Hotels House Healthcare Workers
04/10/2020
At least 245 Wisconsin hotels have volunteered to house emergency and healthcare workers who are treating people with COVID-19.
As part of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) new initiative “Hospitality for Hope,” more than 15,000 hotels nationwide have signed onto the program that primarily focuses on housing for the healthcare community, but some hotels could potentially be used as “Alternative Care Sites” such as an emergency hospital or place for those quarantined to stay if needed.
AHLA’s “Hospitality for Hope Initiative” was created to boost collaboration between the hotel industry and local, state and federal governments to help employees, communities across the country, and the industry during this unprecedented health crisis. In the short time since the initiative was announced, participation has grown from nearly 6,000 hotels to more than 15,000 properties. Already, this initiative has identified a total combined 2.3 million rooms located in close proximity to established healthcare facilities.
To help match and streamline the process for willing hotel properties to connect with federal, state and local governments, AHLA and its state association partners are working to create a national “Hospitality for Hope” database to assist the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, local emergency management and public health agencies. AHLA has also provided a number of resources for members, which can be found here.
Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO said, “It has been so impressive to see hotel after hotel join this important initiative as a way of giving back to the communities in which they operate. As an industry of people taking care of people, the hotel industry is uniquely positioned to support our communities by caring for the first responders who are on the front lines of this public health crisis. Hotels have always been an active member of our local communities, and this time is no different. We are proud to work to facilitate partnerships with federal, state and local governments to support the health community during this critical time.”
