To state the obvious, it’s been a difficult time for hotels as of late. The pandemic has put most business travel on hold and paused vacation plans. Some high-profile hotels have utilized surreal promotions in order to fill up their rooms, and while the pandemic has affected various types of hotels differently, it’s still a worrying time to be in the industry — much less launching an entirely new hotel.
Yet that’s precisely what a number of enterprising hoteliers have done in recent months and are gearing up for in the near future. A new report by Sara Clemence at Bloomberg ventures into what might on the surface look like a strange decision, but might be the wisest in the long run. Why? Well, as some of the experts Clemence spoke with attest, even a partially full hotel can go a long way towards making money compared to one that’s completely shuttered.
The article cites the example of The Maker Hotel, located in Hudson, New York. The hotel took over three and a half years to launch, but even with a reduced occupancy policy, co-owner Lev Glazman is optimistic about its future.
The moody, elegant hotel was scheduled to debut in April and instead launched in early August, with reservations available only from Thursday to Monday, creating a buffer for thorough cleanings between guests. With a few weekends already sold out, Glazman says he’s hoping to break even in just a few months.
As with many things these days, these hotels enter the world with a blend of optimism and pragmatism — and some excellent design work to boot.
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