People who work in the hospitality industry are known for being prepared. Our guests’ safety is paramount to our business, and most properties have developed, implemented, and regularly practiced a standard operating procedure for common emergencies such as fires, power outages and even active shooters.
But sometimes a completely unprecedented event occurs, and hotels have no choice but to figure it out in the moment. Unfortunately, we’ve seen quite a few of these types of disasters in recent history, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as numerous hurricanes that made landfall in areas unaccustomed and unprepared for such dangerous storms.
Raines recently was in the latter situation when Hurricane Helene caused devastating damage and flooding in western North Carolina. No one would have thought that a hurricane that made landfall in Florida would affect the western Carolinas, but it did. One moment our team was on a video call going over a plan for the storm, the next all communication was lost. We did not have phone, internet or even radio access to many of our properties for five whole days, leaving our corporate team unable to communicate with our hotels. The most stressful part was not knowing if our team was alright, and everyone was eager for updates.
Luckily, our people were safe, but these past several weeks have not been business as usual. Instead, they’ve been a lesson in resilience, as well as in teamwork, community and the power of hospitality. People came together to help each other out, doing whatever it took to power through. Our teams supported each other and our guests as they did their best to recover what they could from impacted areas. Over and over again, people chose to be kind and helpful. After all, the right thing to do is to do the right thing.
While it will take time for this region to rebuild, we had some major takeaways about how we can be better prepared for such a storm in the future — and how to respond in the moment when the worst does happen.
1. Confirm all associates are safe and accounted for
Ensuring our associates were OK was our No. 1 priority when we realized there was no cell or internet access. Thankfully, all members of our staff found a way to check in with the team in person and within 24 hours.
I was close enough to one of the properties to check on it in person. Driving up to the hotel, I was relieved to see the food-and-beverage team prepping the smoker to feed our guests and staff. There was no power, but damage was minimal — it was almost like nothing happened. I was and still am blown away by the team’s actions, and I am so proud of the grit that they demonstrated in making sure the people under their roof were taken care of.
2. Find ways to stay in touch
As the days stretched on with no communication, the team had to find other ways to stay in touch. We passed along messages through team members and even passed paper notes between departments. As people came in and out of the area, we sent messages for them to send on when they were able to find cell service.
For team members who had service, we used an app called goHappy to check in on everyone from a corporate perspective. This platform also allowed us to distribute messaging and share opportunities with team members in different locations to share information on where they can get additional support from government entities, franchise programs and other resources.
3. Meet the needs of your community
When our managers rallied together to assess damage and come up with a plan, we quickly realized our top priority was helping those who were less fortunate in the community. We opened our locker rooms to those without water for showers and our restaurant so that people without power could eat. Many residents in the areas surrounding our hotels lost water for over five days. A shower and hot meal meant the world to them. We also started collecting bottled water for the community and team members.
4. Create a flexible plan of attack
Assess the scene and identify the challenges in front of you, identifying what exactly is keeping you from business as usual. At Raines, we dove into our upcoming reservations and put a plan together. Even though we didn’t have phones, our property management system came back up. We started with the basics: room walks, verifying who was in house, getting all of our guests’ information, and ensuring we had an accurate count of availability for first responders.
We had team members staying on-site in shifts to help keep the hotel running and, on their off time, help the team clean up the grounds. Our guests definitely took notice of the care this team had for each other and the hotel.
We assessed our plan daily and made changes as needed to respond to emerging issues.
5. Communicate with guests
Speaking of guests, we were sure that they were always kept abreast of the situation at the hotel. We wanted to be upfront about our situation and understand theirs. There are lots of reasons someone might be staying at your hotel during a disaster, so speak to your guests and learn why they’re there. Even in the worst circumstances, there are opportunities to go above and beyond and we don’t want to miss them.
6. Support your team
Last but not least, you must remember that some, if not all of the members of your team were also affected by the catastrophe and will require extra support through this critical time. Stay calm, be flexible where you can and offer whatever resources are available to help them rebuild at home. For example, we were able to raise $25,000 through GoFundMe to assist team members in affected areas. Always show your appreciation and be sure they know how much you appreciate their hard work. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them.
While we do our best to prepare for potential crisis, it’s not always possible. Sometimes thinking on your feet and relying on past experiences is all you can rely on.
Stephanie Atkisson is leading the sales teams as the vice president of sales, marketing and revenue at Raines.
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