--- title: "Weekly Now: Hotels Find a COVID-19 Niche" id: "51380" type: "post" slug: "weekly-now-hotels-find-a-covid-19-niche" published_at: "2020-11-09T23:12:17+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T04:13:32+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/11/09/weekly-now-hotels-find-a-covid-19-niche/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2020/11/09/weekly-now-hotels-find-a-covid-19-niche.md" excerpt: "Hotels around the country are attracting consumers by playing up their productivity value. Also: An association exec reflects on his time with Alex Trebek on Jeopardy!" taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "COVID-19" - "hospitality" - "hotel industry" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Industry Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Weekly Now: Hotels Find a COVID-19 Niche With hotels not hosting many events or housing attendees currently, they are finding new ways to leverage that space. [According to USA Today (opens in a new tab)](https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2020/11/08/hotels-pitch-themselves-as-remote-workspaces/6166048002/) , many major hotel chains are promoting their buildings as places where people can get a change of pace from a topsy-turvy home experience—or, for those who miss working in coffee shops, a way to get back the “third place” vibe. Industry leaders such as Hilton and Marriott are among those offering package deals that allow visitors to book a room only for the day while they work or to use the hotel room to take a staycation from their home. The chains are highlighting their amenity packages, along with their quiet nature, strong WiFi, and business equipment access. (It helps that many hotels have amplified their cleaning regimens in recent months.) “The protocols we have for cleanliness were already over the top,” Marriott Vacations Worldwide’s Ed Kinney, who serves as the company’s global vice president of corporate affairs, told the newspaper. “We were doing a great amount over what was ever required.” The move comes at a time when, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, hotel occupancy is projected to be at 38 percent this year, an all-time low. Other news highlights: **Bodegas get veg-friendly.** Plantega, a coalition of plant-based food makers and food advocates, is working to bring more vegetarian-friendly options to bodegas in New York City, [VegWorld Magazine reports (opens in a new tab)](https://vegworldmag.com/unique-coalition-brings-tasty-and-affordable-plant-based-options-to-nyc-bodegas/) . More than 30 plant-based options will be sold at the stores and added to deli menus. The goal of the campaign is to improve accessibility, a longtime challenge for the industry. **Fighting the “silent killer.”** Carbon monoxide has infamously been called the “silent killer,” and to make sure more people are aware of it, the National Volunteer Fire Council [is offering new training opportunities (opens in a new tab)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-alert-and-the-national-volunteer-fire-council-team-up-to-offer-carbon-monoxide-safety-training-course-and-free-alarms-301168592.html) to volunteer fire departments around the country [via a virtual classroom (opens in a new tab)](https://virtualclassroom.nvfc.org) . The education programs are in collaboration with the alarm-maker First Alert and will include carbon monoxide alarm donations to communities ahead of the winter season, when carbon monoxide risks are at their highest. ### Remembering a Game-Show Icon > A bunch of my friends have been hitting me up today about Alex Trebek, mainly because — fun fact — I was on [@Jeopardy (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/Jeopardy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > in my younger days. > > So, seems like a good time to tell the story of how I got on the show, and why I love Alex so much. [pic.twitter.com/FYlP3YqyxV (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/FYlP3YqyxV) > > — David Hudson (@DigitalDenzel) [November 8, 2020 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/DigitalDenzel/status/1325554835962343424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **These days David Hudson serves** as an association executive—the senior director of digital for the Motion Picture Association—after a period working for the Obama administration. But two decades ago, as a grade-school *Jeopardy!* fanatic, he got a chance to take part in a back-to-school competition on the popular game show, in which he got to meet his idol, host Alex Trebek (who still had his famous mustache at the time). Hudson also appeared on the show a second time in 2008. “I know I’m biased, but Alex Trebek was legit one of the coolest people we had, with (very fly) shoes that can’t be filled,” [Hudson wrote (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/DigitalDenzel/status/1325554879855779845) . In honor of Trebek, who died Sunday at age 80 after a battle with cancer, Hudson reflected on his visits to the show in a viral Twitter thread, [which you can read over this way (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/DigitalDenzel/status/1325554835962343424) . ### ICYMI … **How can you ensure your digital onboarding process** is a success? *Associations Now*’s Lisa Boylan [gathers a few ideas](https://associationsnow.com/2020/11/six-ways-to-make-new-member-digital-onboarding-a-success/) from the American Bus Association. **The Emergency Nurses Association** was trying to make a movie highlighting its field—and then COVID-19 hit and changed the scope of the film and its distribution. [Here’s what you can learn from its work](https://associationsnow.com/2020/11/could-film-be-the-medium-for-telling-your-members-stories/) . **Some in-person events are still happening right now.** In her most recent blog post, Samantha Whitehorne highlights [how the Fertilizer Institute recently pulled one off](https://associationsnow.com/2020/11/one-association-put-together-person-event-covid/) . (pixelfit/E+/Getty Images Plus) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#COVID-19](https://associationsnow.com/tag/covid-19/) [#hospitality](https://associationsnow.com/tag/hospitality/) [#hotel industry](https://associationsnow.com/tag/hotel-industry/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoUrban Land Institute- Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 WildfiresSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/urban-land-institute-project-recovery-rebuilding-los-angeles-after-the-january-2025-wildfires/) - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: All for the Love of Chicago: Rethinking the Destination ExperienceSeptember 10, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/10/associations-now-presents-all-for-the-love-of-chicago-rethinking-the-destination-experience/) - [VideoExploring New Frontiers: Leadership, Resilience and the Future of SpaceflightAugust 27, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/27/exploring-new-frontiers-leadership-resilience-and-the-future-of-spaceflight/) - [VideoCharlene Lopez Shares Her Experience at the 2026 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 18, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/08/18/charlene-lopez-shares-her-experience-at-the-2026-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2020%2F11%2F09%2Fweekly-now-hotels-find-a-covid-19-niche%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !