April 28, 2020
During this period of COVID-19 hibernation, we have the opportunity to take a step back. We innkeepers can reflect on our role during this pause. We’re remembering past JazzFests fondly. We’re worrying about our today. We’re daydreaming about tomorrow, when we’ll hear music and laughter on our streets again.
As a group, we look after one another, our neighborhoods, and primarily, our guests. We are the personal face of New Orleans: the tour guide, the insider knowledge, the smiling ambassador,
In our roles, we offer a much more personal service than a hotel concierge desk or photocopied lockbox instructions at an AirBnB.
To give you an idea of how our little corner of hospitality in New Orleans is different, here is a sample of what has been in my e-mail inbox, my business Facebook comments, and my snail mailbox over the past month:
- Lively, informative discussions among our inn-owning members about the best avenues for finding funding to keep our establishments alive.
- Messages of support to one another, including local live-streamed music sources, takeout restaurants, etc..
- Suggestions of projects to undertake in this period.
- Numerous messages from former and future guests, asking about our wellbeing–visitors from all over the US, Australia, Italy, England, Germany and beyond.
- A postcard from Switzerland, sent by our last guest mid-March, who is back home and safe and missing New Orleans already.
The overwhelming sentiments from these guests are the loyalty, love and yearning they have for New Orleans. As visitors in our homes, they feel a strong bond to us, one which is certainly reciprocated.
We want everyone to know that we are eager to open our doors and welcome back visitors, as soon as we are allowed to do so safely., We can’t wait to show off our favorite place on earth.
