With the Covid-19 pandemic showing no signs of slowing,
Hilton Worldwide is suspending operations at many hotels in cities across the
U.S.
“Hilton has been around 100 years -- we’ve never closed a
hotel that wasn’t going to be demolished for rebuilding,” Hilton CEO
Christopher Nassetta told President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White
House earlier this week. “I’ve been doing this for 35 years. Never seen
anything like it. The bulk of our hotels in the major cities are closing as we
speak.”
Nassetta added that the company expects hotel occupancy
across its global portfolio to hit the 10% to 15% range within the next few
days.
Among the high-profile, Hilton-managed properties already
impacted are the Capital Hilton in Washington D.C. and the New York Hilton
Midtown in Manhattan. The two hotels have temporarily suspended operations,
with employees at both locations currently furloughed.
A Hilton spokesperson said that the company is “committed to
fully restoring operations and welcoming back guests and team members as soon
as the business environment allows.”
Hilton has about 6,000 hotels worldwide across several
brands, with around 4,500 of those properties located in the U.S. The company
employs 450,000 people globally and about 260,000 in the U.S.