GALESBURG – Of all the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, hotels are hardest hit.
“This pandemic has affected the hospitality sector more than any other event in history,” said Ryan Probst, general manager of Holiday Inn and Suites in Galesburg.
With major weddings and events like Railroad Days and the Stearman Fly-In on hold, there are a lot more empty spaces after COVID-19.
“If these things are canceled, our entire industry will be affected,” said Probst.
Probst said the biggest weekends of each year for his hotel are starting Knox College and returning home. Usually the hotel sells these rooms out as soon as they can be booked.
“We sold out 40 weeks in advance on these weekends and half the hotel was full,” said Probst.
After a banner year in 2019 and a great first quarter of 2020, the worst month for hotels across the country was April, when sales fell 80 percent year over year, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association.
A moderate increase through the end of 2020 was due to major business travel and some leisure travel, with the industry still plagued by great uncertainty.
According to Probst, the local numbers reflected national trends, with the hotel having its worst month in April.
Due to the continued local business travel and the ability to adjust to the time, the hotel fared better than national occupancy averages during the pandemic.
A big part of this is making sure customers feel safe, including improved security and cleaning protocols with an emphasis on touch-sensitive surfaces, additional staff training, requirement to wear masks and social distancing, and changes to the stay and breakfast service.
“We’re doing more than ever before and our people are working very hard,” said Probst.
It was also about offering different services to meet changing business needs.
According to Probst, the hotel is offering day rooms at a cheaper price to customers who don’t want to be at home. It also offers conference call options and small conference facilities.
The hospitality industry is expected to be slow to recover. Major shifts are not expected until the vaccine is generally available. The American Hotel Lodging Association estimates it will take years for her to fully recover due to ongoing limitations and consumer discomfort.
“It will not be this year that we will recover to 2019. It could be 2023 until we recover to the 2019 figures,” said Probst.
Randy Newcomb, executive director of Galesburg’s tourism and visitors bureau, said the pandemic has hit hotels and restaurants the hardest, followed by retailers and attractions.
“The numbers have of course decreased. They’re all downstairs, ”Newcomb said. “People are careful when traveling. It will get better, but it will take time to work again. Hopefully when spring comes people will travel. “
