Hotels, Motels, And Resorts Are Never Going To Be The Same. What You Can Expect The Next Time You Plan A Vacation.
Hotels and resorts are in a state of crisis. As of May 20, seven out of 10 hotel rooms in the US were sitting empty and thousands of hotels are completely closed, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). Hotels have lost more than $25 billion in room revenue since the start of the pandemic, and 70% of hotel employees have been laid off or furloughed, per the AHLA.
- Hotels, motels, and resorts will be forever changed by the coronavirus pandemic.
- Business Insider spoke with top travel CEOs from companies like Hilton, Club Med, and Aman Resorts about how the coronavirus will change the experience of staying in a hotel.
- Hoteliers predict that travelers will prefer smaller, less dense hotels and outdoor amenities.
- Breakfast buffets could become a thing of the past, and room service could come in the form of a bag dropped outside your door.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Hotels and resorts are in a state of crisis.
As of May 20, seven out of 10 hotel rooms in the US were sitting empty and thousands of hotels are completely closed, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). Hotels have lost more than $25 billion in room revenue since the start of the pandemic, and 70% of hotel employees have been laid off or furloughed, per the AHLA. Empty hotels are desperately selling bonds for future discounted travel.
But as US states and other countries start to reopen, hotel companies are looking ahead to make travelers feel safe and to entice them into coming back to their properties.
Many major hotel brands, including Marriott - the world's biggest hotel company - Best Western, Hilton, and Hyatt Hotels, have pledged to abide by the AHLA's new Safe Stay guidelines for everything from contactless check-in to new cleaning standards and protocols.
Here's what you can expect the next time you stay at a hotel or resort.