Hilton and American Express are teaming up to give free hotel rooms to medical professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight.
The hotel chain says 1 million rooms will be available at no charge to doctors, nurses, EMTs and other frontline medical staff who need a place to stay or isolate from families from April 13 until the end of May.
Hilton and American Express are working with 10 healthcare organizations, including the American Hospital Association and the American Nurses Association, to find rooms for those who need them.
The president of the American College of Emergency Physicians said, "Knowing that there is a safe, clean and comfortable hotel room waiting for you at the end of a long shift can make all the difference in the world right now."
Along with Hilton, more than 15,000 hotels across the country have signed up for the American Hotel & Lodging Association's "Hospitality for Hope" program to provide lodging for the healthcare community. Some hotels could also be used as quarantine lodging or turned into an emergency hospital if needed.
The move comes as the hotel industry faces a sharp decline in bookings amid the coronavirus. The association's CEO says that thousands of hotels could go out of business, some temporarily, some for good, if the economy doesn't pick up soon.
