The Canalta Hotel in Melfort has seen business drop between 25 and 30 per cent during COVID-19. (Mat Barrett/northeastNOW Staff)

By Mat Barrett

COVID-19's effect on hotels

Local hotels feeling the effect of COVID-19

Apr 13, 2020 | 8:01 AM

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a major effect on the economy, and hotels are another business feeling a reduction in revenue.

Shawn Russin is the Manager of the Canalta Hotel in Melfort and said they’re still seeing some infrastructure workers, like SaskPower, coming to stay at the hotel during the week, but they’ve seen about a 25 to 30 per cent reduction in business recently.

“Where it’s really hit us is on the weekends,” Russin told northeastNOW. “Everybody comes to Melfort for weddings and reunions, as well as sporting events. So, the weekends definitely drop off to almost no business whatsoever, especially since people aren’t travelling.”

He added that they are in a good spot because Melfort is a hub, but some other Canalta’s have seen almost a 90 per cent drop in business.

As a result of less business coming to the hotel, Russin said he’s had to lay off some staff. Currently, he said he’s running on “minimal” staff. With not many people staying, he said there’s also not as much use on their facilities. Russin hopes the layoffs are only temporary.

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“Nobody knows what’s going on from day to day,” he said. “So hopefully everything is temporary, we’d all like to get back to life as normal, but it’s a wait and see game every day.”

Russin has also had to adjust some of their protocols to help keep those staying there safe, as well as the employees. They’ve already installed Plexiglas at the front desk to create some separation from receptionists to customers, and they’ve also decided to only clean rooms in between guests, rather than every day. Russin said that allows the least amount of contact between cleaning staff, and customers.

Meanwhile, in Nipawin at the Northern Greens Resort, Manager Al Patel has felt things really drop, especially since the middle of March.

“First 15 days was good,” he said. “But after that, it’s like 70 per cent down.”

Patel said overall, he’s noticed about a 50 to 60 percent drop in business. A big reason for that has been the cancellation of numerous events, and the closure of the Nipawin Evergreen Centre, which is across the street from the hotel.

As a result, Patel said he’s had to lay off about 70 per cent of his staff, mainly in housekeeping and front desk workers. Right now, they’re only seeing about three rooms a day according to Patel.

Patel said they’re also being very careful when it comes to assigning rooms and making sure they are sanitized. He said they’re also continuing to disinfect door handles, and other high touch surfaces.

Both managers said once larger gatherings are allowed to happen again, things should start to return to normal.

“So we have those things like sporting events, and weddings, everything like that where there’s a public gathering,” Russin said. “Right now just limiting ourselves to less than five people anywhere, it’s very damaging to all of the businesses.”

Patel said they should see somewhat more business once tourism returns to Nipawin, especially for things like golfing.

“I’m seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, but not what we’re supposed to have,” he said. “It’s going to be less, because a lot of business people are not going to travel, lots of individual people are not going to travel.”

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6