Upholding standards of service—especially to the surrounding community—is one of Caliber’s most vital responsibilities. At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, company executives recognized a way Caliber could support frontline medical workers and took immediate action with Operation Sleep Safe.
The Operation Sleep Safe program offered nurses and doctors complimentary hotel rooms between April 1 and May 31, at the height of the pandemic’s initial spread. By resting away from home, medical staff were able to keep their families safe from COVID-19 exposure while treating patients at hospitals.
“My wife is a nurse and actively works on a hospital floor supporting COVID-19 patients,” says Chris Loeffler, CEO and cofounder of Caliber. “We knew how scary it was for her to come home after a shift, risking exposure of the virus to our family. Many in the medical community discussed using local hotel rooms as a safe haven for hospital staff, and we saw an opportunity to use our hospitality assets to help with that solution.”
Operation Sleep Safe By the Numbers
Operation Sleep Safe provided a total of 2,001 free room nights to 181 medical heroes during its two-month run at Caliber-owned hotels, which included Hilton Phoenix Airport, Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport, Holiday Inn & Suites Airport, Holiday Inn Chandler and Hampton Inn & Suites Riverwalk.
“Everyone was so nice and appreciative for the continued services of first responders,” says Shelby Burks, a registered respiratory therapist from HonorHealth Medical Group. Burks appreciated being on a first-name basis with the hotel staff at Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport: “I felt like a superstar,” she recalls.
Other hospitals that took advantage of the program include Banner Health, Mayo Clinic, St. Joseph’s and Valleywise Health, among others. Caliber estimates the total value of rooms donated during Operation Sleep Safe at $300,150, with guests staying an average of 11 nights.
“We said, if we can’t operate our hotels at 100% capacity right now, what can we do to help our frontline workers?” says Caliber president Jennifer Schrader. “Operation Sleep Safe helped us keep our hotels open and operating. And it also allowed our hotels to give back to the community.”
A Focus on Wellness
The program has since concluded, but Loeffler says the properties are taking CDC guidelines for sanitation and safety seriously.
“Our management teams are following all necessary precautions regarding cleanliness and social distancing,” he says. “We are running the hotels at the highest possible standard to make sure our guests stay healthy.”
For other COVID-19 updates from Caliber, listen to or read a recap of our Buying the Dip webinar.