Around New England

Berkshires Hotel Industry Getting Crushed By Coronavirus

March 19, 2020

The company that runs the famed Red Lion Inn in the western Massachusetts town of Stockbridge and other lodging places in the area has laid off most of its 200 employees because of the coronavirus.

They are among several thousand jobs that could be lost in Berkshire County hotels, among an estimated 84,000 that could be lost statewide in Massachusetts, according to The Berkshire Eagle, citing the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

One hotel owner in Lenox told the newspaper he had to lay off his 15 salaried and hourly employees and that he has about $115,000 in operating debt, in part because of refunds of advance bookings.

Another hotel manager said she is pleasantly surprised by a lack of cancellations from July onward.

The spring is a disaster already, however, and there are concerns some hotels will fail.