Duval Times

Until recently Melissa Botto was a reservations agent at One Ocean Resort in Atlantic Beach, Fla. That changed when the coronavirus pandemic caused massive cancellations at the resort and her position to be furloughed until further notice.

Botto is just one of several is an employees working for Remington Hotels, a nationwide hospitality chain, who was furloughed. Across the countrry Remington Hotels has been forced to furlough the majority of its 6,800 associates and is urging government officials to step in.

"In a world where we are currently seeing unprecedented times and events that will go down in history, I wanted to share with you a touching story about one of our employees, Melissa Botto," Remington Hotels Area Director and HR Business Partner Beth Horn said in a statement to Duval Times. "Just one of many of our hotel industry's employee's being financially impacted by the Coronavirus."

Melissa Botto

Botto, until recently a reservations agent at One Ocean Resort in Atlantic Beach, Florida, who "came in every day with a smile on her face and ready to start the day," is one face in one of those thousands, Horn said.

"She was so positive and optimistic," Horn continued. "Melissa is an example of a great employee and great team member. She was also a care team member and a great contributor to the hotel."

Botto also has a lot on her shoulders, as she provides financially for her family, including her parents.

"She works full-time at One Ocean Resort and takes care of them daily," Horn said. "Both of her parents have health issues and she is there to help out. She takes her parents to each of their doctors appointments, helps with their at-home medical needs and is their main way of getting around, their main transportation."  

Botto's family will be impacted by Botto's furlough.

Her family relies heavily on her job at One Ocean and they will definitely feel this financial burden and loss of income.

"Please know - there are so many more hospitality employees that are being severely financially impacted by the Coronavirus, like Melissa," Horn said in her final comments aimed toward government officials. "Anything you can do to aid in getting more benefits is what is utmost needed at this time!"

Horn said she wanted local, state and federal politicians to know about Botto "in hopes that they will understand how this crisis has financially impacted our employees and our hotels. And I'm hoping that they will lobby for increased benefits in a speedy manner - to help through these devastating times."

Remington Hotels, like other employers worldwide, is facing unprecedented challenges wrecked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Remington Hotels is struggling in the face of the coronavirus," Remington Hotels President and CEO Sloan Dean III said in a statement.

Remington, founded in 1968, is a hotel management company that also provides providing property management services. Its hospitality wing manages 86 hotels in 26 states across 17 brands.

The chain has been hit hard by COVID-19, which has sunk its business to "beyond depression levels" and Remington anticipates losses this year in the hundreds of millions, Dean said.

Remington Hotels expects hotels that it manages to run at 90 percent lower occupancy levels in April 2020, compared to the same month last year, Dean said.

"Most all of our 6,800 associates are furloughed," he said, adding that the entire situation is a "disaster."