HONG KONG's Metropark Hotel Wanchai will reopen on May 15 following the end of a seven-day lockdown of 300 guests and staff after the discovery of the city's first H1N1 case.
A government-organised sterilisation and cleaning of the hotel has been underway since the lifting of the quarantine order last Friday. The hotel will subsequently be issued with a hygiene certificate, declaring it safe for business.
The hotel was locked down on May 1 after a flu-infected Mexican guest was found to have checked in at the Wanchai property.
General manager, Mr. Evan Chiu, told TTG Asia Daily: "We have 109 staff and about 78 of them stayed for the quarantine. It has become a challenge for management to ensure that their team spirit is back. Extra allowances for staff have been promised by management to show their support. When the clean-up is completed this week, we will host an internal party to celebrate."
The hotel's bottomline may prove harder to rally amid the global slump. Mr Chiu said occupancy for the May Day holiday was originally projected at more than 90 per cent. Occupancy projections for the next few weeks stand at little more than 10 per cent.
"It's not just us but the whole industry is suffering as well," said Mr Chiu. "People are refraining from travelling for fear of catching the virus on planes. I hope the overseas travel trade understands that this incident was not our fault. It's hard to estimate the total cost but H1N1 was less destructive than the global economic tsunami. In terms of marketing, we are in the middle of drafting a special promotion to rebuild business."
Source : TTG
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