Hurricane Ike is coming, and hotels had better get their act together
As yet another hurricane bears down on us, Gulf states residents are once again deciding whether or not to evacuate their homes. I have a feeling that by the end of the week, we’ll once more see news footage of people packing their cars and hitting the road.
If they don’t have friends or family to stay with, or if shelter life holds little appeal, these people will all be searching for hotel rooms away from the coast. In light of this, I’d like to ask my fellow hoteliers to do a few things to make life easier for these travelers.
Drop the cancellation policies.
I’m sure there are many people right now who would like to be proactive and book a room, but they just aren’t certain whether their area will be affected. After all, Ike could head to New Orleans, or Houston, or Brownsville — who knows? Problem is, too many hotels these days have ridiculous cancellation policies, requiring travelers to cancel their rooms three or more days out, if they’re allowed to cancel at all. An evacuee does not have advanced knowledge of his travel plans, and therefore can’t know when to cancel. An evacuation is stressful enough without having to factor in the fear of a cancellation charge. Hotels should have lenient cancellation policies for travelers fleeing a storm.
Drop the advance deposits, also.
If your hotel charges for stays in advance, stop it. The fear of having money tied up should also never factor into evacuation plans. Leaving home during a hurricane can get very expensive, and hotels shouldn’t be placing a hold on much-needed funds.
Get your rooms in order.
Hotels often have what we call “out-of-order” rooms. These rooms need minor maintenance or deep cleaning, so hotels won’t sell them. However, with a little hard work and overtime, many of these rooms can quickly be repaired and placed back into hotel inventory. Every room is precious during an evacuation, so I urge you to get these rooms in decent condition over the next couple of days.
No price gouging!
You would think hoteliers wouldn’t try this, but they do. It doesn’t happen often, but there’s always some yahoo manager who decides to get greedy when he sees reservations from a threatened area trickle in. If you’re thinking about raising rates right now, consult your state’s attorney general’s office for the possible punishments. Plus, there’s probably a special room in hell reserved for those who profit from the misfortune of others.
Employees, lose the attitude.
Service industry employees have fairly tough jobs, both physically and mentally. Sometimes they get fed up and take it out on those around them. Now is not the time. If you are an employee at a hotel that is housing evacuees, you must go out of your way to be kind, understanding and accommodating toward your guests. No matter how rough you think your job is right now, your guests have it rougher. This isn’t the time to cop an attitude because someone arrives too early or needs extra pillows.
Know FEMA’s rules, and play by them.
FEMA can help cover the costs of hotel stays for evacuees. But if you want the government to help you and your guests, you must battle some red tape. Register your hotel with the Emergency Lodging Assistance Program. Then, most importantly, let your guests know about this program. If they have not already done so, help the guests register through the FEMA site, or by calling (800) 621-3362. You’ll need each guest’s FEMA registration number, a copy of his photo identification and the last four digits of his social security number. The process of receiving these emergency funds is fairly simple if you plan ahead and work with the guests at check-in time. Visit the links above or contact me for more information on this program.
During times like these, we all want to pitch in and help. As hoteliers, we get to play a unique role in our nation’s disaster assistance plan. We have the responsibility to make life easier, not harder, for our guests who are facing difficult times. To quote a sixties saying, “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.” Don’t be the problem.
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I have lost my home and everything we have worked for the last 39 years to get. I am so grateful that our family and extended famlies and friends are all safe, because that is the most important thing. I just wanted to say that it has been made so much harder on us because so many of the hotels in our own state have made it so difficult on us to have a room because we love our pets and want to keep them safe, too. To most of us our pets are a part of the family and are loved so dearly that we want and need them with us during this very hard and devastating time. Please try to realize that these are not normal times and maybe you should bend the rules for your fellow Texas neighbors. This small jesture would make it a little easier for us in our desparate time to find a safe place to stay and pick up the pieces of our lives.