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Sep 14 2021

More than 600 hotel rooms in area shelter evacuees from Flat Rock – The News Herald

As residents of Flat Rock continue to assess their evacuation options after a gasoline spill in the sewer system, the number of residents seeking refuge in prepaid hotel rooms has increased.

Shortly after August 31, when fumes were detected in homes in Flat Rock and in the sewer system, residents began evacuations.

A storage tank at the Ford Flat Rock Assembly Plant was found to be the source of the spill and the substance was identified as toxic benzene gas.

According to Tiffani Jackson, director of communications for the Wayne County Public Services Department, hotel rooms are still available for those who have decided to stay in their home or who originally stayed with a family member and now have need a place to stay.

Ian Thibodeau, Ford’s Director of Corporate Communications, explained the process regarding how hotels were selected and how the process was organized.

“We have worked to identify hotels in the area that meet Ford standards and are able to accommodate evacuees from Flat Rock,” said Thibodeau.

As of Tuesday, the company was assisted by more than 20 hotels in the area serving residents.

Jackson said hotels aren’t limited to the downstream area. At least one is as far away as Southfield, according to a resident who said that’s where he was posted.

Thibodeau declined to share the names of participating hotels.

“To respect the privacy of the residents concerned, we do not provide this information,” he said. “Any resident requiring hotel accommodation due to the evacuation can call 734-782-2455 (select option 6) for more details.”

Residents were initially asked to call 211 to obtain a hotel voucher, but that number is no longer in service.

Thibodeau said about 600 hotel rooms are in use by affected residents, some of which allow pets.

It is not known what the average cost per night for accommodation is. Thibodeau would only say that the expense varies by location.

“Ford is covering the cost of all housing,” he said.

Jackson said residents will be allowed to stay in hotels until all health and safety concerns are resolved and residents are allowed to return home. More than 1,000 homes have been evacuated.

Thibodeau assured that if a resident’s home is in the affected areas, which have been divided into two areas, that resident will be offered accommodation for his household as long as he has confirmation from the hotel staff of town of Flat Rock.

Thibodeau said each situation is unique, adding that hotels strive to meet all “reasonable requests”.


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By • Hotel rooms •

Sep 10 2021

Two dead in city chief’s hotel fire, staff hide their presence – the New Indian Express

Through Express news service

PALAKKAD: Two people who were staying at the Hill View Tower Hotel in Nellipuzha in Mannarkad died of suffocation and two other guests were rescued after the building caught fire in the early hours of Friday.

Fire and rescue service personnel said they were told only two guests were staying at the hotel part-owned by Mannarkad City President C Mohammed Basheer at the time, and not of the deceased. The deceased – Mohammed Basheer, 58, from Thalakdathoor in Malappuram and Pushpalatha, 42, from Vilayur near Pattambi – were staying in rooms on the third floor of the hotel. The fire started at the reception of the restaurant on the ground floor of the three-story hotel at 3 a.m. All furniture and other fixtures on the floor were completely destroyed.

As smoke rose and filled the rooms on the upper floors, fire and rescue personnel were able to extinguish the blaze before it did any further damage. When the rooms were later inspected, two people were found dead on the third floor. Hotel workers told firefighters that there were only two guests in the rooms at the time and staff saved them both, they added.

Hotel owner Mohammed Basheer blamed the hour-long delay on the arrival of fire trucks for the deaths and damage. However, Mannarkad Fire Station Deputy Officer AK Govindan Kutty denied the charges and said he received the information at 3:20 am from the police station and arrived at the hotel in 3:25. It is believed that a short circuit was the cause of the fire. The losses remain to be estimated.


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By • Hotel staff •

Sep 6 2021

Resort owner Dr Jerry Schwartz enforces vaccination of hotel staff

Doctor of Medicine and owner of the resort, Dr Jerry Schwartz has made the vaccination of hotel staff at his Paradise Resort Gold Coast mandatory to ensure the protection of staff and guests, especially children, and warns that “staff vaccinated or the hospitality industry will perish “.

Dr Schwartz is one of the largest private hotel owners in Australia and already its hotels that provide quarantine services for travelers require staff members to be vaccinated, but Paradise Resort Gold Coast will be the first non-quarantined hotel in the group to impose COVID vaccinations for Personnel.
Paradise Resort has consistently been rated as one of Australia’s best family resorts over the past decade, and Dr Schwartz said with so many unvaccinated children staying at the hotel, it was essential that staff were fully vaccinated.

Dr Schwartz said he would like all staff to be fully vaccinated by the end of November so they are ready for the peak family Christmas holiday season. He would prefer an earlier date, but with many employees under 40, he was mindful of Pfizer’s limited reserves.

“As a doctor and hotel owner, I believe that any face-to-face business, especially if it involves children, should have a fully immunized staff,” noted Dr. Schwartz.

“The hospitality industry has been devastated by COVID and government policies, so it is critical that we equip ourselves with the tools to revive once the country hits 80% immunization and travel returns to relative normalcy. .

“However, we know that children under the age of 12 cannot be vaccinated, and therefore to ensure the well-being of our customers and staff, we must insist on compulsory vaccination, with priority being for all staff. who interacts with the customers and then all the staff working in the hotel.

Dr Schwartz added: “I have written to all hotel staff explaining the reasons for the compulsory vaccination and from the first comments we think most of the staff strongly agree, with many vaccinated and others being vaccinated. After the employment disruptions of the past 18 months, most can understand the need to take this initiative.

“It’s a matter of vaccinated personnel or the hotel industry could perish.

“I speak to all of the management companies operating my other hotels so that we can make sure the vaccination is implemented urgently as it is essential to put the hospitality industry in the best possible condition for recovery.

“Tourism companies such as Qantas and Virgin have already announced that they will require vaccination of staff members and I think the hospitality industry should follow suit, given that we are a people-oriented business with a duty. diligence to ensure that we eliminate guest risks and provide a safe working environment. Not only do our customers have children under the age of 12, but many of our employees do too, and they are entitled to a safe place to work. safe working.

Related Articles

August 26, 2021 – Paradise Resort Gold Coast wins Award of Excellence

September 7, 2021 – Centara Hotels and Resorts strengthens COVIDSafe measures

September 1, 2021 – Alma Resort in Vietnam uses Australian digital training platform Typsy to develop staff

June 30, 2021 – Laguna Phuket Partners with Hospital to Launch First Hotel PCR Testing Center for Phuket Sandbox Arrivals

September 6, 2021 – Tasmanian MONA Demands Staff Vaccinations, Reveals Expansion Plans

September 6, 2021 – Abu Dhabi launches new verification process for international vaccination certificates

August 30, 2021 – Major sites pivot to become mass vaccination centers

August 29, 2021 – What Employers Should Consider Regarding Vaccinations for Staff and Consumers

Aug 25, 2021 – Australians’ travel plans have yet to increase after vaccinations

23 August 2021 – Royal Life Saving provides advice on COVID-19 vaccinations and aquatic facilities

August 20, 2021 – Outback Music Festival organizer to require proof of vaccination for attendees in 2022

Aug 19, 2021 – Blacktown City Council reopens playgrounds, calls for mass vaccination center

August 19, 2021 – Qudos Bank Arena’s New Role as NSW Health’s Mass Vaccination Center

August 12, 2021 – Singapore hits 70% vaccination milestone with sport and events reopening

August 11, 2021 – Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena turns into a vaccination center for HSC students

August 4, 2021 – Business Events Council of Australia supports call for rapid vaccinations

August 4, 2021 – ATEC supports COVID vaccinations to avoid further lockdowns and reopen the economy

July 28, 2021 – HKCEC steps up security measures and launches raffle to encourage vaccination

July 20, 2021 – Victorian Performing Arts Community Launches Advertisement Supporting COVID-19 Vaccinations

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By • Hotel staff •

Sep 6 2021

Governor Edwards signs proclamation protecting hotel rooms for first responders, essential health care workers and utility workers in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Ida

Today, Governor John Bel Edwards signed a proclamation to help Louisiana hotels house first responders, essential health care workers and utility workers to restore critical infrastructure in the State after Hurricane Ida.

“Right now, the priority for the entire state of Louisiana is the recovery from Hurricane Ida, and we simply cannot afford to have one of our first responders, employees of health or utility workers from their hotel rooms for any reason. It is unacceptable that those who work tirelessly to support our state are kicked out onto the streets, ”Governor Edwards said. “Southeast Louisiana still has more than half a million power outages from Hurricane Ida, and restoring power is a major hurdle for communities still struggling after the storm. We will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of our employees and restore services as quickly as possible. “

Visitors planning to travel to Louisiana for reasons unrelated to hurricane response should check with their hotels prior to travel to ensure their rooms are not being used to house this emergency workforce. essential.

Governor Edwards also today issued an order suspending all legal time limits in the state until September 24. The Louisiana Supreme Court has previously issued an order staying statute of limitations, pre-emption, and waiver in statewide court proceedings, as well as a stay of certain time limits in criminal proceedings. in parishes affected by Hurricane Ida. View Louisiana Supreme Court Orders here and here.

Governor Edwards said, “People across the state of Louisiana are spending this week assessing the damage to their homes and communities and getting their lives back on track after the devastation of Hurricane Ida. We need to focus on recovery, not on being held to a judicial deadline. We still have several parishes in the state where 100 percent of homes and businesses are without electricity. The people who live and work there simply cannot be expected to meet the deadlines that were in place before the storm. “

The governor’s decree takes effect immediately and runs until September 24. It can be renewed if necessary. Click on here read the command.


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By • Hotel rooms •

Sep 5 2021

UAE Equipment Company Farnek Enters Hotel Services

Under the trade name of Farnek Hotel Management, it can expand its services to cover everything from initial consultation to day-to-day operations.
Image Credit: Provided

Dubai: Farnek, a UAE-based facilities management company, has expanded its hotel division to become a “global hotel management company” under the leadership of hotelier Walter Knight. Farnek began by providing a range of outsourced and third party services including janitorial, housekeeping, property operations, maintenance and energy consulting.

“This gives Farnek a clear competitive advantage, in an industry that will see major changes in hotel management, with the advent of AI and the digitization of asset management in the years to come,” said Markus Oberlin, CEO.

Farnek’s recent contracts included that of the new Village Expo. The facility manager is responsible for booking, concierge, reception and housekeeping services for the 2,273 apartments. Additionally, under the trade name of Farnek Hotel Management, it can expand its services to cover everything from initial consultation to day-to-day operations.

“Originally, we were aiming for a service offering that encompassed not only traditionally outsourced FM and workforce services, but also revenue-driven service management,” said Knight, director of hotel. “With our hotel management license, we can directly contact hotel developers, investors, owners and management companies with a range of services, including offering consulting, management, outsourcing and labor. “

Farnek’s past hotel contracts include those of five-star brands such as Marriott, Sheraton, Sofitel and Rotana.


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By • Hotel services •

Sep 3 2021

Proposed Health Ordinance Asks Douglas County To Provide Hotel Rooms Or Other Offsite Quarantine Places For Homeless Shelters, Other People Living In Groups | News, Sports, Jobs

photo by: Mike Yoder

The Lawrence Community Shelter, 3655 E. 25th St., is pictured in this 2015 file photo.

Douglas County leaders will soon consider a health ordinance calling on the county to provide funds and resources to support off-site quarantine places for collective living spaces such as homeless shelters.

As part of its Wednesday meeting, the Douglas County Commission will consider a public health emergency order providing non-collective shelter options such as dormitories, hotels and motels to shelters and other such agencies in order to limit the spread of COVID-19.

In a note to the committee, the director of emergency management, Robert Bieniecki, says that in recent weeks, community agencies serving the homeless and precarious have had to provide temporary isolation housing to those who have tested positive for COVID-19. Bieniecki says social distancing measures at these agencies have significantly limited the ability to provide adequate spaces in these facilities that do not endanger staff, other clients and the community at large.

As Journal-World recently reported, executives at Lawrence Community Shelter earlier this year announced plans to increase the capacity of the main building in East Lawrence, but then changed those plans after an increase in prices. cases of COVID due to the more contagious Delta variant. Specifically, leaders said the shelter’s capacity will remain at 40 so the shelter has room to quarantine and isolate people exposed to the virus or tested positive.

The refuge has the capacity to serve 125 people most of the time and 140 people during the winter. It initially reduced its capacity to 65 people in August 2019 due to budget issues and changes to its staffing model following an external review commissioned by the city and county. Then it further reduced the number of people housed in its main building to a maximum of 40 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The shelter received federal coronavirus relief funding to help run a temporary hotel shelter program earlier in the pandemic, which allowed it to serve additional guests beyond those allowed at its facility, but this program ended on April 1.

Bieniecki says in the memo that, based on consultation with the housing and social services branch of the United Command – a group of health and government officials working to tackle the pandemic – and health councils County of Lawrence-Douglas, the most feasible solution for future isolation is to temporarily accommodate guests in hotel rooms for the designated period of time.

The proposed health ordinance states in part that Douglas County will support non-collective accommodation options for community members who are homeless, members of treatment programs or those who live, work or are exposed to places. gathering, as well as members of their household. This does not include those incarcerated in the Douglas County Jail.

County support would include funding to pay for space in college dorms and hotel and motel facilities. This would also include the management of shelters and support to non-clustered sites, including feeding, laundry and cleaning operations, as well as coordinating the larger system of quarantine and isolation procedures.

If the commission approves the proposed order, county spokesperson Karrey Britt said the Douglas County government would provide the financial and other support listed in the order using funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA) or the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) if possible. The ordinance would go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on September 9 and would remain in effect unless canceled or changed by the health worker or county commission.

The county committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St. Residents can attend the meeting in person, virtually, or by phone, and more information on these options is available at douglascountyks.org/commission/meetings.


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By • Hotel rooms •

Sep 3 2021

Hotel Staff Task Management Software Market Size, Trends and Key Players – ALICE Platform, Beekeeper, Guestware, Systems Associates, HelloShift, Hubworks, Nuvola, Quore, Amadeus Hospitality and Winsar Infosoft

New Jersey, United States, – The Hotel Staff Task Management Software Market The research report is a detailed study of the Hotel Staff Task Management Software industry that specializes in identifying the growth potential of the Hotel Staff Task Management Software Market and potential opportunities in the market. Secondary research data comes from government publications, interviews with experts, journals, surveys and trusted journals. The recorded data spans a decade followed by a systematic review to conduct an in-depth study of influencers in the Hotel Staff Task Management Software market.

The hotel staff task management software market is growing at a faster rate with substantial growth rates in recent years and the market is estimated to experience significant growth during the forecast period, that is, – say from 2019 to 2026.

Hotel staff task management software is used to help hotel employees manage tasks and shifts to increase the efficiency of hotel tasks. The software provides real-time visibility while staff complete tasks and checklists. The software helps to improve communication between all hotel departments.

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The report covers an in-depth analysis of the major market players in the market, along with their business overview, expansion plans, and strategies. The major players studied in the report include:

ALICE platform, Beekeeper, Guestware, Systems Associates, HelloShift, Hubworks, Nuvola, Quore, Amadeus Hospitality and Winsar Infosoft

Hotel staff task management software market segmentation

Hotel Staff Task Management Software Market, By Type

• Cloud-based
• On the site

Hotel Staff Task Management Software Market, By Industry

• Luxury and upscale hotels
• Mid-range and business hotels
• Resort hotels
• Charming hotels

The Hotel Staff Task Management Software market report has been segmented on the basis of various categories such as product type, application, end user, and region. Each segment is evaluated based on CAGR, share and growth potential. In the regional analysis, the report highlights the potential region which is expected to create opportunities in the Hotel Personnel Task Management Software Market in the coming years.

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Scope of Hotel Staff Task Management Software Market Report

Report attribute Details
Market size available for years 2021 – 2028
Reference year considered 2021
Historical data 2015 – 2020
Forecast period 2021 – 2028
Quantitative units Revenue in millions of USD and CAGR from 2021 to 2028
Covered segments Types, applications, end users, etc.
Cover of the report Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors and trends
Regional scope North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa
Scope of customization Free customization of the report (equivalent to 8 working days for analysts) with purchase. Add or change the scope of country, region and segment.
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Geographic segment covered in the report:

• North America (United States and Canada)
• Europe (UK, Germany, France and rest of Europe)
• Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region)
• Latin America (Brazil, Mexico and the rest of Latin America)
• Middle East and Africa (GCC and rest of Middle East and Africa)

Key questions answered in the report:

  • What is the growth potential of the hotel staff task management software market?
  • Which product segment will take the lion’s share?
  • Which regional market will emerge as a pioneer in the years to come?
  • Which application segment will experience strong growth?
  • What growth opportunities could arise in the hotel staff task management software industry in the years to come?
  • What are the most significant challenges facing the Hospitality Workforce Task Management Software market in the future?
  • Who are the leading companies in the Hotel Staff Task Management Software market?
  • What are the main trends that are positively impacting the growth of the market?
  • What growth strategies are players considering to remain in the Hotel Staff Task Management Software market?

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By • Hotel staff •

Sep 3 2021

Hurricane Ida survivors can qualify for FEMA-funded hotel rooms. This is how it works. | Red Stick

Louisiana has been approved for a federal program that allows Hurricane Ida survivors to stay in a hotel for up to 30 days, officials said Friday.

The program is managed by FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Agency – and is called Transitional Shelter Assistance.

It is separate from state and parish-run shelters, which house 3,427 people at 28 sites, according to Catherine Heitman, director of communications for the Ministry of Children and Family Services.

Those interested in a hotel should register for help – www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362.

Applicants must show their residence in one of the declared disaster areas, be able to verify occupancy and be relocated and unable to live in the house they occupied before the storm arrived on Sunday.

Hurricane survivors cannot request a hotel.

However, FEMA will identify eligible survivors and notify them by phone, text, or email.

Those who play by the rules must find and reserve their own rooms.

The hotels participating in the program are listed on Disaster Assistance.gov under the Transitional Shelering Assistance Program link or by calling the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362.

About 240,000 Louisiana residents have requested federal aid in the wake of Hurricane Ida, up from 18,000 on Monday, T officials said.

FEMA officials also said those who qualify for a hotel may have to travel a significant distance to find a room.

Hotels have been approved for Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

FEMA only pays the room and taxes.

Survivors are responsible for meals, transportation and other costs.

The current plan covers 30 days – September 2 to October 2. 2.

Hotel charges are not retroactive until September 2, but hurricane survivors can submit their receipts to FEMA for possible reimbursement of personal expenses.

Eligible individuals must also sign a document upon registration and agree to follow the guidelines of the program.

Those looking for a local shelter can call 211 or get information by texting 898-211 and typing lashelter.

The hotel option applies to residents of the 25 parishes declared federal disaster areas.

The two state shelters are the Raising Cane’s River Center, 275 S. River Road in Baton Rouge and the Rapides Coliseum, 5600 Coliseum Road in Alexandria.

Federal officials will provide free temporary roofs for Orleans, Jefferson and 11 other parishes damaged by Hurricane Ida, Governor John Bel…

The space of local shelters is constantly evolving.

“It’s very fluid,” Heitman said.

“They are constantly opening and closing as needed, according to their resources,” she said.

Check back with The Advocate for more details.


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By • Hotel rooms •

Sep 1 2021

Union launches competing booking app to show working conditions for hotel staff in Spain

A union is launching a new booking platform allowing tourists choosing a hotel in Spain to see the working conditions of cleaning staff there.

Las Kellys, the formidable union of Spanish maids, is considering creating its own booking app, after unsuccessful attempts to convince Tripadvisor to post details of working conditions alongside hotel ratings.

The band – whose name is a play weary that limpian, which translates to ‘those who clean up’ – first appeared in social media groups in 2014, eventually forming an association two years later.

They have since challenged and embarrassed hotels over their employment practices and gained increasing political clout, managing to get the ear of former Tory Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy before finally launching a campaign in 2018 to urge booking sites and hotels to use their “fair job”. and quality label ”.

As an extension of this campaign, Las Kellys launched a crowdfunding effort in July to create its own reservation platform promoting hotels awarded this quality label. They have already exceeded their minimum goal of € 60,000 and are just over € 5,000 from their optimal goal of € 90,000.

They aim to launch their new “reservation center” in 2022.

With the new platform, Las Kellys hopes “to usher in a new era of tourism based on respect, beauty and well-being, which places human interests before commercial interests across the planet”, according to their crowdfunding page.

“We will show that putting human interests before commercial interests pays off, it generates wealth, happiness, peace, trust and love in people,” the campaign says.

Hotel cleaners with full-time contracts were previously paid € 1,200 per month as a result of a sectoral agreement, and also received sickness and maternity benefits.

But labor market reforms carried out by the Spanish government in 2012 allowed hotels – many of which later laid off their cleaning staff – to outsource cleaning work to agencies.

Agency salaries are around 40% lower, Las Kellys has already noted. Meanwhile, quotas often requiring staff to clean around 20 to 30 rooms per six-hour shift can mean they end up working several hours for free each day in order to avoid being made redundant, further reducing their time. salary, sometimes would have up to € 1.25 per room cleaned, before taxes and other deductions.

“Without clean rooms, a hotel has no product. But we are invisible, even if we make up 30% of the staff of a hotel, ”the head of the Madrid branch of Las Kellys, Angeles Munoz, told the BBC in 2017.

The union hopes that, “since hotels depend on reservations for their business”, their new reservation platform will give them “the advantage to impose decent working conditions”.

To qualify for the Las Kellys seal of quality, hotels must allow union members to inspect their hotels, comply with tourism industry regulations, do not outsource or subcontract their company’s “main work”, offer equal pay for men and women, hire people who are part of vulnerable groups and have measures in place to promote stable and quality work.

The group has also long campaigned for a “Kellys law” banning the outsourcing of cleaning services.


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By • Hotel staff •

Sep 1 2021

“Why not” turn un rented units into hotel rooms?

Lew sichelman

With rental periods ranging from a year or two – or sometimes longer – some apartment developers have found how to monetize their empty, not yet rented units by turning them into short-term hotel rooms.

One of the latest to embrace the pop-up hotel concept is the Kiley, a new 315-unit building that has just started renting in Washington DC’s Capital Riverfront neighborhood, where UIP Cos. donated 125 units to a local company to operate as short-term rentals.

“We’re here to fill the void,” said Bao Vuong, co-founder of WhyHotel, a fully-staffed hotel operator.

Twin Benefits

For UIP, the benefits are twofold, said director Peter Bonnell. It creates energy when the building is in its infancy.

“With more people around, it brings the building to life. Otherwise, it will still be vacant, ”Bonnell said.

But at the same time, it generates income during the rental period. Bonnell expects to rent about four units per week at the Kiley, which offers a host of eco-friendly amenities that together have earned it LEED Silver certification from the US Green Building Council. It will therefore take more than a year to complete it.

Under UIP’s agreement with WhyHotel, the two companies will share the start-up expenses and the revenue generated by the hotel units will be used to reimburse these costs. Any profit after that will be shared between them. Due to a nondisclosure agreement, Bonnell said he couldn’t reveal what percentage of the profits each company will receive.

WhyHotel will relinquish its apartments in the Kiley as they become available. The units will be returned to the developer ready for rental. When all of its units are leased, the company will close its store and move on.

Why not

Created in 2017 by former apartment developers, WhyHotel could just as easily be called WhyNot, as it offers one of those rare win-win situations for developers and consumers alike. Developers use it to generate income and business, while occupants get the value and space of a home similar to what Marriott and Airbnb offer in the short-term home rental industry, as well as the consistency and service of a hotel.

The Kiley, for example, has a wide range of apartments, ranging from studios to three-bedroom and two-story lofts. And the list of equipment is just as wide. Among other things, there’s a rooftop pool and recreation area the size of two football fields, a 24-hour concierge, a garage with charging stations for electric vehicles, and contactless elevators. A separate fitness center with a yoga studio, sports simulators, and a playground can be found on the lobby level.

Potential hotel guests are not just tourists wishing to stay for a week or a weekend. An ideal prospect would be someone who is considering moving to a building full time but would like to test the location or neighborhood before signing a long term lease.

Another candidate could be someone who is already committed to the property and needs a place to stay while their apartment is ready for occupancy. And a third could be a road warrior who comes to town during the week and returns home for the weekend, repeating the scenario over and over again.

Branching out

As part of an agreement with the 700-unit, three-building property of AMLI Residential in Midtown Miami, WhyHotel, which has a number of locations in the DC area and describes itself as a turnkey hotel operator, now extends beyond its roots in Washington. And similar businesses are popping up all over the country: Stay Alfred in Spokane, Washington; Stay Tony in Los Angeles; London-based Yotel and more outdoor group retreats in Denver and PopUp Hotel and Flash Camps in Australia.

Render of Kiley. Image courtesy of WhyHotel

The concept works for apartments, especially luxury properties with plenty of hotel-like amenities, but not for condominiums and co-ops, Vuong said. Condo buyers want new, never lived in units, the WhyNot manager explained, while tenants don’t care as long as the place is clean. Additionally, condominiums can sell in advance, while apartments typically don’t begin the rental process until shortly before the building is ready for occupancy.

WhyHotel units are billed like any other hotel, Vuong said. But the rooms are bigger and better equipped. Kiley’s kitchens, for example, feature subway tile backsplashes, stainless steel appliances, and under-cabinet lighting. Each residence also comes with a full size washer and dryer.

Other concepts

WhyHotel’s competitors operate in a similar but different way. Stay Tony, for example, offers to finance rents for qualified residents, without interest for six months or with interest for one year. Launched by Los Angeles real estate agent-turned-developer Tony Diamond in 2012, it would be the first short-term furnished housing company to offer financing rather than asking for money on top of the barrel.

The Stay Tony’s concept works for people who are moving for whatever reason, but it is especially suitable for those who take on temporary work, who are leaving their homes while they are undergoing a major renovation, or who are coming to town for a job. medical reasons. Another possible candidate would be a young university graduate who would move to the area to start a new career.

Diamond believes her MO is a “game changer” because it helps residents save their money.

“One of the most paid points for moving to a new city is the huge upfront cost,” he said.

Diamond’s partner in this venture is Uplift, a travel financier that offers monthly payment options to vacationers.

“People are already funding one-time life events like weddings, medical procedures, and vacations,” he said. “We thought, why not fund the life event of a move? “


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