What it's like to stay at a Hilton, Marriott and Hyatt hotel during the COVID-19 pandemic
WASHINGTON - Salivating at the buffet table, eagerly awaiting a sizzling omelet to be done. Cramming into a crowded elevator with a long weekend's worth of luggage in tow. Debating whether to go for the Peanut M&M's or Twix minibar purchase.
None of these quintessential hotel moments happened during my three nights at hotels in Washington this month, and it doesn't take a public health degree to know why: the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic has slaughtered the travel industry, leaving four out of 10 hotel workers unemployed, more than a thousand hotels closed and occupancy rates decimated.
We'll get to this: Is it safe to stay in a hotel amid the coronavirus pandemic?
I wasn't comfortable staying in a hotel in mid-March and felt the same through July, despite assurances from the hospitality industry about its cleanliness measures. By August, Washington's low positivity rate and my burgeoning curiosity inspired me to mask up and see for myself.
