Most hotels have lower occupancy rates during the pandemic.
I have no idea how this works for hotels in terms of profit.
The travel industry has been hit hard by the pandemic.
Why am I asking you if you can profit now during a pandemic?
Should you even be traveling during a pandemic?
That is a personal choice.
I plan to stay at more hotels coming up soon.
If you do have a stay coming up or want to stay in a hotel, then you can profit though.
I have had two hotels stays during the pandemic and actually plan on staying at hotels more in the future again.
Bloggers are all out staying in empty hotels.
Are we all crazy people or what?
Again, in terms of if you decide to stay in a hotel during the pandemic, that is up to you.
You would have to examine the amount of risk you want to take during a pandemic.
I will say that in terms of crowds, in most hotels I have walked into, there is no problem social distancing or avoiding crowds.
No one is staying at a hotel again.
Of course, you may want to think about why that is so.
Again, these are only concerns that can be answered by you.
I have my wipes and do a general wipe down of every hotel that I stay at.
Maybe the vaccine will end the pandemic soon, and we will all be back to normal travel.
That is why I am writing this post in case something changes and rates go back to normal.
I you have a trip planned, this is a great time to save money.
Of course, it is a pandemic again.
What risks does a pandemic pose at hotels anyway?
First, hotels are gathering places for large crowds of unknown people.
This generally means it would be hard to social distance and avoid crowds.
Again, since hotels are empty now, this is usually not a problem.
You may want to check your hotel because popular locations could be crowded though.
To address these problem, most hotels have markers for social distancing.
Second, hotels usually have large groups of people sharing common things like beds, remotes, etc. which is another risk during the pandemic.
In terms of the sanitization (my main concern since I knew hotels would be empty), hotels have instituted measures like Hilton’s CleanStay
At the Hilton I stayed at, I was told the room was even kept empty for 24 hours before the next guest arrived.
How much can you save?
I will give you some examples from regions around the country.
In Boston, the Hilton Boston Downtown/Faneuil Hall was going for $104 plus taxes on the weekday I investigated in January.
This hotel is usually $300 + taxes on a weekday under normal circumstances.
The Westin Copley Place was going for $116 on the weekend I checked.
This hotel in the popular Back Bay section of Boston is usually $350+ after taxes.
The W Boston was going for $128 on the day I investigated.
Of course, Boston has some serious quarantine rules, but this is just an example.
In New York, the Embassy Suites Times Square was going for $117.
Millennium Times Square was going for $70.
In Chicago, the Drake was going for $107.
I picked the markets I know to be the most expensive.
These markets are generally $300+ after taxes in prime location.
Of courses, they are the markets that will require quarantine from high risk states. so lets look at places with no quarantine requirements.
In general, I find this lower rate to be true in places without a quarantine requirement though too.
No one is staying at hotels right now, so demand is low.
When demand is low, you will save money.
In Atlanta, the Marriott Marquis was going for $96 on the day I checked.
That hotel is usually $120-$180.
The Glen Hotel, Autograph Collection was going for $97.
If you wanted a limited service hotel, Courtyard Downtown Atlanta was going for $86.
In Nashville, The Embassy Suites Vanderbilt was going for $87.
Again, if a limited service hotel was ok, Courtyard Downtown Nashville was going for $89.
The upscale AC Hotel in Nashville was going for $89.
Nashville hotels are usually $200 after taxes in prime location like Downtown or Vanderbilt.
I am thinking about a trip to Cincinnati, Ohio soon.
Top hotels like the Westin Cincinnati and The Cincinnatian, Hilton Curio Collection can be gotten for under $100.
In general, states in the Mid-West (except Chicago) and the Southeast have no quarantine requirements.
Hopefully, the vaccine will end the pandemic, and we will all be back to normal travel soon.
That is why I wanted to write this post before things changed.
Again, No One Is Staying At A Hotel During the Pandemic
Again, you will need to understand that no one is staying at a hotel because of the pandemic.
I can’t tell you whether this is something I would recommend again.
It depends on your level of risk.
Again, I have stayed at two hotels during the pandemic and plan to stay at many more.
Most hotels are empty, so avoiding crowds is no issue again.
The last Hilton I stayed at left each room vacant for 24 hours again.
If you do have travel plans or would like to make travel plans, I just wanted you to know how cheap hotels are during the pandemic.
Some hotels are even a steal on points.
Summary
The travel industry has been hit hard by the pandemic.
Hotels are empty.
Like any time of low demand, this can be an opportunity for you if you already had travel plans or were thinking of making them.
Again, whether you travel during the pandemic is your own personal choice.
Again, maybe this pandemic will be over after a vaccine, and we will all be back to normal.
You can read about my two hotel stays here and here to see what to expect.
Many people have been staying at hotels for a while.
If you stay at a hotel during the pandemic, make sure to wipe down everything, especially common items like a remote control, door handle, light switches, etc.
Again, we bloggers are a crazy lot, right?
We are all out staying in empty hotels.
I hope everyone stays safe.
Have you stayed in a hotel during the pandemic?
What was your experience?
Do you plan on saving money on a hotel while demand is low?
