What would normally be a season where hotel rooms are at a premium have now left managers searching for ways to fill blocks of empty reservations.
“The stuff that we would host, but that we wouldn’t actively pursue in the past are the primary areas of focus,” Melanie Maynard, director of Sales at Courtyard’s hotel in Lincoln tells KLIN News.
Much of their business stems from large, corporate meetings.
She says research shows ‘staycations’ will be more popular and faster to return versus corporate meetings – meaning they need to rethink their approach.
“I know everybody is anxious to get out of the house and do something and be social and active. It’s an option,” Maynard said referencing a staycation. “I always tell my husband hotels and airlines are the cleanest ever and now would be the time to travel.”
Maynard says they’ve remained open throughout the pandemic.
They cut hours, disinfect almost everything often, stagger worker shifts and require employees to wear masks.