Hilton Reopens China Hotels Shuttered by Coronavirus
Of the 255 Hilton properties in the Greater China region, 150 had been closed since February
Hilton announced the reopening of 150 of its hotels in mainland China which had been closed since February due the COVID-19 outbreak. Hilton had closed the hotels in February, according to a report by CNBC. The company has a total of 255 properties in the Greater China region.
“We are seeing demand gradually return to China starting with domestic travel, and green shoots of recovery across the wider region as countries begin to ease restrictions,” said Alan Watts, president, Asia Pacific, Hilton.
“Following a challenging past couple of months, we are thrilled to announce the resumption of operations in all Hilton hotels in the Chinese Mainland, marking a significant milestone for a market that has shown incredible resilience,” Watts added.
During the company’s first quarter conference call, president and CEO Chris Nassetta said, “We are starting to see glimmers of travel resuming and economies reopening. In China, nearly all 150 hotels that have been closed due to the pandemic have since reopened.”
Nassetta went on to say, “The safety and well-being of our guests and team members remain our highest priority and reopening all our hotels in the Chinese Mainland is the first step in a measured global recovery process.”
Hilton is among a number of hotel companies that have stepped up health and cleanliness protocols in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The hotel company previously announced the launch of its new Hilton CleanStay program, in collaboration with RB, maker of Lysol and Dettol, and Mayo Clinic, which is expected to launch in June 2020.
