Hilton Closes 150 Hotels and Airbnb Suspends Bookings in China
The coronavirus, or as it is now known by the official name of COVID-19, is till spreading and causing many to worry. So it is understandable that not many people are looking to book hotels in the Wuhan region and China in general for now. Some brands such as IHG and Hyatt have announced that they will waive cancellation fees for these bookings. But, Hilton and Airbnb are going even further.
The CEO of Hilton Worldwide Holdings, which operates more than 6,100 hotels across the globe, has confirmed the closure of “roughly 150” hotels in China amid the outbreak. He also said that Hilton would be working with “local governments and health authorities” across the globe in order to ensure best practices amid the outbreak. As of Tuesday, Nassetta said that about 150 hotels had been closed in China, “totaling approximately 33,000 rooms.” The hotels on question are just closed to new reservations, but some are still housing existing guests and medical professionals.
Hilton could see a loss of $25 million to $50 million in earnings if the outbreak and recovery period of COVID-19 lasts for up to a year. The hotel chain currently operates four hotels in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and 225 hotels in greater China.
Airbnb is also blocking bookings in Beijing through the end of April amid the growing coronavirus crisis. Airbnb is suspending bookings in Beijing with check-in dates from Feb. 7 to April 30, following government guidance to companies in the short-term rental industry. Guests whose reservations get canceled will be refunded. Bookings have also been suspended elsewhere in China: for Wuxi until Feb. 20; Yongchuan District (in Chongqing) until Feb. 29; and Wuhan until March 31.
