The hotel world is being rocked by coronavirus shutdowns
Seven out of ten hotel rooms in the United States are empty, and the industry has lost nearly 4 million jobs and more than $21 billion in revenue. Where does the hospitality sector go from here? The road to recovery is going to be a long one according to Hilton CEO Christopher Nassetta. “A full recovery will take time and it could take several years to return to the hotel demand levels we experienced in 2019,” he said in an earnings call last week. Hilton posted revenues of $1.9 billion in the first quarter, down 13% from last year, and net income fell to $18 million from $158 million. “COVID-19 has created challenges that our industry has never encountered before,” Nassetta added. Other major hotel companies including Marriott, have noted the…