3 Hotels Respond to COVID-19 and How They Will Adjust To a Post COVID World

By: Jaden Li

The hospitality industry like any other has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Hotels especially have gone vacant in recent months with travel restrictions keeping eager travelers at home. Now the question is how will hotels bounce back and adjust their services of offering a place to stay in a post COVID world?

Today I will be examining three major brands in the hospitality industry: Marriott, Hilton and Best Western. Not only looking at safety precautions but how they are trying to customize the guest experience in a contactless world. When these hotels rebrand, how will they bring back their old guests and attract new ones?

I first want to start off with initiatives that all the brands share, mostly new clean and sanitation initiatives. Each brand has created a website to address all information surrounding COVID and even created new program names to cement cleanliness as a core value. Marriott has the tagline “Commitment to Clean”, Hilton has introduced a new standard “Hilton CleanStay” and Best Western has a new program called “We Care Clean”. All of these initiatives have very similar procedures, mandatory facemasks, social distancing, thorough sanitation in rooms and public areas and careful handling of luggage and food. Each brand has also partnered with health companies and organizations to ensure even higher safety.

Each brand also carries special incentives to help with these difficult times, and there is great overlap with a few major programs. All brands have offered extensions of their loyalty program points and elite membership status. These extensions allow guests to have more flexibility and allow them to return when they feel comfortable. Flexibility is really important, especially in a time where circumstances can change out of nowhere. Marriott and Hilton are also pushing their mobile apps for check in and hotel information, limiting the human contact that is needed in any of their hotels. Marriott has even transferred room keys onto their app with no need for human contact when checking in. Best Western has altered their free breakfast with a limited menu and emphasis on a grab and go style. All three brands have also placed an emphasis on helping the community and supporting first responders. With supporting local emergency responders by offering them places to stay and the option to donate loyalty program points towards charity.

Hotels are going to have a difficult time trying to regain their customer base and returning to pre COVID occupancy rates, but these three brands all have very unique approaches to ease the process of traveling again. New safety procedures, flexibility in bookings and support of local communities will aid a lot in allowing people to travel comfortably.

Marriott

• Mobile and web check in
• Mobile key on your phone app
• Best rate guarantee, if a lower price is found also get 25% discount or 5000 convoy points
• Flexible cancellation
• Extension of loyalty program perks
• Special rooms for responders at their hotels

Hilton

• Flexible travel plans, cancel up to 24 hours before
• Price match + 25% discount
• Extension of loyalty points
• Earn elite status in half the time, milestone bonuses faster
• Hilton honors app

Best Western

• Modified breakfast layouts
• More grab and go food
• Extension of elite status
• Donate points to charity
• Encouragement of letting employees stay at home