As the COVID-19 pandemic continued as the months wore on, we continued to be riddled with feelings of wanderlust. For some of us, it’s been downright unbearable to stay holed up in our homes, day in and day out. But there’s a way for us to curb our feelings of wanderlust, and that’s going on a staycation.
Sure, we might think that staying at a hotel is not as exciting as going on a hike at the Grand Canyon or going on a ski trip in Aspen. But remember how we felt when we stayed at a hotel as a kid? It felt like it’s a magical place that we can run around in and discover new things. Remember as well one of our beloved Disney TV shows, the Suite Life of Zack and Cody? Didn’t it make staying at a hotel seem fun?
We might not be able to go overseas yet for a much-needed adventure. But we can stay at hotels for rest and recreation. Plus, it’s our way of helping the hotel industry survive the dire effects of the pandemic.
Health Safety at Hotels
The loss of travellers hit the industry very hard. But the hotel entrepreneurs are surviving by adjusting to the new normal. They started by taking extra measures set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that their guests remain happy, satisfied, and safe from the coronavirus.
Many of them began rethinking the interior design of their hotels to ensure that they adhere to health safety protocols. They renovated lobbies and restaurants so that there would be more space. So that their guests could still practice the six-feet social distancing rule, also set by the CDC. They also installed hand disinfecting stations all over their premises. They’ve also become stricter with maintaining the sanitization and neatness of the rooms.
COVID-19’s Impact on the Hotel Industry
The hotel industry thrived because of travellers who were on a trip both for business and leisure. Yes, some permanent tenants stayed at hotels. But, really, they relied on the guests who were only staying for a limited amount of time.
Before the pandemic started, businesses worldwide used to spend more than $300 billion on travel expenses. Individuals, on the other hand, spent more than $700 billion. All of these amount to about $1.1 trillion. Expenses for hotels and other forms of lodging receive about $242 billion out of that.
It’s a lot of money, and an entire industry relied on it. But the COVID-19 pandemic hit the hotel industry very hard. The impact resulted in a loss of about 2.8 million jobs all over the United States. These are jobs that are directly working at a hotel or are hotel-related jobs. Together with that are the series of hotel closures, which reached over 57 thousand.
Affordability of Hotels
As young professionals, we didn’t usually have a big budget for hotel accommodations when we travel. Our mindset is that we’d rather spend our money on food, souvenirs, and entrance tickets to tourist attractions. Besides, we didn’t travel across the country or the world to spend all our time at hotels. We only booked them so that we have a place to shower, sleep, and leave our luggage.
But because we can’t travel right now, it’s our time to enjoy a staycation now and then. To recover during the pandemic, hotels all over the country offered affordable deals. This is our chance to finally get out of our houses and enjoy a bit of luxury with king-size beds, room service, and long baths.
Change of Scenery
Living in the city can be fun and exciting, especially when we’re young and hungry for adventures. But after months of staying in one place for too long, no one can blame us for wanting to see the mountain ranges and get a whiff of that crisp forest scent. It won’t be surprising as well if we suddenly craved lounging under the sun in a place with a warmer climate.
Even if it’s just at a hotel, we can still enjoy a change of scenery. And that will definitely help with our wanderlust.
We might not be able to go on adventures like we used to. And we will have to wait for much longer before we could go to far-away places that we always dreamed of visiting. But that doesn’t mean we’re stuck in our homes forever. We can still have some adventures on our own at hotels. Staycation at hotels is our way of quenching our wanderlust. And it’s our way of helping out the hotel industry so that millions of people can keep their jobs.
