At the beginning of the month the Ramada by Wyndham hotel responded to the COVID-19 outbreak by allowing local professionals seeking a new setting for remote working to rent a room at a day rate of $75, as well offering overnight stays to first responders and healthcare personnel for a discounted rate of $89.
Though these offers are still in effect, the hotel is now offering 15 free rooms every night for healthcare workers and first responders who work for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Santa Barbara Police Department, SWAT, California Highway Patrol, and Santa Barbara and Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital.
According to Ramada by Wyndham Director of Sales and Marketing Drew Wakefield, Hotel General Manager Tom Patton decided to make this offer to get ahead of the possibility that some first responders and healthcare workers may need a place to rest after back-to-back shifts dealing with the health crisis. Because of the service they’ve shown to the Santa Barbara community during times of emergency, it was determined that the hotel would extend this offer should the need for quick, free lodging arise.
“Our first responders are always here for us whether it’s fires, mudslides, or anything. That’s why the Ramada by Wyndham will always be there for them,” Mr. Wakefield said.
Whether or not the demand for this offer materializes, he added that the hotel wanted to “make it available before anyone would have to come to us and ask.”
Healthcare workers and first responders interested in taking up the offer of staying in one of the hotel’s free rooms should inquire to designated point people in their respective organizations, who will communicate with Mr. Wakefield in setting up the free stays. According to a press release, the stays are a maximum of three consecutive days and can be extended depending on how many of the 15 rooms are available. During the three days, hotel housekeeping staff will not be offering daily room cleanings and no hotel personnel at all will enter the rooms when occupied. Once a guest departs one of the rooms, it will lay idle for 72 hours before getting thoroughly cleaned for its next stay. Mr. Wakefield told the News-Press that the housekeepers will sanitize “every single square inch” of the used hotel room.
“You cannot be overly protective, and you must air on the side of caution,” he said.
First responders and healthcare personnel who wish to take upon this offer must not be under a required quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19 or have tested positive for the virus.
This offer will remain active as long as California’s stay at home order is in effect.
email: jgrega@newspress.com
