Hotel To Healthcare: Transforming Hotels into Hospital Shelters
During this unprecedented time in our world, we are proud that the hospitality industry is rising to the occasion, and committing to what we have always stood for – caring for others.
Throughout the nation, there have been thousands of hotels joining the initiative of helping those on the front lines in this fight against the coronavirus pandemic. More than 6,000 hotels that are located near medical facilities have volunteered their rooms for housing to healthcare workers. This initiative, organized by the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), has been named “Hotels for Hope.” While the hospitality industry - like most other businesses worldwide - has taken a hit, our industry has not given up on taking care of people.
A medical worker in front of Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens, NYC.
NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES
Meanwhile, many other hotels in hotspot cities have answered the growing need for room to take care of the sick by transitioning to medical shelters for hospitals in need. These hotels are offering up rooms to those patients of coronavirus with less severe symptoms. As of April 8th, participation has grown from nearly 6,000 hotels to more than 15,000 properties. Already, this initiative has identified a total combined 2.3 million rooms located in close proximity to established healthcare facilities.
This cutaway rendering shows some of the changes that would need to be made to convert a hotel room to a hospital room capable of handling patients infected with the coronavirus. Images courtesy of LEO A Daly
A model shows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' recommended changes for hotel rooms housing COVID-19 patients. Image via U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The “Hotel to Healthcare” concept answers the call for places to treat patients. In order to do so, the hotel has to undergo four measures to insure patient safety, such as implementing nurse stations, patient screening tents, medical waste disposals, and adjusting the air conditioning to suck air out through the vents. The Fairplex Sheraton Hotel in LA was one of the first to implement these measures and become a designated medical shelter. In this pressing time where anything helps, it’s an honor to be part of an industry making it their priority.