2020 Hometown Heroes

Page 148 2020 Hometown HEROES Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS May 14, 2020 Breakfast foods include pre-packaged danish and oatmeal. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate are offered 24-hours a day. Guests are encouraged to collect their breakfast items and return to their rooms, but at the very least to observe social distancing out of respect for their fellow travelers. Schafer says that in a normal year, these early spring months would include guests who are traveling for business, those who are coming to town for school events such as graduations, and some tourism travel. She said that on the whole, business is down by about 60 percent right now. They still have the majority of the repeat travelers, those who have to travel for work for example. With no school, no graduations, graduation parties, or proms, that portion of the business is gone for this year. Tourism travel is also down, but, not completely. In spite of the stay at home, Schafer said there are still some who are traveling for pleasure, but not very many. Among the guests, she said that it appears that those who are forced to travel are much more appreciative of the efforts Quality Inn is making to assure their health and well-being during their stay. Those who are traveling for pleasure are not quite as understanding. First, remember, these are the people who are ignoring the rules anyway. There have been a few that have expressed to staff that they believe this pandemic is silly and over exaggerated. “Staff always responds apologetically, but firmly state that this is for the safety of our staff, as well as for them (the guest). I personally have spent an extended amount of time explaining to guests why this is worse than the flu and why we are taking the precautions we are. Simply explaining the difference in incubation time to them between Covid-19 and the flu and why that in itself is so dangerous seems to help a lot.” The motel has closed its hot tub area, but has kept the swimming pool open. The work-out room is also open. The motel is providing strong sanitizer and requesting that the guests spray down the equipment when finished. Hand sanitizers are also placed in communal areas in the motel. In spite of their reduction in business, Schafer said that the motel has been able to maintain its staff. “We are keeping all of our staff. We are very happy with the employees we have currently and are doing everything we can to make sure that they stay on with us.” Schafer said that indeed the motel is looking forward to the day when the stay at home orders can be safely lifted. But, for the motel industry, like the restaurant industry what is lost now is lost for good. “A hotel room has a 24 hour expiration date,” said Schafer. “Oversimplifying it, selling hotel rooms are like selling fast food. A room is like CONTINUED u