SANTIAGO, CHILE—The recent 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile last month did not cause the same level of devastation as the earthquake in Haiti; however, it did leave a significant amount of destruction in its wake. Nevertheless, because of strong building codes, many structures, including hotels, near where the quake hit were able to withstand the shock and are now in the process of working to repair any damage.
In the case of the Santiago Marriott Hotel, adhering to the country’s construction codes kept the property in relatively good shape, according to John Shackley, director of marketing at the hotel. “Chilean law is very strict concerning the construction of tall buildings. Our building, according to initial examinations, fared extremely well and the architectural designs that were put into place functioned exactly as they should have,” he said.
Even so, the Santiago Marriott is dealing with a small amount of cosmetic damage. “We sustained some minor damage to the interior façade of the hotel, including tiles, glass and some cracks in false walls,” Shackley reported. “It is still too early to tell how long all of these will take to repair, as the surveyors conducting a thorough examination of the building need time to examine all aspects.”
Thankfully, no guests at the Santiago Marriott suffered any injuries during the earthquake and Shackley noted the property’s crisis management plan helped to ensure their safety. “First and foremost is the safety of our guests and associates. We have regular evacuation drills and emergency procedure drills in conjunction with the local authorities,” he said. “We immediately implemented our crisis management plan and that guided us in the first few hours after the quake struck. However, in situations like this there really is no fool-proof way to deal with this kind of a disaster.”
At press time, Santiago International Airport had yet to fully reopen and allow outgoing flights and many hotels, including the Santiago Marriott, were tending to guests who are unable to leave the country. “We’re housing and caring for all of our guests that are stranded here due to the closure of the airport,” Shackley reported.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has six hotel properties near where the earthquake struck in Chile, including the Sheraton Santiago Hotel and Convention Center, the San Cristobal Tower, two Four Points by Sheraton hotels, the W Santiago and the Sheraton Miramar Hotel and Convention Center. The company reported no guests or staff members were injured during the earthquake and that all of its properties remain open. Additionally, Starwood is waiving all fees associated with canceling or rebooking rooms for those guests who were scheduled to stay in its six hotels in Chile between Feb. 27 and March 7.
Of InterContinental Hotels Group’s nine hotels in Chile, all but two were fully operational as of press time. “The Holiday Inn Express Concepcion did not experience serious damage, but it currently has no electricity or water because of damage to the city’s utilities. The Concepcion area was very heavily impacted by the earthquake,” explained Eduardo Fahrenkrug, regional director of operations for the southern cone of IHG, who is based in Santiago. “The hotel’s staff is working to ensure the needs of its guests are being addressed as expeditiously as possible.”
The second hotel, the Holiday Inn Santiago Airport, did not experience damage, but is being affected by the heavy damage to the nearby airport. “The guests staying at this hotel have been relocated to the Holiday Inn Express Santiago. We are pleased to report that the hotels’ employees and guests are all safe and accounted for,” Fahrenkrug said, adding IHG’s functioning hotels have been providing assistance to guests and residents. “Our IHG properties throughout the country immediately mobilized support and relief aid to those most in need.”
And much like Shackley at the Santiago Marriott, Fahrenkrug stressed that although it is difficult to truly anticipate situations like the earthquake, properly training staff to handle such emergencies is critical. “Chile has a long history of earthquakes, so we have plans in place to address this type of natural disaster. Training is a key element of managing such a challenging situation,” he said. “When faced with such a traumatic event, it is important for staff to focus on that training, which is a process of assessing each situation and taking specific actions based on those assessments. Our staffs have performed admirably, particularly in the hardest hit areas.”
