Covid19 live blog roundup: 2021 offers glimmer of hope as 2020 comes to an end

by | 02 Dec 2020 | General News

We summarise updates shared on the TOPHOTELNEWS Covid19 live blog to draw a picture of how the international hotel industry is negotiating the ongoing crisis.

The international hospitality industry has been sent into a tailspin with the sudden onslaught of the coronavirus crisis. From lockdowns to travel bans and border closures, hotels are having to navigate more uncertain waters than ever before.

Our team has been tracking in real-time how the industry is reacting to the continuing crisis, and here we recap some of the recent activity around the world, focusing on positive developments in particular.

Brighter times ahead

For many in hospitality, the imminent end of 2020 is also the cue for a collective sigh of relief. With brighter days seemingly on the horizon thanks to encouraging updates from several vaccine trials, hopes are rising that we may be able to enjoy a slow but steady return to normality in 2021.

In the meantime, plenty of exciting hotel projects have successfully navigated the most challenging year in living memory to open their doors to the public before 2020 draws to a close. Fairfield By Marriott Tochigi Motegi in Japan is just one of the properties to have started welcoming guests, for instance, while Banyan Tree Krabi in Thailand is another.

Over in Sri Lanka, the country’s first DoubleTree by Hilton resort has launched in Weerawila, while Home2 Suites Des Moines at Drake University has opened as well. We should also pay tribute to the team at Four Points by Sheraton Knoxville Cumberland House in Tennessee, which has managed to complete its rebrand to become Cumberland House Knoxville, Tapestry Collection by Hilton.

Hotel projects to look forward to in 2021

It’s worth acknowledging, however, that many hotel schemes have unfortunately been pushed back to next year.

A prime example is Hotel Okura Manila, located within the Philippines’ first integrated resort, which is now scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2021. Also pencilled in to launch in the same quarter is Best Western Premier Bayphere Pattaya in Thailand.

And finally, the planned openings of Ibis Timisoara City Center in Romania and Meliá Trinidad PenĂ­nsula in Cuba have been delayed till 2021 – when hopefully the worst of the Covid19 crisis will be behind us.

Many TOPHOTELNEWS articles draw on exclusive information from the TOPHOTELPROJECTS construction database. This subscription-based product includes details of thousands of hotel projects around the world, along with the key decision-makers behind them. Please note, our data may differ from records held by other organisations. Generally, the database focuses on four- and five-star schemes of significant scale; tracks projects in either the vision, pre-planning, planning, under-construction, pre-opening or newly opened phase; and covers newbuilds, extensions, refurbishments and conversions.

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