Hotels Nix Mints and Breakfast Buffets. Hand Sanitizer, Anyone?
“Shellshocked” by the pandemic and the drop-off in business, hotels are rethinking amenities and trying to allay travelers’ concerns.
Those hotel amenities you took for granted, like throw pillows, turndown service and free coffee in the lobby? They're gone. Housekeeping is by request or eliminated during your stay. And don't even think of finding a self-serve breakfast buffet.
The coronavirus pandemic "shellshocked" hotels, said Chekitan Dev, a professor of marketing at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration. "They initially pulled everything" out of rooms and off properties that seemed as if it could accelerate the spread of the virus. Now, the hospitality industry is trying to figure out how to create a "new normal," he said.
