evicts staff
Scotland: Coylumbridge Hotel near Aviemore, run by the Britannia Hotels group, has been largely criticised and condemned for its decision to sack members of staff with immediate leave.
LA turns to hotels to house the homeless
US: With 75 per cent of the city’s homeless population currently living on the streets, LA is looking to hotels to protect these residents as part of its emergency response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
DUKES LONDON temporarily closes
UK: The luxury boutique hotel, located close to Buckingham Palace, is to close on Friday 20 March at 12pm for a duration of one month.
WFH campaign launched at the Alexander Collection
UK: The Alexander Hotel Collection is to offer bedrooms within its five hotels as offices during the coronavirus pandemic.
Marriott begins to furlough employees
Worldwide: Marriott International has announced it is starting to furlough what could be tens of thousands of employees as it closes hotels globally.
Chancellor unveils £330 billion coronavirus relief package
UK: The British government has pledged £330 billion for companies to access loans, extending the business rates holiday to all firms in the hospitality sector and funding grants of up to £25,000 for small businesses.
Laura Ashley Hotels unaffected by retail brand collapse
UK: Fashion and retail brand Laura Ashley is to appoint administrators after being impacted by the coronavirus outbreak - one of the first retail casualties of the pandemic.
Colliers calls for further financial measures to support the ‘Economic Battle of Britain’
UK: Colliers International has called for the government to introduce a three month or even six month business rates deterrent scheme to help businesses impacted by the coronavirus.
UK general public to avoid pubs, clubs and theatres
UK: The prime minister Boris Johnson has announced new measures to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, advising that everyone in the UK should avoid all non-essential contact and all non-essential travel.
Marriott makes number of policy changes
Worldwide: In light of the coronavirus pandemic, Marriott has amended some of its policies to better cater to the health of guests and reassure safe travel.
UK hospitality footfall dives over the weekend
UK: According to analysis by Wireless Social, yesterday showed a 44 per cent drop in footfall compared to the same day last year, with last week totalling a 28 per cent fall.
Best Western GB considers turning hotels into hospitals
UK: Best Western Great Britain is to consider turning its hotels into hospitals if demand for bed space during the coronavirus outbreak puts the NHS under pressure.
‘Existential threat’ of coronavirus to hospitality
UK: Trade association UKHospitality (UKH) has called coronavirus an “existential threat” to the hospitality industry in a letter to Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Soho Boutique Hotels offers several properties as treatment centres
Spain: The Spanish hotel chain has made three of its hotels in the Costa del Sol available to the authorities for use as coronavirus treatment centres.
The Stanford Inn to offer immune system boost package
US: In response to the Coronavirus outbreak, The Stanford Inn & Resort in California has curated a vacation package designed to boost guest’s immunity and improve health.
COVID-19 quarantine hotel in China collapses trapping 70
China: The five-storey Xinjia Express Hotel, in the city of Quanzhou in Fujian, was being used as a coronavirus quarantine facility when the building collapsed.
