Editor’s Note: Some linked articles may be behind subscription paywalls.
1. Hong Kong, Singapore Air Travel Bubble To Launch in May
After monthslong postponement of an initial agreement that would allow travelers to fly between Hong Kong and Singapore without quarantine, officials said on Monday that it will officially launch May 26, Associated Press News reports. Originally, the air travel bubble was set to launch in November 2020 but a surge in new COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong paused the plan.
Under the new arrangement, travelers going from Hong Kong to Singapore will need to be fully vaccinated two weeks before departing. This rule does not apply for travelers going from Singapore to Hong Kong, the news outlet writes. Travelers must also have spent 14 days in each city before traveling, "with compulsory quarantine periods not counting towards this period."
If the seven-day moving average of local, untraceable virus cases rise to more than five in each city, the air travel bubble will be suspended for two weeks.
“Our goal remains striking a right balance between public health and travel convenience so that the public will rest assured while maintaining certainty," Hong Kong’s Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau said in a statement.
2. Two Silicon Valley Hotels Face Auction Block and Foreclosure
The lender of two California hotels, one in Sunnyvale and one in Mountain View, has scheduled for a public auction for the properties, which "would be a prelude to a loan foreclosure and seizure," the Mercury News reports, citing property documents filed on April 20.
In October 2020, owners of Wild Palms Hotel in Sunnyvale and Hotel Avante in Mountain View defaulted on a $37 million loan given by Cantor Commercial Real Estate in 2014.
“This is a sign that lenders are losing patience and taking a more proactive approach with their borrowers, especially the ones that are severely delinquent,” said Alan Reay, president of Atlas Hospitality Group.
3. Hospitality Designers Adjust To Demand for Sustainable Hotels
Hotel designers and architects continue to take a green approach to construction and design to offset the transport-related emissions created by the global tourism industry, writes HNN's Danielle Hess.
Guests are also seeking ethical, wellness-focused and luxurious experiences.
"In response, the hospitality industry is designing experiences and products to meet these needs," Samuele Sordi, chief architect at Pininfarina of America, said in an email interview. "Designers and operators in the sector must be up-to-date and aware of the progress of development and innovations to be used in the rooms and services of the hotels of the future. The evolution of hotel design will be featured by products that will aim at the emotional well-being of users and harness the power of emotionally intelligent technologies."
4. Hotels Struggle To Find Summer Employees
Popular summer destinations will soon enter a busy season as traveler confidence increases but hotel, restaurant and retail owners fear the staffing shortages caused by the pandemic could "limit occupancy, curtail hours and services or shut down facilities entirely," the Washington Post reports.
Factors contributing to this challenge include a shortage of seasonal foreign workers and businesses struggling to attract U.S. workers.
"It's the 'Hunger Games' for these employees, fighting for getting these guest workers into the country while also trying everything they can to recruit domestically," said Brian Crawford, executive vice president of government affairs, of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. "It's really frustrating. They're trying to regain their footing after this disastrous pandemic by they just can't catch a break."
5. Canadians Avoid Hotel Quarantine
Canada's current mandate requires air travelers flying in to spend up to three days of the 14-day quarantine period in a hotel. To avoid the cost of that, some customers are now seeking to enter Canada by land, resulting in a boom in business for taxi and limousine drivers, Reuters reports.
A three-day hotel stay can cost 1,200 Canadian dollars, or US$967, compared to a taxi trip across the border of only about CA$200 or CA$250, Canadian travel insurance broker Martin Firestone told the news outlet.
Land transportation services are now exhausted by the requests.
"They call from six in the morning to 12 at night," John Arnet, general manager of 716 Limousine in Buffalo, New York, said. "We've had so many requests for border crossings that we're turning them down."