Pandemic drives US hotel room vacancies toward 1 billion
More than 962 US hotel rooms stood empty as of last week, a 46% increase over last year's unsold total and a loss of $46 billion, according to STR. With the figure expected to pass 1 billion by the turn of the year, industry groups assert that many hotels will fold without further government relief.
Full Story: Bloomberg (tiered subscription model)The Foundation Hotel in downtown Detroit is tackling the challenge of socially distancing food service and filling vacancies by converting as many as 10 suites into cozy settings for about a half-dozen diners each. A $50 reservation and sanitizing fee is required, and meals can be ordered from the hotel's Apparatus Room restaurant or the Chef's Choice menu, the latter of which charges $85 and up.
Full Story: Metro Times (Detroit) Work on the new Crystal Lagoons resort in Glendale, Arizona, is expected to begin this month or the first quarter of next year, with completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2022. The development will include a large water park, hotels and an entertainment, a restaurant and retail center.
Full Story: The Glendale Star (Ariz.)  |
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A burgeoning array of offerings such as Work from Hyatt and the Work from Here, Learn from Here program at Arizona's Amara Resort and Spa reflects the lodging industry's outreach to Americans who've wearied of working and learning at home during the pandemic. State-of-the-art office setups and virtual tutors for children are among the highlights, as well as lots of amenities and recreation opportunities.
Full Story: Hotels Magazine online (free registration) The head of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association insists his industry will rebound with flying colors from the pandemic and rejects calls from some observers for reduced reliance on tourism in the region's economy. Meanwhile, an official of the United Nations World Tourism Organization forecasts substantial progress globally by mid-2021 but warns full recovery is two-and-a-half to four years away.
Full Story: TravelPulse La Vang-Herr hopes to spark wider interest in Hmong cuisine through her food cart, @La's, which she started in 2017 in Aloha, Ore. Mainstays of the menu include stuffed chicken wings and pork sausage accented with flavorful produce including cilantro, mustard greens and peppers that Vang-Herr grows on her family farm.
Full Story: Food & Wine (12/2020)
