As soon as a national emergency was declared in Portugal, the
owner of Craveriral Farmhouse sprung into action. Rooms
became available for the police patrolling the streets and the
kitchen was opened to feed those on long shifts. Low-cost meals,
essential items and prescriptions were being delivered to the
community and any spare rooms were made available for those needed
to isolate themselves from high-risk family members.

Four grand dames of the Amalfi Coast – Le Sirenuse, Hotel Santa Caterina, Palazzo Avino and Il San Pietro – have joined forces to raise
money for medical research and aid to produce a vaccine against
COVID-19. Each of the legendary hotels are offering ten vouchers
(with an expiry of 2022) worth £4,395 each in a hope to raise more
than £175,000. The hotel vouchers include a two-night stay, dinner
at Michelin-starred Don Alfonso 1890 and other personalised perks
such as martini-mixing lessons, sommelier-led wine tastings and spa
treatments. We’ll take five.

After shutting for the first time in its 200-year history,
Claridge’s reopened its doors for our
incredible NHS staff. Forty doctors and nurses from St Mary’s
Hospital who aren’t unable to live at home will receive free beds,
dinner and breakfast. Claridge’s led the way for the 200 hotels
that have also welcomed our heroic NHS nurses and doctors.

Up and down the country, The Pig Hotels are using their farm-to-fork ethos
to help feed the vulnerable in their communities. Its organic

kitchen gardens and chicken coops are delivering free, fresh
eggs and vegetables to neighbouring villages’ doors – including
lunch to the gorillas at Howletts Wildlife Park.

Like many others celebrating birthdays and anniversaries in
isolation, Grand Hotel Tremezzo had to cancel its 110th
birthday party. Instead of blaming Carole Baskin with a series of
memes on Instagram, it’s donating the generous budget to Italian
hospitals who need to purchase vital medical equipment.

With kitchens equipped for banquets, Dromoland Castle
has opened them up to prep and deliver meals to the nearby elderly
population. The region’s most vulnerable are able to feast like
kings and queens.

Trailblazers of the budget, boutique and business beds, citizenM has taken its tripped-out tech and
donated 800 iPads to hospitals, helping keep patients connected
with their friends and family.

A Portuguese initiative set up by Turismo de Portugal,
GuestCentric and HiJiffy as part of the Tech4COVID19 movement,
the
platform allows hotels and Airbnb owners to make their rooms
available for medical staff to book a free 30-day stay. More than
1,500 rooms for more than 300 medical staff were made available
within the first week.

Berlin was one of the first cities to pilot initiatives aimed at
protecting the cities homeless population against COVID-19.
Orania.Berlin has used to its resources to
provide some 800 meals, while Industriepalast – a hostel whose beds are
usually filled with visitors trying to beg their way into Berghain
– has offered up its 400 beds to keep the homeless safe.

Taking inspiration from the hundreds of thousands of community
WhatsApp groups that have been set up to check-in on those
isolating alone, The Hari has promised to phone and write
letters to local residents. Its hotel staff also set up a delivery
service of food, necessities and medication to the community.

The hospitality sector has been one of the hardest hit in the
pandemic, with many jobs and livelihoods being lost. This Texan wellness
centre is making sure its workers are well looked after with
collard greens, beets, onion and lettuce – all grown in the grounds
– being donated to staff and their families.

Shortly after New York was identified as epicentre of the
pandemic in the US, the Four Seasons made the decision to offer its
rooms to nurses, doctors and key workers, with the Whythe Hotel and Room Mate Grace quickly following suit. In
addition to the heroes of the pandemic being offered complimentary
hotel accommodation, 20 hotels – including the St Regis New York in Manhattan – will be
turning into makeshift hospitals. Ten thousand beds have been
secured to ease the pressure on hospitals at capacity.