Covid19 live blog roundup: Hotels respond to the challenge of coronavirus

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.

Hotels ready themselves for the new normal

The word on the street over on the TOPHOTELNEWS Covid19 live blog has been of hotels big and small implementing new strategies, policies, and protocols to give future guests peace of mind. Radisson, for example, has outlined the measures it will take to ensure meetings and corporate events can take place and run smoothly amid the pandemic.

Some groups are focusing on the new digital life, like Meliá Hotels International, which has launched a community on Facebook where members can attend webinars, conference calls and workshops, adding value to its B2B relationships. Elsewhere, D-EDGE Hospitality Solutions recently conducted a survey to help hotels make the most of their marketing and advertising budgets in the coming weeks and months with the aim of luring guests back.

Meanwhile, other groups are seeing how they can give back to the community, including Shangri-La Group, which has teamed up with Diversey to convert huge volumes of hotel linen into reusable face masks in South-East Asia.

Delayed hotel projects around the world

While many properties have been eager to reopen and claw back some of the time lost over the past few months, others have put the brakes on their construction and opening schedules. A dual-branded Hilton property in Riyadh has announced it will open in phases next year, while as construction continues slowly on the Mövenpick Resort Al Marjan Island, its opening date has been pushed back to 2022.

In addition, the Wanda Vista Chicago Project has been delayed by the ongoing Covid19 crisis, and the launches of many hotels across Japan have been put back until September. Lastly, the Lyf Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur, the brand’s inaugural property in Malaysia, will no longer open this summer as planned.