OYO hotels to remain open for essential workers

OYO hotels has announced many of its hotel rooms will remain open for “approved purposes” such as accommodating essential workers as England enters into its second national lockdown. 

The company which also kept rooms open across the UK from late March to early July for similar purposes, said it is making “beds available” for essential workers, those travelling on business and those in need of “interim accommodation” during the November lockdown. 

OYO is believed to be engaging directly with councils, local authorities and businesses to offer long-stay rates and cater to group requests as well as taking individual bookings from those travelling for approved purposes.

It follows news by the Indian hospitality startup that it had added over 1,200 rooms to its portfolio over the first lockdown period, as independent hotels joined the group in order to “seek new means of support.”

A spokesperson from Cardiff Council, where OYO operates, said: “Cardiff Council is extremely grateful to OYO for working with us as part of our emergency response to keeping vulnerable people safe during the coronavirus pandemic.”

They added: “From the start of March, the Council used the OYO hotel in the city to provide en suite accommodation for clients living in hostels where social distancing would not be possible and to help people sleeping rough off the streets.

“The quality of the accommodation has no doubt played an important role in the great progress.”