But today the lobby is empty of all guests and furniture, except for a single table with a bottle of hand sanitizer, a box of face masks and a sign that says, “Coughs and sneezes spread disease.”
A three-foot machine with the phrase “Viruskiller” hums behind the empty check-in counter.
Hotel manager Alex Palaghiu said the transition from a 4-star hotel to a makeshift medical facility was motivated by the need to help the country’s sick National Health Service (NHS).
“We are very proud to be part of this, so it feels very good to be part of something,” he said, “I believe that everyone should come together to support the NHS and save lives.”
This is the first hotel in the UK to participate in the scheme, but if successful, it could be a model for converting more vacant rooms in the hospitality industry, many of which are empty amid the country’s blockade.
Hospital beds are precious assets
The NHS is currently reeling under an unprecedented crisis, with more hospitalized coronavirus patients than anywhere in the pandemic. A new, more infectious variant of Covid-19, which officials say is out of control, has caused record infection rates.
And Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that the country’s intensive care units (ICUs) face a substantial risk of being affected by the disease, which infected more than 3.2 million people and killed 84,000.
Hospital beds are now one of the country’s most precious commodities, but so far, there are only three patients recovering on the first floor of the empty hotel.
Hoteliers say they want health officials to send hundreds of other Covid-19 patients to them.
“The hospitality industry is virtually closed, so we are all willing to open our doors and improve the sick as soon as possible,” explained Meher Nawab, CEO of the London Hotel Group, of which Best Western is a part.
There are no medical professionals at the hotel in Croydon to support patients as they are all in the last days of their isolation period and need minimal care.
“My team and I are very confident that everything will go well and that we have created a safe environment for our team and also for these patients with early discharge,” explained Palaghiu.
Contactless meals are delivered three times a day and the phones are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in case of an emergency.
Employees completed a video training course provided by the NHS, intensified their hygiene practices and installed air filtration systems throughout the building.
“The feeling is that we are not afraid,” said Palaghiu when asked if he and his team were reluctant to accept Covid’s patients.
“We are properly trained and the standard of cleanliness is higher than ever. So we are confident ”.
The 4-star hotel is just around the corner from a large hospital and staff say they are desperate to provide some relief for overworked doctors and nurses.
Nearly half of the UTI team in the UK showed signs of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a study conducted in the summer of 2020 by Kings College London. Some of the respondents had thoughts of self-harm, while others turned to alcohol abuse.
The heads of the brand at this hotel say they are in contact with the NHS leadership on a daily basis and expect to see their spare rooms full in the coming days.
“Through Best Western, we have more than 5,000 hotel rooms available. Several other (hotel) brands have come to us and we could have 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 hotel rooms open in weeks to help the NHS,” said Nawab.
As cases increase in the UK, health officials may soon accept this offer.