Hotels continue to give back during COVID-19, the appetite for travel hasn’t waned, and a couple in Sweden take solo dining to a new level. All this and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Americans plan to rebook cancelled trips, research says
Using data from Apple Leisure Group, Travel Agent Central reports that just under half (46 percent) of Americans who had to cancel travel plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic will rebook their trips when they can. Domestic travel will recover at a faster rate than international travel, the study indicates, with about 46 to 54 percent of those surveyed saying they would travel anywhere in the U.S. in the next three months. About one-quarter said they would only travel within 20 miles of their home, supporting the idea that road trips will likely be the first form of travel.
Rosewood Hotels is housing and feeding essential workers
Across their 59 global properties, the Asia-based hotel brand has launched its Rosewood Raise series of initiatives to serve local communities as well as Rosewood’s displaced staff. Empty hotel rooms are being used to house frontline workers as hotel staff prepares boxed meals to be distributed to those deemed essential. At the brand’s Miramar Beach property in California, for example, 1,500 meals have been prepared by hotel staff and distributed to front-line workers. Conde Nast Traveler reports that donations, so far amounting to $2 million, will go toward paying the brand’s furloughed staff.
What hotel stays might look like after COVID-19
As the pandemic continues to upend the very nature of hospitality, hotel brands are adapting to meet new health and safety concerns, according to The Washington Post. In addition to experimenting with equipment like electrostatic sprayers and testing ultraviolet-light technology on hotel items, brands are also adopting their own initiatives to ensure guest safety. Marriott recently announced its Global Cleanliness Council; Hyatt will introduce a cleaning, disinfection and infectious-disease-prevention accreditation program next month, as well as hotel hygiene managers; and Hilton has partnered with the Mayo Clinic and the makers of Lysol to identify 10 high-touch areas that can be cleaned more frequently. Expect to see disinfecting wipes in hotel rooms, hand sanitizer stations in communal areas, and partitions at front desks for an extra level of precaution.
Solo dining experience set to open in Sweden
Entrepreneurial Swedish couple Linda Karlsson and Rasmus Persson are set to unveil a clever solution to dining out while social distancing. On May 10th, Bord för en, which translates to “table for one,” will open on a meadow next to the couple’s home in the remote village of Ransätar, Sweden, Today reports. It will consist of only one seat at a table, with food being delivered by a basket on a pulley system. Though the restaurant will be open every day, for now, the husband-and-wife team will only be serving one meal a day.
Join Hospitality Design next week for our virtual HD Expo event
Even though HD Expo has been cancelled, we’re planning to give you all the insight you need by going virtual. On May 5-7th, we’ll be delivering a diverse range of programming to your closest screen that celebrates all things hospitality while also providing thoughtful discussions about this new normal. We’ll kick off the event with a keynote between architect David Rockwell and theater director Scott Ellis on May 5th; hotelier Chip Conley will join HD’s Stacy Shoemaker Rauen for a candid discussion on May 6th. Register today! All sessions are free!
