NATIONAL REPORT—At times of crisis, the hotel industry makes every effort to take care of its own, as well as others in the areas that they serve. Here are some organizations that are helping any way they can during the coronavirus pandemic:
GreenTree Hospitality Waives Fees for U.S. Owners
GreenTree Hospitality Group Inc. will waive franchise and marketing fees under its U.S. franchise and management agreements in response to the national emergency.
“Our entire industry is facing an unprecedented challenge,” said Alex Xu, chairman and CEO of GreenTree. “Every business is suffering, and every person is experiencing hardship. As a business owner myself, I am facing the same hardships. For this reason, GreenTree is immediately waiving all franchise and marketing fees for our U.S. franchisees during the current national quarantine period. In addition, we are talking with our third-party vendors and system providers to request postponement or waiver of their fees. Lastly, our team is trying to secure additional financing so that we may be able to provide gap loans to our owners/franchisees.”
He continued, “We understand the challenges that hotel owners are facing, and as a company we want to do whatever we can to assist. Our entire team is working much harder to provide better support to our hotels. We have encouraged and assisted our hotels to actively participate in support of their communities as key logistic providers to health departments, traveling doctors and nurses, emergency personnel, truck drivers and other essential services.”
Oxford Hotels & Resorts Provide Sanctuary in Chicago
Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, an Oxford Capital Group LLC affiliate, is supplying Chicago with up to 1,100 rooms at some of its hotel properties throughout the city to support efforts against the spread of the coronavirus. In addition to housing asymptomatic guests and those requiring isolation, the rooms will also provide sanctuary for first responders.
“As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout our community, we wanted to do our part to provide a sanctuary for those who need it during this difficult time,” said John W. Rutledge, founder, president, and CEO of Oxford Capital Group LLC and Oxford Hotels & Resorts LLC. “We’re proud to help the city combat this crisis and allow our brave medical professionals to focus on their most critical patients in their hospitals.”
“Chicago is the first city to adopt this hotel plan, and we are gratified to be able to assist the city during this difficult time,” said George Jordan, president, Oxford Hotels & Resorts LLC. “In addition to helping the city, this arrangement allows Oxford to retain a number of its employees who are interested in contributing to the relief effort. It’s inspiring to see our hospitality teams come together, even when they’ve had to weather the storm themselves.”
WAC Lighting Donates 500,000 Masks to U.S. Healthcare Providers
Early in the year, WAC Lighting ordered 500,000 level-3 surgical masks with the intent of donating them to COVID-19 healthcare relief efforts abroad. As conditions dramatically worsened in the U.S., WAC is now shipping these 500,000 surgical masks to U.S. hospitals, primarily in the New York metropolitan area, where healthcare workers are being overrun by caseloads and are in desperate need of supplies.
“Our community well-being lies in the hands of the heroic healthcare providers among us,” said WAC President and Co-CEO Shelley Wald. “Medical personnel and first responders need all the protection and support we can muster, but we cannot do it on our own.”