A Marriott Hotel Retrofitted into a Hospital Ward

I continued to closely follow hotels being put to use during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many stories about hotels being “major victims” due to the pandemic. There are reports about the Canadian hotel industry laying off 80% (approximately 250,000 employees). The idea is that some of these jobs can be saved.

I do not believe that the government should be forcing a hotel to help out with the pandemic, but if they voluntarily do so, why not? My thought is that if a hotel is willing to re-purpose (make all necessary safety adjustments) its venue temporarily, the benefits are endless (including saving jobs, alleviating the hospitals, etc.).

Here are some previous posts of stories that I have been tracking:

• Homeless and Inmates into Hotels?
• Hotels Offer Free Showers and Breakfast to Truck Drivers
• Government Quarantines People with COVID-19 in Hotels

Below are some updated stories across the country.

Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites in Ottawa

The latest story includes converting the 2nd floor of a Marriott Fairfield Inn and Suites in Ottawa (Kanata), Ontario to accommodate patients from Ottawa’s Queensway Carleton Hospital. There will be 16 hospital beds being installed, with room for expansion. In you were wondering, the patients in the hotel will be those who can safely be cared for outside of a traditional hospital setting, and not those infected by COVID-19.

I really believe that this is a smart move, as hotels will not have to worry about infected people, but still playing a role in helping the hospitals. Not to mention great news for this particular Fairfield Inn and Suites as it decided to close its doors to guests once the pandemic was declared.

City of Victoria

I thought I’d mention a few other minor stories as I really do hope more hotels will be put to use. The City of Victoria, in British Columbia would like to see the province to “commandeer hotel rooms for homeless”. So far, the province remains reluctant to do so, but it seems like some (but not all) hotels are willing to take on this initiate.

I agree that we should not force a hotel to take on homeless people, but not all hotels have been asked yet, but maybe it doesn’t hurt to ask around? I’m sure some hotels are looking for work, even if it’s not all of them.

Over 100 quarantined in British Columbia Hotels

The province of British Columbia has put hotels to use to quarantine people who do not have a proper plan to self-isolate when coming back to the province from abroad through the airports and United States boarding crossings.

Final Thoughts

If this pandemic continues to drag on, I really do hope to see more hotels put to use. Of course, ideally I prefer hotels going back to their original use. But with so many fears of limited resources across the board, why not put dormant resources to use?

What are your thoughts about putting hotels to use during the pandemic? Please let us know in the comment section below!