Coronavirus leads Dallas-Fort Worth hotel to get creative with how it rents out space
When the stay-at-home orders were issued in North Texas, the newly-built Aloft Dallas Hotel in Euless had to think outside the box to bring people there as travel came to a halt.
The hotel is in the Glade Parks development with restaurants within walking distance and it is in a quiet setting near the Dallas Fort Worth Airport.
Beth Mendez, director of marketing and sales, described how she came up with a plan to use the large ballroom and meeting areas to offer office space for anyone looking to work away from home.
The hotel created the office package where for $50 a person can work in peace and quiet, away from distractions.
So far, Mendez said she has sold three packages and hopes more people will see that they can get work done without interruptions.
“If people are getting stir crazy, this is an affordable option,” she said.
Mendez said people who purchased the office package included a woman who was getting her roof replaced and couldn’t take part in conference calls at home and a father who needed a quiet place because his five children are at home.
The office space includes free Internet, quiet space in a meeting room, snacks, beverages and a boxed lunch.
“Some essential workers are still traveling, but most are staying home. We are lucky if we have 10 rooms occupied,” Mendez said.
Mendez said because the hotel is an essential business, she contacted Euless city officials to make sure the office spaces would not conflict with social distancing requirements. The rooms are large, and only one person can be in the area designated for an office space. Before people start using the space, the area is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
Mendez said each office space has hand sanitizer and boxes of tissue. There are also pens, pencils and note pads.
Yashoda Bhagwat, assistant professor of marketing at Texas Christian University, said she likes the idea of the hotel thinking outside the box, but said social distancing and thinking about people are vital.
“It’s a very crazy time right now. I don’t think anybody had a plan for this,” she said.
“I think organizations that can be very nimble in their operations are going to be successful, such as the restaurants that deliver alcohol or have take out,” she said.
This story was originally published April 5, 2020 at 6:00 AM.