Hotel companies, groups and collections making significant changes as they adapt to the new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here's the latest news from top companies around the globe.
Belmond Unveils Exclusive Places
Guests staying at Belmond’s hotels now have access to a collection of new private escapes, called Exclusive Places, which have been designed for families and small groups seeking a socially distant vacation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Accommodation options within Belmond’s new collection may include a Caribbean beachfront private villa at Belmond Cap Juluca in Anguilla; a private palazzo at Belmond Hotel Cipriani in Venice, Italy; a quaint cottage at Belmond El Encanto in Santa Barbara, Calif.; and more.
Exclusive Places provide socially distant vacations.
Credit: 2020 BelmondBelmond’s portfolio includes 46 properties across 24 countries and encompasses three luxury safari lodges, two river cruises, seven luxury trains and the 21 Club restaurant in New York.
www.belmond.com
Key Management Group Rebrands, Adds to Portfolio
Key Management Group has been renamed Key Hotels & Resorts. The company, which specializes in hotel development, management, marketing and culinary solutions for boutique and independent hotels of all sizes across the globe, has recently added La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino Aruba. The addition is the latest to the company's expanding portfolio of properties that it provides hotel marketing services to in the Dutch Caribbean.
La Cabana Beach Resort & Casino in Aruba recently joined Key Hotels & Resorts.
Credit: 2020 Key Hotels & Resorts“We think of ourselves as value-innovators in hospitality,” said John Lacle, managing director for the company. “We offer corporate-level hotel services coupled with powerful technology platforms to elevate top-line and bottom-line performance for independent hotels while reducing bloated overhead expenses. In the wake of COVID-19, we believe our value-driven, high-performance approach to hotel management and marketing will be in high demand.”
The company also plans to expand into several European markets, including Spain and the Netherlands.
www.keyhotelsandresorts.com
Locke Hotels Adds Properties in Europe
U.K.-based lifestyle hotel brand Locke recently announced an aggressive expansion in Europe, with a total of 11 new properties set to open in Denmark, Germany, Ireland and Portugal over the next two years, along with three additional properties in London and one in Cambridge.
Locke’s hotel-style apartments include full-service kitchens and living rooms, while public spaces feature co-working areas, dining options, an artisanal grocer, a yoga studio, a rooftop cocktail bar and more. COVID-19 precautions — such as contactless check-in, checkout and housekeeping, along with a grocery delivery service — will be taken at each property.
Locke Hotels’ public spaces feature co-working areas.
Credit: 2020 Locke Hotels“We are delighted to share the news of our expansion into many new and exciting locations,” said Stephen McCall, CEO of Edyn, the parent company of Locke. “This pivotal moment in our expansion comes at a transformational time for the travel industry at large, and we look forward to contributing to that evolving narrative.”
www.lockeliving.com
Loews Hotels Launches New Branding Campaign
Loews Hotels, which operates 26 properties in North America, recently launched its “Welcoming You Like Family” campaign, which includes video, photography, digital experiences and enhanced safety and well-being protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In 2019, we began the process to identify a much-needed opportunity to define a new brand message that captured what makes Loews Hotels different,” said Jonathan Tisch, chairman and CEO for Loews Hotels. “Welcoming you like family clearly defines the brand and what our hotels do best, which is care for guests just like we care for our own family. While deeply ingrained in our DNA, this message resonates now more than ever in the age of COVID-19, and there couldn’t be a better time to stand behind what makes Loews unique in the industry.”
Loews’ campaign includes video, photography, digital experiences and more.
Credit: 2020 Lowes HotelsThe enhanced safety protocols include face coverings when social distancing is not possible; temperature checks for staff and vendors; hand sanitizer stations; reduced elevator capacity; and more.
www.loewshotels.com
Major Hotel Groups Now Require Face Masks
On July 27, Hyatt, Marriott International and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) began requiring visitors to wear face masks in interior public spaces in their U.S. properties (with Hyatt and IHG extending the ordinance into Canada). The mandate follows the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s “Safe Stay Guest Checklist.”
"Health experts have made it clear that wearing face coverings in public spaces is one of the easiest steps that we can all take to protect one another and reduce the spread of COVID-19,” said Arne Sorenson, president and CEO for Marriott International. “As part of our commitment to clean, we made it a brand standard that associates wear masks and set an example. We are now extending the requirement to wear face masks in all indoor public spaces to our guests, no matter the jurisdiction."
www.hyatt.com
www.ihg.com
www.marriott.com
