IHCL exceeds 1 million meals offered to healthcare providers and migrant workers

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) announced that it had crossed the milestone of over 1 million meals distributed to healthcare providers and migrant workers affected by the spread of COVID-19 in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Coimbatore and Agra.

The initiative which began on March 23 has been spearheaded by the Taj Public Service Welfare Trust (TPSWT), with majority of the meals being prepared by its airline catering company TajSATS.

Puneet Chhatwal, MD and CEO at IHC  said the milestone of 1 million meals distributed over the last 36 days of lockdown is a testament of the community’s trust in the company.

"We are grateful to have been given this opportunity to assist the medical fraternity, who make sacrifices every day to keep our country and citizens safe and help migrant workers who are facing one of the biggest humanitarian crises ever."

Through its programme, IHCL has partnered with BMC in Mumbai to offer over 3,30,000 meals to the medical fraternity at seven key hospitals/COVID-19 centres. In Bangalore, the company has provided over 9,500 meals to staff at Victoria Hospital and Epidemic Diseases Hospital in partnership with the Taj West End. While in New Delhi, IHCL has served over 85,000 meals to eight hospitals.

Since March 31, 2020, in partnership with Tata Son's - TPSWT has also provided over 5,75,000 meals to migrant workers in Mumbai

ITC Hotels launches ‘WeAssure’

ITC Hotels has launched the ‘WeAssure’ initiative under which the chain has partnered with National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) and DNV GL Business Assurance to ensure 'clinical' levels of hygiene and safety for its hotels.
The company said these assurance certifications will stand testimony to the ' rigorous' hygiene protocol being put in place to ensure the safety of guests and associates at ITC Hotels across India.

Nakul Anand, executive director at ITC said WeAssure is a unique programme designed in collaboration with medical professionals and disinfection experts to further enhance the existing hygiene and cleaning protocols.
ITC Hotels said the accreditation by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) will enhance existing procedures and controls in the area of sanitation, hygiene, safety and infection control thereby conforming to hospital level hygiene standards
ITC said ‘WeAssure’ will address all facets of hotel operations from revised protocols for back of the house activity at the receiving store, back offices, laundry to the public areas with heightened sanitization measures for guest luggage and elevators to room service.

Centara Hotels & Resorts launches ‘Help the Heroes’ campaign with donations to support healthcare workers and communities in need

Bangkok, Thailand - Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand's leading hotel operator, has launched 'Help the Heroes', a campaign aimed at supporting those in need during COVID-19, with donations going to the Chaipattana COVID-19 Aid Fund (and other pandemics) and Thai Red Cross Society.

'Help the Heroes' is an initiative designed to directly benefit health workers and vulnerable communities impacted by COVID-19. When a consumer buys a Centara cash voucher for a future escape, Centara will add a further 50% value to the purchase. Half will go to the buyer, with the value of the voucher being increased by 25% to help them get more out of their next adventure, when it is safe to travel again. And the other half will be made as a donation to those in need, with the customer able to choose which of the two charities Centara donates to.

Both selected charities support the fight against COVID-19. The Chaipattana COVID-19 Aid Fund (and other pandemics) provides support for under-resourced hospitals with items such as personal protective equipment and other essential medical supplies. The Red Cross Society provides medical supplies to hospitals and masks to the most vulnerable people.

To help Thailand's heroes, people can visit the company's website and buy Centara cash vouchers. Valid from now until 31 October 2021 and with a value starting at THB1,000, the vouchers can be redeemed for hotel stays or spending in the hotel whilst staying at any Centara Hotels & Resorts' properties in Thailand and overseas.

The company is also providing complimentary hotel accommodation and meals to healthcare workers while flagship property

Has hosted doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff from the Police Hospital since 1st April 2020. The company is also poised to launch a social media campaign to thank the healthcare heroes from Thailand and around the world.

Centara Hotels & Resorts supports social distancing and the Thai government and global initiatives to stay at home. The company also recently introduced a high-quality delivery service to take food to people's homes during the crisis.

In addition, thermal scanners check the temperature of guests and visitors; those with high fever or other symptoms may undergo additional screening. When checking in, all hotel guests are also asked to fill out a questionnaire enquiring about their prior trips.

Hilton closes 1,000 hotels, experiences 56% decline in revenue per room resulting from coronavirus

Hilton Hotels' preliminary systemwide first-quarter estimate of revenue per available room showed a 56% to 58% decline for March, according to the company's filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

For the company's hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, revenue per room is down 62% to 64% for March, which is slightly worse than Hilton properties in North and South America, which are down 54% to 56%.

These numbers are all better than the hotel's revenue per room in the Asia/Pacific region, which declined 74% to 76% in March.

As of April 14, 1,000 Hilton Hotels have suspended operations, which accounts for 16% of the chain's total global properties.

Marriott hotels also expect to report a decline of at least 23% in revenue per room for the first quarter. 

About 25% of Marriott's 7,300 hotels around the world are temporarily closed as a result of coronavirus travel fallout, according to a business update from the company

Hotel occupancy, average daily rate and revenue per available room were down significantly year-over-year for the week of April 5-11, according to a report from STR, a firm that analyzes hospitality industry data. 

More than 15,000 hotels signed up for a new American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) initiative called "Hospitality for Hope," which matches hotels with government agencies in need, offering temporary housing for emergency and health care workers amid the pandemic.

Hotels may be in a position to offer rooms near a hospital they have a relationship with. When relatives of sick patients come to an area, hotels reach out to hospital leadership to offer a discounted rate.

Accor to reduce pay, furlough 75% of global head office teams

 Accor reviewed its recurring investment plan for 2020, resulting in a €60m reduction in capital expenditure. The company is further streamlining all other costs, such as sales, marketing and IT, in line with lower systemwide revenues.

Given the current situation, Accor is reducing schedules and/or furloughing 75 percent of its global head office teams for Q2, as well as implementing a travel ban and a hiring freeze. These actions, it estimated, will result in a minimum €60 million reduction in general and administrative expenses for 2020 to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on business.

Accor said it currently has more than €2.5 billion in cash on hand and an undrawn revolving credit facility of €1.2 billion.

Accor is also withdrawing its proposal for a 2019 dividend payment of around €280 million. It decided to allocate 25 percent of the planned dividend to the launch of the ALL Heartist Fund, which will assist:

• The group’s 300,000 employees, pledging to pay for the COVID-19-related hospital expenses of those who do not have social security or medical insurance

• On a case-by-case basis, furloughed employees “suffering great financial distress”

• On a case-by-case basis, individual partners facing financial difficulty

• Health-care professionals and nonprofit organizations

  Accor board members have collectively decided to reduce their attendance fees by 20 percent to the benefit of this fund. Additionally, Chairman/CEO Sebastien Bazin will forgo 25 percent of his compensation during the crisis with the cash equivalent to also be contributed to the fund.