Amid the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, Priya Chandnani said she took the previous social framework of human interactions for granted as she was isolated in her home.
Speaking with Hotel News Now for its ongoing Pandemic Reflections series, Chandnani, vice president of revenue and distribution strategy at Pyramid Global Hospitality, said she missed hugging her colleagues and making human connections in person.
“When we did start traveling again and we had our conferences again, that was the first thing: I think everyone got really emotional just seeing each other in person,” she said.
Chandnani said there was a “sense of hopelessness” early in the pandemic.
“I think there was a certain spot there in the middle, where we didn’t know how long this was going to last and there was this sense of, ‘I’ve lost all control,’” she said.
While human connections weren’t being made in person, Chandnani said the hospitality industry showed its resiliency immediately, and soon everyone was sharing best practices with each other.
“It really spoke to the fact that as an industry, we came together and we stood up to something,” she said. “There’s just amazing stories to tell on the other side.”
For our full conversation with Pyramid's Priya Chandnani, listen to the audio below.