QUINCY (WGEM) – There’s a push to get funds to Illinois hotels to help them recover from the pandemic.

The hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit during the pandemic. State Senator Sara Feigenholtz said hotels across the country have seen a $111.8 billion loss because of COVID-19.

Managers at the Microtel Inn and Suites in Quincy said COVID-19 did a number on them. Front Desk Clerk Tabitha DeVerger said she had to work longer hours because of COVID-19.

“Because people got COVID, or their kids got COVID, or they got sick. It’s been a little harder on me. But it’s been all right,” DeVerger said.

General Manager Patrick Vazquez said when COVID-19 hit, many people stopped traveling but the hotel’s bills kept growing.

“Operating a big building like this, it’s either you shut down or you eat up the cost,” Vasquez said.

So, he said they ate up the cost and had to lay off employees. Meanwhile, others left because they also got sick with COVID-19.

“Then with the federal government funding for unemployment, it definitely was hard to find people, when it did start to pick up,” Vasquez said.

What could really help them pick up the pieces of the pandemic are two proposals in Springfield that would invest $250 million, from Illinois’ share of American Rescue Plan Act funds, into a hotel jobs recovery plan.

“I feel like with the government funding for hotels that would come in, I feel like that would be a great help for everybody and would help pay for some of the backend cost that we did suffer from COVID-19,” Vasquez said.

The push would call for $1,500 per room at a hotel. There are 84 at the Microtel Inn and Suites.

Vazquez said they could get $126,000, but that would cover the salaries for just their front desk workers.

“I think in time it will start to ease up, but the federal funding would definitely help,” he said.

Illinois hotel and lodging association president stresses 80 percent of the funding would have to be used for payroll costs like wages and benefits for hotel employees.

This plan has bipartisan support in both chambers.

Even if the bills can’t move before the end of the year, hotel leaders hope lawmakers can include the investment in the state budget.

The industry once generated $16 billion in wages and salaries for more than 290,000 jobs.

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