Stepping Up For Baltimore
The team at Hotel Revival put together hundreds of bags of free lunches and fresh produce .
From large-scale donations to grassroots acts of love and kindness , Baltimore ’ s tourism community made the best of a terrible situation .
On a typical Saturday , Donte Johnson , general manager of Hotel Revival , would be greeting travelers from around the world and ensuring his guests are enjoying their time in Baltimore . But when the pandemic hit and Maryland ’ s stay-at-home order began in March , Johnson and his team spent their weekends handing out hundreds of free bagged lunches and fresh produce in partnership with organizations like Hungry Harvest and Coastal Sunbelt Produce .
“ The spirit of service is embedded in the Hyatt business culture . It ’ s just what we always do ,” Johnson says . “ We like to go to sleep at night knowing we made the world a better place and put smiles on people ’ s faces .”
Johnson and his team ’ s dedication to service is just one example of how the members of Baltimore ’ s hospitality industry found new ways to give back during the COVID-19 pandemic . Visit Baltimore President & CEO Al Hutchinson says these acts reflect the tourism community ’ s resilient spirit and shared commitment to building a better Baltimore .
“ Those who are called to work in tourism have built their careers based on service to others and I am proud to see so many tourism leaders finding a way to use their skills to serve others during this emergency ,” he says .
As part of its celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week , Visit Baltimore highlighted the ways the city ’ s hotels , restaurants and retailers found new purpose during the toughest times .
In addition to feeding those in need , Hotel Revival offered free rooms to first responders , health officials and the Maryland National Guard . They also made their kitchen available to restaurants or chefs who lost a place to cook .
Other hotels , such as the Lord Baltimore Hotel , donated their rooms to front-line workers and those who needed to self-isolate . The Sagamore Pendry donated all proceeds from the purchase of Pendry Cares gift certificates to the Hearts of Montage Associate Relief Fund , which benefits
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