18 beachLIFE FEATURE TRAVEL IN THE TIME OF COVID together , or we ’ re all going down together . No one will be furloughed . No one will be laid off .”
Either way , she concluded , they were all in this together “ to the end .”
“ At that moment in time , it looked like we were definitely going down together ,” says Severs . “ There was no other way to see it .”
“ Ashley was betting on her people ,” says Mike Perkins , the company ’ s Chief of Operations . “ And she was putting all of her chips on the table .”
Whatever their fate , the moment marked a turning point for the company .
“ It inspired everyone to keep putting their best foot forward ,” Severs recalls . “ Everyone kept doing the best they could , the next right thing .”
What followed were days and weeks that required everyone to pitch in to do whatever they could at any given time , with the Housekeeping and Maintenance teams going to work under extraordinary circumstances . The Florida weather , of course , was brutal .
“ On May 15 , demand spiked by over 100 % and held steady through the month of May and early June .”
- Tanner Armstrong
“ The summer was a unique challenge for us ,” recalls Vince Marasa , Director of Maintenance . “ Particularly trying to keep our staff safe while still providing our guests the top-notch experience they expect . There was also the need to adapt to the PPE requirements while dealing with triple-digit temperatures .”
“ This was new for all of us ,” says Mike Perkins . “ Day in and day out , we had to roll with the punches and the new changes or mandates . Keeping up with that wasn ’ t easy , but we put everything we had into providing the very best service possible . Our people relied on each other for support .”
THE TURNAROUND As April drew to a close , COVID-19 infection rates were finally on a slow , downward-drifting trajectory in Florida — a trend that would continue into May . The news would have a direct and controversial effect on policy at both the local and state levels .
On May 1 , Walton County announced the reopening of its beaches . A few days later , on May 12 , 360 Blue rolled out its “ Safe Haven Protocols ,” which complied with the Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association and CDC guidelines .