Duval Times

Two managers who personally laid off associates of a nationwide hospitality chain because of COVID-19 know first-hand the human tragedy the virus is causing, the head of the chain said in a recent statement.

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

Dean's appointment as president and CEO of Remington Hotels was announced in December.

Dean Sloan III | Remington Hotels

Remington, founded in 1968, is a hotel management company that also provides providing property management services. It's 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." Remington anticipates losses this year in the hundreds of million, Dean said.

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

"Most all of our 6800 associates are furloughed," he said, adding that the entire situation is a "disaster."

One chain employee who has seen the disaster up front. Andy Preslar, general manager of Remington Hotels Hilton Garden Inn Jacksonville/Deerwood Park, said in a Remington statement that he's in "a people business" and his employees are "our people."

"We depend on them, our guests depend on them and they equally depend on us," he said.

COVID-19 has shattered that relationship and Preslar said he has been left "numb to the shock of what our country is doing and must do to see ourselves through this."

"For me it is not the stories from associates and their families as they struggle to find bathroom tissue or sanitizer/bleach, or even food or water items from grocery stores," Preslar continued. "Nor is it the stories I hear of major institutions like Disney or Universal Studios closing their doors."

What hit him hardest was telling his "very dear associates that their income has abruptly come to an end," Preslar said. "This gut wrenching conversation continues with the fact that we have no real idea when we might be able to call them back so that they can continue their passion of serving our guests and continue their income stream to feed their families."

With such a financial blow, Preslar said his associates - even if they can find them - won't be able to afford supplies, including those that now are so hard to locate.

Preslar recalled "the look in their eyes and the feeling of their soul fills the room, specifically when speaking to Tatayna in housekeeping as she visibly worries if she will be able to afford her heart medication or when Kristin of the restaurant finds out her secondary job has also furloughed her 1-day prior."

"When telling Johnny in engineering, who is a single father of a beautiful four-year-old girl that their only household income has ceased, it is impossible to hide from the human factor and toll that this crisis has and will continue to have," Preslar continued. "There are so many sad and impactful stories like Sonia who recently lost her 25-year-old son from a gunshot wound to the head to now temporarily losing her job and source of income; to Kentrella who is a single mother of three who has a two-year old son who suffers from Sickle Cell and is still undergoing treatments; to Alberto in engineering who is the breadwinner for his home who will no longer receive a paycheck for the time being; to Thania of housekeeping who was a Lawyer in her home country and is now here trying to make a life for herself; to Hector who just bought a house; and Jillian who is a mother of two beautiful children ages 3 and 1 and is recently single from a failed engagement."

Those are some of the stories from associates that Preslar calls "family."

"I can only pray and hope that insanely drastic and swift measures from our legislative leaders are taken to help - truly help - those who have lost their source of income that they solely depend on to survive so that life can go on," Preslar said. "Imagine not getting the coronavirus but your life is in such disrepair and is disrupted so deeply that you wish you had. It is an incredible realization that we will all soon come to know if we do not act for these associates and for their families."  

Troy Morzelewski, general manager at Remington's Marriott Residence Inn Jacksonville Butler Boulevard, tells a similar story of "hardship and sadness" for his family of associates. He said he also is trying to think of something from history that can compare but, so far, he can't.

"Back when 9-11 occurred, we had some of the same hardships but nothing like losing 70-to-80% occupancy almost overnight," Morzelewski said. "Our property went from struggling to get employees, just a few weeks back as a result of high occupancy, to furloughing long-term prominent members of our team. I have a 22-year employee who is now off work because breakfast is closed. I have a 5-year employee who already has a wife out of work and who has no idea where next month's rent is now going to come from."

Closure of restaurants and other public gathering places is exacerbating the COVID-19 situation in the hospitality industry where even those still employed are not much better off than those furloughed.

"The remaining staff have had their hours reduced by 50% or more," Morzelewski said.

Managers have to take up the slack left by too few associates but Morzelewski said that "is tough" but "our sacrifices are minor in comparison to staff who live paycheck to paycheck and now have no employment income for the next 60 days - perhaps even longer."

He believes it's past time for the government to step up.

"We need our politicians to step up and help educate people about these types of viruses in general," Morzelewski said, adding that focus needs to be on reducing nationwide panic. "This is not the first epidemic to hit America and people need to hear that, not daily media reports regarding the kill count of this particular strain of virus. What they need to hear is that most individuals who get the virus do not die. They need to hear of the past viruses and stats related thereto as well as the fact that as a nation we always get through these hardships together. It is great to see the President and Congress passing legislation to help provide some relief for our staff members who are so important to us."