Florida hotels rally to support Floridians as hurricane hits

Hurricane Ian made landfall at Cayo Costa yesterday, clocking in as a category four storm before being downgraded to a category one early this morning. But hotels in Florida have been rallying together to help keep tourists and citizens safe since earlier in the week.

In Orlando, where the storm is predicted to pass through, major resorts like Disney and Universal have shut down but have allowed their current guests to stay on-site and shelter in place. While the stays are definitely not free, the guests are being offered cheap lunches and dinners if they don’t want to use the on-site catering services. 

Many employees have stayed on to ensure the guests are being looked after, with reports of Disney characters making appearances to keep children entertained, as well as free crafts, games, and other activities to keep everyone occupied. Housekeeping has been going door to door to ensure that the guests have everything needed for a comfortable shelter-in.

Other hotels in the region are offering “distress-rates” for displaced Florida residents. Millions of Floridians who have found their towns in the path of the storm have been advised to evacuate, with hotels being the only option for some. The hotel chain, Rosen, is offering tax free rates of around $69 for some of their properties and waiving any pet fees for those evacuating with furrier members of the family.