TWO MORE HOTEL chains are stepping up to provide rooms for essential workers facing the COVID-19 outbreak. Best Western Hotels & Resorts will offer discounted rates, loyalty program points and donation offerings while My Place Hotels of America will donate 5 percent of the cost of the rooms rented by participating guests to a charitable organization.
Best Western’s relief package will include discounts of at least 10 percent for qualified health workers until June 30. Essential workers also can qualify for a Best Western Rewards Elite status upgrade, and BWR members can donate reward points to the company’s charitable arm, Best Western for a Better World or the Red Cross.
“Each and every day we see essential workers, from healthcare providers and first responders to transportation workers and infrastructure professionals, putting their own health at risk to lead the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” said David Kong, president and CEO for Best Western. “These frontline workers are making tremendous sacrifices for the greater good. While no token of appreciation will ever be enough, we are proud to show our respect and gratitude by keeping our doors open in their time of need, extending a loyalty upgrade and supporting the relief efforts through donations.”
Best Western also has implemented a relief package for its franchisees that includes waiving half on monthly fees and property revenue management fees and completely waiving co-op marketing fees.
My Place’s “Help Our Heroes” program will run until May 31 and will make donations for guests who book stays between April 13 and Dec. 1 to the First Responders Children’s Foundation. The company began providing rooms to first responders two weeks ago.
One beneficiary of the free rooms was Misty Pehl, a registered nurse in an intensive care unit in Amarillo, Texas.
“Having a place like My Place to come home to is so important,” Pehl said. “Before I heard about My Place on the news, I was staying at another hotel that made me wonder if safety was a priority. But from the moment I booked my stay, My Place has made me feel safe and welcome.”
Ryan Rivett, My Place’s president and CEO, said the company aims to provide workers like Pehl a safe place to stay while they work.“You can’t put a price on knowing your loved ones are safe and secure after working a long day on the front lines of this pandemic, especially when you can’t necessarily be safe and secure together,” Rivett said. “Being able to provide that safety and security while giving back is a feeling like no other.”
Previously, Vision Hospitality Group of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Marriott International launched similar programs. OYO Hotels and Homes launched a similar program before then.
