• Hospitality Industry Steps Up to Help Ukrainian Refugees

     
    BY Teresa Kenney
    POSTED March 19, 2022
     

In early March, Meeting Professionals International released a statement regarding the invasion of Ukraine: 

“In a show of support for the people of Ukraine, MPI will immediately suspend business with all companies in Russia. In addition, any plans to formalize a chapter in Russia will be paused….We remain concerned for the well-being of our community and our MPI members in Russia and Ukraine who were already seeking to climb out of the shadow of this pandemic and are now experiencing these unprecedented challenges.”

Hospitality industry veterans representing PKF hospitality group, The Bench, HotelSwaps, Moodley, Museum Booster and Zoocha also responded to the crisis by forming the group, #HospitalityHelps. #Hospitality Helps is an online booking platform for short-term hotel stays for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The global initiative has already gained support from many of the world’s leading hospitality groups including Accor, Hilton, IHG and Marriott as well as independent hotels, and is the only booking platform that works across borders and brands.

As of March 17, 2022, 322 hotels have signed up to provide accommodation across 38 countries, almost 7,000 room nights were booked with 33,575 room nights available. Support is provided 24/7 in three languages (Ukrainian, Russian and English) by Ukrainian refugees who were successfully accommodated by #HospitalityHelps.

A Craft Beer & Cider Experience for Groups in LA

 

Los Angeles has such a robust food and dining scene, it’s rare to be the first at anything these days. But Benny Boy Brewing  appears to have pulled that off with its claim to be the city’s first combined brewery and cidery. Located in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood, just minutes from downtown, Benny Boy is anchored by a spacious outdoor beer and cider garden. Groups are welcome. The 1,200-square-foot cider house is available for private events of up to 51 guests while a full venue buyout accommodates 300. 

 
What’s New in Santa Barbara

If you’re considering Santa Barbara as a destination for an upcoming meeting, there are more hotels and restaurants than ever before, along with new flights into Santa Barbara Airport.

Here are some highlights. 

Hotel News

Palihouse Santa Barbara, a 24-room boutique hotel in the historic Presidio neighborhood has opened. Offering a “vintage preppy meets American Riviera vibe,” total group buyouts are available, as well as outdoor entertaining space for intimate events.

 
A Vibrant and Growing Hotel Scene in San Francisco

By a number of measures, hotels are doing well in San Francisco.  For starters, occupancy rates, according to preliminary data, were 67.2% for the month of April, with average daily room rates just above $225. As the San Francisco Travel Association notes, those numbers point to the best-performing month for San Francisco hotels since pandemic restrictions were put in place in March 2020.