Live Survey Reveals 50 Percent of Hotels Not Planning to Close Properties Due to COVID-19

Knowland, the leader in group hospitality analytics for hotels, convention and visitor bureaus, conference centers and other meeting venues, announced the results of a live survey of more than 700 hoteliers conducted during its informative webinar “COVID-19 Preparing Today for Success Tomorrow.” Knowland’s VP of product management, Kristi White provided insight and guidance during a webinar held on March 25, 2020 

Throughout the webinar, hoteliers were eager to respond to a series of questions about how they were handling the COVID-19 crisis. Questions such as “Is your hotel closed?” and “What percentage of cancellations have you received for the next 90-120 days” were asked in order to gain insight into the current situation.

• Survey reveals “stay the course” mentality – While 70 percent have had 75 percent plus cancellations over the next 90-120 days, 50 percent of participants indicated that they are not planning to close their hotels and were “staying the course” during this time. This may be due to the fact that many hoteliers are hoping the new CARES Act stimulus bill will help keep them from shutting their doors and their teams capable of prospecting business over the next 60-75 days, however approximately 23% of attendees reported that closing their hotel was “under consideration.”

• Pivot and train your sales teams – White advised attendees to evaluate sales team members to determine those that are best qualified to conduct outreach based on compassion and assistance, as opposed to “making the sale.”

• Identify and cater to local market opportunities – The survey also revealed that 50 percent of participants conducted local sales outreach earlier this year, compared to 38% in 2019. Corporate, government and local catering, as well as smaller and regional events and local drive market will bounce back first. Knowland provides key profile indicators such as what businesses have held local events, the history of their performance (such as what they did during the 2008 recession) to help sales teams better identify potential local customers.

Radisson Hotel Group Expands Its Presence in Brazil

“Our partnership with Atlantica Hotels allows us to bring the bright, inviting and balanced feel of the Radisson brand into vibrant cities like Anápolis, Brazil,” said Frances Gonzalez, vice president of Operations for Radisson Hotel Group in Latin America. “We believe every modern traveler should have a hospitality experience that allows them to find more harmony in both their work and leisure lives, and we are excited to continue creating these experiences in destinations around Latin America.”

Atlantica Hotels is a licensee for Radisson Hotel Group’s brands in Brazil, including Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED and Park Inn by Radisson.

Kimpton Charlotte Square (UK) has announced the appointment of Kieran Quinn as General Manager

Kimpton Charlotte Square, has announced the appointment of Kieran Quinn as General Manager. Kieran will oversee the 199 room property located in the heart of Edinburgh and brings over 20 years of experience

He began his career in hospitality in his teenage years in his native Donegal in Ireland. He then qualified with distinction from Shannon College of Hotel Management in Ireland

His most recent position was General Manager for Crowne Plaza Edinburgh Royal Terrace where he was instrumental in completing the hotel’s renovation, increasing average rate and achieving record revenues for the hotel

Commenting on his new position as Hotel General Manager, He said: “The Kimpton ethos is one I'm incredibly passionate about. We believe that heartfelt human connections can really make a difference to people's lives. This goes for the team as well as our guests. It's the authentic personal touches that we deliver day in day out here at the hotel that make a real difference to our guests' experience.

Hotels and Airports See Jaw-Dropping Declines in Foot Traffic in March

Social distancing is a precautionary measure against coronavirus, but it is also taking a hit on the global economy

The Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel saw a 70 percent drop in foot traffic between the end of February and the second week of March. Foot traffic at a DoubleTree hotel at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport declined nearly 65 percent in the same timeframe. Traffic at the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco and the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel was down 60 percent and 51 percent, respectively.

“The effect of coronavirus is going to leave a lasting impression on travel, both domestic and international,”

John F. Kennedy International Airport had the biggest decline in foot traffic of all U.S. airports in the Placer.ai study. The airport, New York City’s busiest, had a nearly 42 percent foot traffic drop from late February to the second week in March. San Francisco International had a 41 percent decline, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport rounded out the top three with a nearly 37 percent drop

Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Seeks Stability, Long-Term Growth Under New CEO

Nobody envies the job of a CEO these days, but Clarence Tan, who will take up the group CEO position at newly-privatized Millennium & Copthone Hotels starting April 2, is set for a tougher ride.

Singapore-based City Developments, which now owns the hospitality subsidiary wholly,Millennium & Copthorne was delisted from the London Stock Exchange last October, after a protracted two-year battle between City Developments and smaller shareholders to take the company private

The chain’s last CEO, Jennifer Fox, lasted all of three months in the job. Since her departure in September 2018, there has been no dedicated CEO, with the chain overseen an interim CEO, Tan Kian Seng. Two other directors, Sue Farr and Gervase MacGregor, also left in the latter half of 2018.

Apart from inheriting an organization that has seen a good deal of instability, and reporting to a real tough boss, City Developments and Millennium & Copthorne executive chairman and Singapore tycoon Kwek Leng Beng, Tan will have to lead Millennium & Copthorne during the worst crisis ever to hit the travel industry, the coronavirus.

U.S. Hotels Will Need More Than What’s in the $2 Trillion Relief Package: Industry Trade Group CEO

The $2 trillion U.S. economic relief package passed Friday to offset a coronavirus economic downturn is more of a lifeline than stimulus to the hotel industry, according to the CEO of one of the industry’s largest trade groups.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security — or CARES — Act into law.Many hotel operators qualify for some of the $500 billion in loans and loan guarantees the $2 trillion emergency spending package includes to businesses hit hard by the coronavirus economic downturn.

The CARES Act loan limit is capped at 250% of a business’s average monthly payroll, which the AHLA estimates is enough to enable hoteliers to meet payroll and debt service obligations for four to eight weeks. But the trade group wanted to see the limit at a higher 400% cap.

Companies like Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt have furloughed tens of thousands of employees while occupancy at some properties plunge to single-digit levels. The April 1 rent and mortgage payment deadline this week will be an initial financial hurdle for the industry in the ongoing coronavirus-led economic downturn. For the most part, Rogers said he is hearing of lenders and landlords offering short-term leniency on upcoming payments.

The CARES Act offers SBA loan forgiveness to businesses that re-hire furloughed employees by June 30, but the AHLA doesn’t anticipate the hotel industry will be fully recovered by then. Instead, the organization wants the deadline pushed out.

A Mexican Chef Makes History As The First Mexican Woman To Win A Michelin Star

The 36-year-old leads the team at the Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura restaurant in Florence, Italy. She’s also the sole female to be named in the 2020 Michelin Guide Italy.

 Michelin’s review of her restaurant: “The cuisine of theatrical chef Massimo Bottura has arrived in Florence, demonstrating openness to the rest of the world, with influences and reinterpretations of dishes from other countries, as well as Italy and Modena in particular. A visit to the Gucci Garden, an elegant museum on the upper floors dedicated to the famous fashion house, is highly recommended.” We love how the review includes that López is including perhaps Mexican influences in her Italian creations

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https://wearemitu.com/culture/karime-lopez-chef-michelin-star/#brid_cp_Brid_12348598

Hilton Partners with Leading Companies to Find Temporary Jobs for Displaced Hotel Team Members

As the hospitality industry responds to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Hilton is partnering with leading companies to connect workers from temporarily suspended hotels with hundreds of thousands of short-term jobs created by the global pandemic.

Hilton Team Members, and others in the industry seeking employment, will be given direct access and in some cases expedited access to temporary jobs on the Hilton Workforce Resource Center at companies such as Albertsons, Amazon, CVS, Lidl, Sunrise Senior Living and Walgreens.

These partners recognize the power of a service culture and the value of hospitality skills training Hilton Team Members are known to receive. With a diverse range of experience reflected in the eligible candidate pool, these Team Members are an ideal fit to quickly step in and assist organizations in temporary assignments.

Hilton hopes to expand the program globally and plans to welcome these Team Members back when travel resumes.

Hospitality Sector Teams Up Online to Help During the Crisis

The hotel and lodging industry has been pulling together online resources to help each other and their communities during the coronavirus crisis.

Helping re-purpose beds for medical use may be the most obvious possible way to help. A new tech platform launched earlier this week can make the matchmaking process easier between lodging operators and local emergency efforts. Owners of a property can make beds or buildings available by using an online form to specify how they’re willing to help. Cloudbeds has worked with Sabre, Marriott, and RateGain and others on the effort.

Hotels for Helpers, in the Netherlands, is a booking engine offering discounted rooms for those in need, in an effort joined by tech provider Mews.

A new reservations portal provides accommodation to healthcare workers at no cost in Lisbon and Porto, Portugal. It’s called Rooms Against Covid, and GuestCentric Systems and HiJiffy created it.

Oyo Hotels & Homes said it would open the doors of its more than 300 hotels in the U.S. to offer free stays to doctors, nurses, and other medical first responders who are helping in the fight against coronavirus.

ONLINE RESOURCES FOR OPERATIONAL SURVIVAL

The hospitality sector also has to heal itself from the wounds of travel bans and the economic crash. Here’s a roundup of some of the hotel and lodging sector resources of note:

Travel tech company RateGain has put together a “Better Tomorrow” resource page to help hoteliers with insights into lessons to learn from Asia. The page draws partly on resources from the trade group Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), which has its own online resources, too.

Workers who have lost their jobs and are struggling with mental stress can turn to the U.S. site Restaurant After Hours for links to resources. In Canada, Service Hospitality, a non-profit association for workers, has created a Covid-19 resources page

For more information please visit on below mention side :

https://www.cloudbeds.com/covid-19-hospitality-helps/

https://servicehospitality.com/coronavirus-guide-for-hospitality/

Russia Closes State-Run Hotels, Resorts Over Rising Coronavirus Cases

Russia ordered its vast network of state-run hotels, resorts and recreational facilities to shut down from March 28 until June 1, as its number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose past 1,000.

The official tally of confirmed cases jumped by a record daily amount for the third day in a row on Friday, bringing Russia’s total to 1,036 a day after it moved to suspend all international flights. Four people have died.

Russia’s mass domestic tourism and recreation sector is still dominated by the state, a legacy from Soviet times. Millions of Russians still holiday each year at vast state-run hotels, resorts, health spas and children’s camps.

An opinion poll by the Moscow-based Levada Centre showed the majority of Russians, some 59 percent, do not believe the official figures. Twenty-four percent said they “absolutely” did not believe them and 35 percent said they only partially believed them, the poll showed.

PEOPLE | Pankaj Saxena has been appointed General Manager at Radisson Blu Mumbai International Airport, India

Pankaj Saxena has been appointed General Manager at Radisson Blu Mumbai International Airport, India close proximity to Mumbai Airport having 206 uniquely designed Rooms / Suites & Spa with multiple dining options. Open to sky Infinity Swimming Pool with scenic view & Alfresco

Pankaj was most recently General Manager at Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi - A 5-star hotel. With 151 rooms having Café Blu – Multi-cuisine All Day Dining, Pan Asian Restaurant & Poolside Grill (Over the Top) on the rooftop also with close to 1950 sq. mt. of Meeting & Events. Spa & Art Fitness Studio with Outdoor Swimming Pool.

He brings with him 22 years of hospitality experience in India. Pankaj previously worked at Radisson Varanasi, Sarovar Hotels and ITC Hotels.

Represented at ITB-Berlin and WTM London several times in recent years along with participation in commercial RHG workshops across SE Asia & China Road Show 2019.

Also served In Exe Committee as Vice President 2011-12 Hotels & Restaurant Association of Andhra Pradesh, India affiliated with FHRAI. Certified Leader under RHG The Leaders Excellence Program - 2019 at RHG Corporate Office Brussels, Belgium.

Having done Diploma in Business Administration also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Management from Mangalore University.

In his recent assignments with RHG. Pankaj has been accredited with various recognitions:

 Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi - Conferred WEAR H2 2018 (Week of Employee Appreciation & Recognition) in RHG HR India Workshop 2019.

 Radisson Blu Pune Hinjawadi - Endowed NPS Star (Guest Satisfaction Index) in RHG HR India Workshop 2018.

 Country Inn & Suites By Radisson Mysore - Won Hotel of the Year in Asia Pacific RHG Business Conference Bangkok 2016.

Talented chefs are affected by restaurant closure due to COVID-19 crisis; You can now book an Online Class with them!

We love the idea!

We haven’t had the chance to take a session yet, but this seems like a good idea at a time when both, the learner and the teacher have time on their hands.

see more at - https://learnfromachef.org/

OYO Reveals Extent Of Covid-19 Impact On Revenue, Ops

Hospitality unicorn OYO said that the restrictions have impacted its revenues, operations and cash flows ‘significantly’. As a result, the company has told its partner hotels that there may be possible disruptions in payment cycles. The company might be forced to delay payment of minimum guarantees and other dues to vendors and hotel partners due to various unforeseen reasons.

An ET report said that OYO’s procurement and supply chain head Ankit Agarwal has written to hotels saying, “In the current unprecedented situation and challenging circumstances there may be possible disruption in our payment cycles and we need your understanding and support to sail through this situation.”

President Trump weighs cruise line bailout: Would they need to come home to the U.S.?

President Donald Trump said he likes the idea of major cruise ship companies shifting their corporate registrations to the U.S. as a possible requirement in order to qualify for aid under the federal stimulus bill.

He also voiced support for the notion of the government taking ownership stakes in airlines in exchange for loans to keep them afloat as vital businesses.

The comments came as industries assess how they fared after the Senate passed the $2 trillion stimulus bill,which now goes to the House. Trump has repeatedly voiced support for airlines and cruise ship companies, saying they are great businesses that deserve to be kept afloat despite being devastated by the business downturn in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump noted that the cruise lines order a lot of goods in the U.S and have thousands of employees, including many who work on U.S. soil. He hinted that perhaps there may still be a lifeline for the industry by the time the final version of the stimulus hits his desk for a signature

Chefs Offer Online Cooking Demos During Coronavirus Pandemic

As people stay home to #flattenthecurve and prevent the spread of coronavirus, several chefs and industry professionals have found a way to engage with social-distancing viewers via virtual classes.

Some, like Massimo Bottura and Antoni Porowski, have been posting videos with guided cooking demonstrations and helpful tips for viewers looking to make the most of pantry ingredients. Some of the demos will cost you, but for a good cause—Sean Brock is offering paid virtual classes so he can continue to support his staff as restaurants are forced to close.

The Queer Eye star and cookbook author has started a mini-series of lessons called “Quar Eye: Cooking Lessons in Quarantine” on his Instagram page. The idea is based on “preparing good food that’s good for us, and that makes us feel good,” using ingredients that you likely already have. In the first episode, Porowski talks about how he wanted to make huevos rancheros, but couldn't get all of the ingredients—so he pivoted and made an omelet served with black bean salsa. Other meals demo’d so far have been "zoodles" with meat sauce and spinach, salmon and squash, chicken strips, and more.

Kwame Onwuachi

The Food & Wine Best New Chef is starting a series of live demos on Instagram called "Eat Clean While Quarantined." He'll post a recipe—the first is a chorizo and white bean stew with charred shrimp—with the ingredients listed, and then, viewers can follow along on Instagram live.

Lena Sareini

As people stay home to #flattenthecurve and prevent the spread of coronavirus, several chefs and industry professionals have found a way to engage with social-distancing viewers via virtual classes.

Some, like Massimo Bottura and Antoni Porowski, have been posting videos with guided cooking demonstrations and helpful tips for viewers looking to make the most of pantry ingredients. Some of the demos will cost you, but for a good cause—Sean Brock is offering paid virtual classes so he can continue to support his staff as restaurants are forced to close.

If you're spending more time than usual in the kitchen, check out these short cooking demos and get cooking.

Antoni Porowski

The Queer Eye star and cookbook author has started a mini-series of lessons called “Quar Eye: Cooking Lessons in Quarantine” on his Instagram page. The idea is based on “preparing good food that’s good for us, and that makes us feel good,” using ingredients that you likely already have. In the first episode, Porowski talks about how he wanted to make huevos rancheros, but couldn't get all of the ingredients—so he pivoted and made an omelet served with black bean salsa. Other meals demo’d so far have been "zoodles" with meat sauce and spinach, salmon and squash, chicken strips, and more.

Giada De Laurentiis, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Valerie Bertinelli

Giada De Laurentiis, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Valerie Bertinelli hosted a "progressive dinner party" on Instagram, where they each filmed a demo cooking a different dish. De Laurentiis made aglio e olio pasta with bacon, Guarnaschelli made chicken thighs with peppered carrots and onions, and Bertinelli made a warm kale caesar.

Jewish Food Society

Last week, the Jewish Food Society announced “Tradish,” a series of pantry-forward cooking demos, step-by-step videos, new recipes, and more in the hopes of providing comfort during unsettling times. So far, the Society’s culinary director, Arielle Nir Mamiye, has signed on to demo her family’s recipe for Moroccan harira soup, and program director Amanda Dell highlighted paprika potatoes. Baker and pastry chef Zoe Kanan also walked viewers through her go-to challah recipe. You can find the stories saved on the Jewish Food Society’s profile. The Society encourages viewers to reach out to older relatives and ask them what they ate growing up.

“Our goal is that Jewish Food Society can be a place where our community can sparkle and be a beacon of hope and understanding. We look forward to staying connected and hearing all about your #Tradish,” the post says.

Kwame Onwuachi

The Food & Wine Best New Chef is starting a series of live demos on Instagram called "Eat Clean While Quarantined." He'll post a recipe—the first is a chorizo and white bean stew with charred shrimp—with the ingredients listed, and then, viewers can follow along on Instagram live.

Lena Sareini

Lena Sareini, pastry chef at Selden Standard in Detroit, has shared a tutorial for easy homemade sourdough on YouTube, as well as guide for making cultured butter.In both, she's joined by her brother, Ali.

For more information please visit below mention link:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B91vbU8l68Z/?utm_source=ig_embed

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B90Oo5lHxYv/?utm_source=ig_embed

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-GFvZXHSTM/?utm_source=ig_embed

‘If you’re scared of something, eat it!’: Hanoi chef creates coronavirus burger

You’ve got to eat it, to beat it: That’s the philosophy of one Hanoi chef who is attempting to boost morale in the Vietnamese capital by selling green, coronavirus-themed burgers.

Staying upbeat in the face of the pandemic, chef Hoang Tung and his team now spend their days moulding dozens of green-tea stained burger buns complete with little “crowns” made of dough to resemble microscopic images of the coronavirus.

“We have this joke that if you are scared of something, you should eat it,” said Tung, at the Pizza Home takeaway shop in downtown Hanoi.

The shop has sold around 50 burgers a day, despite the growing numbers of businesses in Vietnam which have been forced to close because of the virus.

There are now 148 recorded cases of the virus in Vietnam, but no reported deaths.

Radisson Hotel Group announced the signing of the Radisson Resort Dubai Palm Jumeira

Radisson Hotel Group has announced the signing of the Radisson Resort Dubai Palm Jumeirah, its first beach resort in Dubai and third Radisson hotel in the United Arab Emirates, bringing its UAE portfolio to 23 hotels in operation and under development.

Elie Younes, Executive Vice President & Chief Development Officer, Radisson Hotel Group, said:“Radisson is a very compelling brand to all stakeholders, blending real estate efficiencies with guest relevance. We are excited to enter this new partnership and look forward to a successful journey with our partners based on trust and responsibility.”

Home to some of Dubai's top resorts, the Palm Jumeirah is built from reclaimed land in a series of artificial archipelagos and shaped like a palm tree when viewed from above

Inside the hotel’s 389 upscale rooms and suites, guests will discover the renowned hospitality and modern amenities

.The hotel will also be home to three meeting rooms; the ideal space to host any leisure or business function.

Vaishali Shahi appointed as Human Resources Manager at Hyatt Regency, Chennai

Hyatt Regency Chennai recently announced the appointment of Vaishali Shahi as the Human Resources Manager. She brings with herself 12 years of experience in human resources and will be seen overlooking strategic planning, recruitment policy, design & implementation, talent management, and associate engagement.

 Having a strong background in the hospitality industry, Shahi gained immense knowledge working with eminent brands such as, IBIS Bengaluru, Crowne Plaza Pune City Centre, and JW Marriott Pune. In her tenure, she coordinated with senior managers to ensure that smooth activities are completed and issues are addressed to reinforce an assertive outlook of the organisation, championed communication with necessary use of compensation systems, tools, programs and policies, facilitated learning and development sessions and other key strategies.

Brand overview: Pullman to grow portfolio by 40 hotels with strong APAC focus

Growth in the coming years

According to the TOPHOTELCONSTRUCTION database, Pullman Hotels & Resorts has 15 hotels in its pipeline for 2020, which will bring the company 4,410 new rooms

9 properties are planned for 2021 and things pick up again in 2022 with 12 scheduled openings. 4 more hotels are on the books for 2023 with more likely to be added by then.

Pullman’s main regional focus

Of Pullman’s 40 new hotels, 31 will launch in the APAC region, adding 8,732 rooms to this area. Africa comes in a very distant second place with 4 projects and 1,074 rooms followed by the Middle East with 3 openings. South America and Europe will each see one hotel launch.

China leads the pack with 17 projects and 4,833 new rooms. Despite the coronavirus wreaking havoc in the local hotel industry, investors are still keen on new projects there since they expect everything to go back to normal in the near future.

Vietnam and Indonesia share second place with 3 hotels each, followed by New Zealand and Australia which will get two new hotels each.

Noteworthy Pullman hotel projects around the world

The largest project currently in Pullman’s pipeline is the Pullman Doha Bridge Towers (West Bay) with 468 rooms. The hotel will open in late 2020 and offer guests easy access to Doha’s West Bay business district.

Visitors to Thailand’s serene islands will look forward to the late 2020 opening of the Pullman Khao Lak Resort. The 251-room property set on a stretch of gently sloping beach is the ideal family getaway thanks to its large kids’ club and family-friendly facilities. Couples can avail of the private villas to have their peace and quiet or go for a dip in the adult-only infinity pool overlooking the sparkling Andaman Sea.

Set within Accra’s Airport City enclave, the Pullman Accra Airport City will become a hub for business travellers visiting the city. Slated to open in early 2021, the 214-room property is anticipated to become a major venue for conferences and events thanks to its seven meeting rooms and banqueting facilities as well as its convenient location just a few minutes from Kotoka International Airport.

Coronavirus: Chef Floyd Cardoz, co-owner of Bombay Canteen, dies of Covid-19 in New Jersey

 He was the co-owner of two popular restaurants in Mumbai – the Bombay Canteen and O Pedro. He had recently launched his third venture, the Bombay Sweet Shop.

The Mumbai-raised chef had been in Mumbai until March 8. In an Instagram post on March 18, he said that had admitted himself to hospital in New Jersey, where he lived, since he was feeling feverish

The Hunger Inc, the company that runs the restaurants, later put out a statement confirming that the restaurateur-chef had tested positive for the virus in New York, Mid-Day reported. “As a precautionary measure we have informed the Health Department in Mumbai about the same,” it said. “We are also reaching out personally to people who have interacted with him during his visit to India, so they can take necessary medical advice should they indicate any symptoms [fever, cough, shortness of breath] and or [put themselves in] self-quarantine.”

“Floyd tested positive for Covid 19, in USA, on March 18th and on March 25, 2020 he passed away  in New Jersey, USA,