WE WERE STILL PROFITABLE DURING COVID , BELIEVE IT OR NOT . IN 2020 , WE CAME IN AT ABOUT ONLY 10 % OF WHAT OUR PROFITS WERE IN 2019 , AND THEN IN 2021 WE WERE BACK TO MORE THAN 60 % OF WHERE WE WERE IN 2019 .
– PETER STREBEL
was quickly rebounding in February .
Strebel says he expected business to rebound further into March and April , but in the next breath states business travel will be damaged for a long time . “ But I also think companies need to promote culture and need face-to-face communication ,” he adds . “ Maybe they won ’ t be doing that in offices anymore . But that may lead to more small meetings in our hotels .”
As for bigger group business , Omni is seeing an improvement in city-wide event and when mask mandates were being removed in late February , Strebel was starting to feel even more bullish .
NEW HIRING MODEL Omni has also addressed every hotelier ’ s biggest challenge today : staffing . It engineered a new approach to hiring people right away called “ One and Done .” For any hourly positions or supervisory