Villas and Hotels for Africa have launched a digital online accommodation booking portal for essential businesses to easily find and book lodging for their essential services staff close to their place of work.
The company said in a statement that this will help to prevent staff from infection while travelling long distances using public transport to get home and relieves the worry of these workers bringing the virus home to their loved ones.
Carmen Sampayo-Deavall, director and owner of Villas and Hotels for Africa, said The essential service’s operations have to stay open during the lockdown to supply consumers with critical necessities.
“Booking their staff into pre-sanitised, clean and comfortable rooms which are close to their place of work is an excellent way for them to help maintain business continuity by minimising staff health risks.
“Our online booking portal gives business quick and easy access to nearly 20 000 rooms nationwide, making it possible to accommodate all employees at lodgings close to work, affordably.
“We understand how our economy is struggling. Our team at Villas and Hotels for Africa have personally contacted all lodgings to negotiate reduced rates, to make it possible for businesses to accommodate their staff affordably,” said Sampayo-Deavall. She said that prices start from just R250 per night for a single room in a B&B facility.
Essential businesses, large and small, can use the advanced search function on the portal to find a detailed list of the accommodation available nearby to all their branches located throughout South Africa.
Personalised versions of the booking platform are also available for companies with multiple branches. The company have also waived all of the commissions on this project so that one hundred percent of the price paid goes to the hotel and therefore towards helping to keep the hospitality industry alive.
The online booking portal allows hotels, guest houses, self-catering apartments and even hostels to re-open their doors to the essential working community by making their establishments available as an ‘essential accommodation provider’ during the Covid-19 lockdown.
“Let’s re-ignite our hospitality industry by making as many establishments as possible available as essential accommodation providers during this unprecedented lockdown time in our country.
“We want to do everything we can to help save our industry and especially the hundreds of thousands of staff employed in hospitality, such as the waiters, housekeeping staff, kitchen and scullery workers and front-of-house staff, to name just a few of the people affected in our sector,” she added.
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