Inn Group, the managing company of Bakuriani Inn and Gudauri Inn, is ready to offer both hotels at ski resorts to the Government for arranging COVID hotels there.

As Inn Group executive director Erekle Kokaia told Business Partner, he raised the mentioned offer at the November 30 meeting between Economy Minister Natia Turnava and hotel business representatives.

“At today’s meeting, we discussed this topic and the private sector talked about the current challenges after the new restrictions. I realized that the Government does not plan to revise the restrictions. Changes will be relevant if the epidemiological situation is improved at the end of January 2021. The current restrictions may be alleviated in early February”, Erekle Kokaia noted.

The Government officials promised hotel business representatives to discuss the issue of postponing incomes and property taxes for November-December 2020. Furthermore, utility bills may be also postponed, Erekle Kokaia noted. “Several hotels in Bakuriani and Gudauri work as quarantine zones.

However, this direction is not popular anymore, because people prefer to pass the treatment period at home. Therefore, we cannot cover all costs. Therefore, we and many other hotels show readiness to continue operation as COVID hotels in order to maintain our staff”, Erekle Kokaia said. Hotels have to satisfy certain criteria to operate as COVID hotels, including they must be located nearby hospitals, Erekle Kokaia pointed out.

“It is noteworthy that hospitals lack free places. Consequently, we offered them to remake our hotels as hospitals. We agree to provide all required services at any price. We are waiting for the government’s decision. The National Tourism Administration is the mediator between us”, Erekle Kokaia said. We are ready to work without profits, in order to just maintain the staff. Both hotels of the Group in Bakuriani and Gudauri are expected to lose incomes of GEL 1-1.3 million, the Inn Group executive director noted.