Without tourists, some hotels get creative to survive

BARCELONA－Sergi Pino recently moved to Barcelona, but rather than renting a flat, he's staying at a hotel which has been forced to get creative to compensate for the absence of tourists.

Hugely popular with international visitors, the city has seen most of its hotels close as the pandemic has kept tourists away, and the few that remain open have had to repurpose themselves to stay afloat.

Some have adapted their premises to suit telecommuters, while others have dropped the price for long-term stays in order to compete with the traditional rental market.

Still others are offering a deluxe experience to residents who, unable to travel, get to play the tourist in their own city.

At his new "home" in the Gallery Hotel, Pino not only has his room, but enjoys the use of the gym, the pool, the spa and an open space for teleworking all for $1,080 a month.

"There's more space, I'm happy and focused on my work," he says."Nothing bothers me."

A former basketball player who stands at two meters, Pino used to commute from his home 70 kilometers away. But when he looked for a flat, he realized that staying in a hotel would be more affordable.

And he's not alone: Among other long-term "guests" are couples whose homes are being renovated and people who were going to move abroad but found their relocation put on hold because of the pandemic.

More affordable than a flat

Shuttered by the pandemic in March, the hotel reopened in October after being refitted for distance working with shared working spaces and rooms converted into offices with a desk instead of a bed for those who cannot concentrate at home.

Although they are making just a fraction of what they would have done in a normal year, the income goes some way to compensating for the losses incurred by the pandemic, "providing the staff with jobs, and meaning less money lost", says Marta Golobardes, director general of the Gallery group, which includes hotels in the southern resort of Malaga and Mallorca in the Balearic Isles.

This year, only 1.5 million visitors have stayed in hotels in the city, 12 percent of whose wealth normally relies on tourism.

Several hotels have taken a similar approach, offering rooms for as little as $730 a month, which is cheaper than renting a studio.

Agencies Via Xinhua