Hospitality Businesses and COVID-19

Hospitality Businesses prepare for the holiday season in a COVID world.

Greater lafayette are looking for ways to draw in guests this holiday seaso news 18's peter hulett tells us what industry experts say they have planned.

Across the country, the hospitality industry has been trying to cope with covid-19 and of course greater lafayette is no different.

This holiday season they've been pulling out all the stops to try and lure in new guests.

Elizabeth whittaker is the owner and operater of her families business, the whittaker inn.

"it's not where we need to be in the long run, but you know it could be worse" the inn is small and has just 15 rooms, but whittaker believes it's charm will continue to give guests a reason to come.

"all of our rooms include a home cooked breakfast.

My husband is the chef, my mom is the baker."

They're also selling additional items. "my mom and i made christmas ornaments that guests can buy on the christmas tree, so they're homemade ornaments and then we're doing cookie sales."

Jo wade, president and ceo of home of purdue says this approach has been common in the industry.

"so people are looking at what creative solutions they can come up with to draw the customers in."

Hotels are still fighting hard.

Vicky wicks is the general manager at the union club hotel.

"the key with everything is ensuring you're following your process and you have high standards and you never give up."

That determination is what she believes will help them through the pandemic.

"we may reach a roadblock but we go right, and we keep going straight and we'll do whatever it takes to give our guests the perfect stay while keeping each other safe."

Reporting from greater lafayette, i'm peter hulett.

The whittaker inn is also selling gift cards as well as disconts on some of their rooms. there are 209 more covid-19 cases