NATIONAL REPORT—At this time of crisis, those associated with the hotel industry make every effort to take care of their 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:
Ace Hotel Offers Discounted Gift Cards
Ace Hotel is offering gift cards for future stays with 100% of proceeds, up to $100,000, going to the Ace Family Fund, directly supporting staff impacted by the temporary suspension of operations due to COVID-19. Upon reaching the goal, 25% of proceeds will continue to benefit the fund. In partnership with FutureKey, gift cards can be purchased for individual participating properties with a discount for up to 20% and with no expiration or blackout dates.
Gift cards purchased through FutureKey can be put toward a reservation’s final bill at participating Ace Hotel cities on any upcoming stays, and can be used for a single stay or multiple stays to come. Participating properties include Ace Hotel New York, Ace Hotel Chicago, Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs, Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles, Ace Hotel New Orleans, Ace Hotel Portland and Ace Hotel Seattle.
Great Wolf Lodge Donates Rooms
In honor of Nurses Month in May, and as part of its ongoing commitment to the community, Great Wolf Lodge has launched the “Nights for Nurses” campaign. For every room booked through May 12 with the code THANKYOU, Great Wolf Lodge will donate a free overnight stay to a registered nurse. With support from the American Nurses Association (ANA), Great Wolf Lodge plans to distribute up to 10,000 overnight stays as part of this effort.
This program allows Great Wolf Lodge guests a chance to give back to nurses on the front lines while also receiving a significant discount. By using the same promotional code, guests will unlock a discount of up to 50% off standard room rates for stays July 6 through Oct. 29, 2020.
Great Wolf Lodge will work with the ANA to distribute the donated room nights to nurses within its network, with stays available at any of the company’s 17 U.S. resorts. Nurses can book their complimentary stays starting June 1, and choose from a variety of stay dates between Aug. 1 and Dec. 17, 2020, excluding Saturday nights and holiday periods. To help ensure nurses across the U.S. have an opportunity to participate, Great Wolf Lodge will set aside a select number of complimentary stays per resort, per day, based on the final number of donated rooms.
Library Hotel Collection Joins ‘Buy One, Give One’ Campaign
The Library Hotel Collection’s four New York City properties—the Library Hotel, Casablanca Hotel, Hotel Giraffe and Hotel Elysee—along with the collection’s newest property, Hotel X Toronto, is participating in Buy One, Give One, a “vacay layaway” program spearheaded by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI). The Buy One, Give One program is designed to generate immediate revenue for hotels, while simultaneously giving thanks to healthcare workers who have been tirelessly working on the front lines.
The Library Hotel Collection’s Buy One, Give One offer lets guests purchase gift vouchers in the amounts of $250, $500, $750 and $1,000; with each purchase, a matching donation of 50% of the net proceeds from the sale, up to $100,000, will be donated to the Healthcare Heroes at New York Presbyterian Hospital. These gift vouchers will be distributed to medical professionals who can use them toward future leisure stays at any one of the participating Library Hotel Collection properties as a thank you to all they are sacrificing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both healthcare workers and participating guests will be able to apply the funds to any publicly discounted rates. The Buy One, Give One campaign runs through June 30, and the prepaid gift vouchers may be redeemed up to five years after purchase.
Hotelbeds Launches ‘Holidays for Heroes’ Campaign
Hotelbeds has launched the ‘Holidays for Heroes’ campaign in partnership with participating hotels. The objective is to give exclusive discounts of up to 25% to frontline heroes for all bookings made via selected Hotelbeds channels, the company’s retail brand Bedsonline, and a white label B2B2C platform set up to sell directly to eligible heroes.
The booking period for the campaign will be from mid-May up until Oct. 31 for arrivals up until the end of the year, and all rates will be fully refundable. Additionally, Hotelbeds will donate 5 euros (about $5.40) to the International Red Cross for every reservation.The funds will be used for programs to assist vulnerable people in the Red Cross’s fight against COVID-19.
Egencia Helps Healthcare Workers Access Discounted Rooms
Egencia, business travel by Expedia Group, has created the Helping Healthcare travel program to assist global healthcare providers with securing hotels for employees who are safely distancing from family or traveling to COVID-impacted areas. Egencia is offering healthcare and other service providers three months of free travel management services, including waived transaction and onboarding fees; access to special healthcare hotel rates with an average saving of up to 30% per night; and 24-hour customer service in more than 30 languages.
The program makes it easier for healthcare providers to look after their staff as they can update their travel program whenever they need to—for instance, to make an area unbookable should it become high risk. They can also ensure their staff have 24/7support when they need it, and access to regular travel updates through the app or by logging in online.