NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — You’ve probably heard of Restaurant Week as a way to celebrate the culinary scene.

Now, for the first time ever, the city’s Hotel Week is underway. The goal is to bring a much-needed boost to the hospitality industry.

And as CS2’s Aundrea Cline-Thomas reported Wednesday, it could not have come at a better time.

The Civilian Hotel opened in Midtown in November, just in time for the holidays. With a concept that’s an ode to Broadway, there was a buzz. That is, until about Dec. 15, when COVID-19 infections in the city spiked due to the Omicron variant.

“We started to see a heavy amount of cancellations coming in throughout the end of the year and even into New Year’s,” the Civilian Hotel’s Joseph Angelini said.

The pandemic stalled the slow rebound for the industry, which initially lost nearly 71% of its pre-pandemic hotel jobs in Manhattan, alone, according to the Center for New York City Affairs.

“I was preparing on hiring some new people and some new staff to work at the property and, unfortunately, I’ve had to put that on hold,” Angelini said.

That’s why the first ever Hotel Week, sponsored by NYC & Company, is right on time.

“Almost 9 million New Yorkers who have the ability to take an amazing staycation right here in their backyard. We’re also targeting the Tri-State and broader domestic market,” NYC & Company’s Chris Heywood said.

Starting now, guests at more than 100 hotels in the city, including the Williamsburg Hotel, will receive 22% off. And while it’s called Hotel Week, it actually lasts more than a month, until Feb. 13.

“January and February, it’s always the softer time here for New York City. Less of the business and leisure travelers are coming, so this is an essential boost to our marketing efforts,” said Greg Ludwiniak of the Williamsburg Hotel.

The discount puts prices at levels that have not been seen for a while.

“All of our staff, we’re fully vaccinated. All of our guests in public spaces, regardless of vaccination status, they have to wear masks all of the time,” Ludwiniak said.

At the Civilian Hotel, even guests have to be vaccinated.

The extra precautions, industry leaders say, are in place to get heads in beds and revive a long-awaited comeback.

NYC & Company plans to launch other deals for Broadway, restaurants, and museums to coincide with Hotel Week. It is all aimed at making a trip to the city more affordable and, hopefully, more attractive. 
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