Hotels are desperate for guests. This one in Maine will pay for your coronavirus test

The coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on industries across all sectors, but hotels have been hit especially hard.

Since the onset of the pandemic, hotels in the U.S. have lost more than $40 billion in room revenue and are poised to lose up to $400 million per day based on current occupancy, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

In May, occupancy was at 15% for luxury hotels and 40% for economy hotels, according to an analysis from McKinsey & Company. Some estimate it could take until 2023 for the hotel industry to fully recover.

In an effort to bring in more business, one hotel in Maine is running a unique promotion.

The Elmwood Resort and Hotel in Wells, about 90 miles south of Augusta, is offering to pay for guests’ coronavirus tests.

Visitors to Maine who do not live in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire or Vermont are required to have received a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their trip or face quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

For groups staying a minimum of three nights at the hotel, Elmwood will pay for up to two adults to get tested at the Covid-19 Drive-Thru Rapid Testing Center in nearby York, which typically provides results within 15 minutes, according to the hotel.

The test costs $25, and Elmwood will reimburse guests when they check in and show the receipt for their test.

“We have had a few people that have seen the ad that we are running and said, ‘Hey, that is a great idea,’” owner Scott Defelice told WMTW.

“They’ve booked their stay and what they’ve done is just gone online immediately and book their appointment to get their test done and that way they know that they’ve got it on the books.”

Due to HIPPA concerns, Elmwood asks not to be shown the results of the test.

Defelice told the outlet he hopes the promotion will draw in visitors from Massachusetts, specifically, who are among those still required to quarantine for 14 days when visiting Maine unless they have a recent negative test. Visitors from Massachusetts account for roughly 70% of the hotel’s business, he told WMTW.

This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 9:32 AM with the headline "Hotels are desperate for guests. This one in Maine will pay for your coronavirus test."