Marriott International Inc., the world’s largest hotel company, and a growing number of hotel owners are furloughing tens of thousands of workers or slashing staff in an effort to steer their companies through the coronavirus pandemic, the Wall Street Journal reported. Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. and Hyatt Hotels Corp. are also furloughing many employees, the hotel companies said yesterday, as most travel plans world-wide grind to a halt. Marriott confirmed that the company is furloughing about two-thirds of its 4,000 corporate employees at the company’s Bethesda, Md., headquarters. Marriott is also furloughing about two-thirds of its corporate staff abroad, though the company couldn’t immediately provide the number of Marriott corporate overseas jobs. Those actions follow Marriott’s decision to begin furloughing what the company expects to be tens of thousands of hotel staff — from managers to housekeepers — while it ramps up hotel closings across the globe. (Subscription required.)
