Montana Lodging Facilities Navigate The New Normal

Dear Editor,

While the country works to safely reopen the economy and businesses navigate how to operate in a new normal, the lodging industry in Montana is going above and beyond to assure travelers that lodging facilities will be cleaner and safer than ever before.

As an industry of people, the lodging industry has long been committed to placing the highest priority on our responsibility to protect hotel workers and guests. Building on that commitment, the Montana Lodging and Hospitality Association (MLHA) joined the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) in launching Safe Stay, an industry-wide, enhanced standard of health and safety protocols, designed in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to meet the needs of the current public health crisis and assure both our guests and employees that hotels are safe.

The Safe Stay commitment is being implemented in hotels across Montana including the Best Western Plus ClockTower Inn in Billings and the O'Hair Motor Inn in Great Falls.

While some aspects of the hotel experience will change, these new changes are designed to protect employees and guests, including offering non-contact room service delivery, contactless check-in as well as practicing social distancing in common areas of the hotel and frequent cleanings in all areas throughout the entire day.

As we reopen, we are focused on establishing greater transparency and confidence throughout the entire lodging experience, the Safe Stay initiative represents a new level of focus and transparency for an industry already built on cleanliness. Serving our community and taking care of our workforce is at the heart of our business.

Industry leaders representing all segments of the hotel industry, from major brands to small independent properties, worked in conjunction with public health experts to develop this common set of best practices that could be applied across the entire industry. Hotels across the country are adopting Safe Stay, and representing the depth and breadth of the industry's united front, hospitality leaders across North America have endorsed Safe Stay including the Montana Lodging & Hospitality Association. Local and state government organizations are also utilizing the industry protocols to inform governors, mayors, legislators and attorneys general as they work locally to reopen economies.

Hotels create long-term careers and opportunities for upward mobility, spurring economic growth, investing in communities and serving America's travelers. In Montana, the hotel and lodging industry supports nearly 38,443 jobs, 17,299 of which have been lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Large and small lodging properties are pillars of our communities and have long invested in those we serve. However, with travel halted across the country, the devastation caused to the industry has been nine times worse than 9/11. Nationally, half of hotels functionally suspended operation and eight in 10 rooms are empty, resulting in 70 percent of hotel employees being laid off or furloughed as a result of COVID-19. Reviving our communities starts with reopening hotels and bringing our employees back, and that hinges on ensuring a safe environment.

Safety is a never-ending challenge, and in the face of a public health crisis safety is more paramount than ever. As hotels begin to reopen our doors in Montana and in states across the country, our industry is working day in and day out to ensure America's lodging facilities are ready to safely welcome everyone back. We look forward to the day when Americans are confident to travel freely around the country.

Sincerely,

Chip Rogers and Stuart Doggett

Chip Rogers is the President & CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Stuart Doggett is the Executive Director of the Montana Lodging & Hospitality Association (MLHA)