SASKATOON -- While many businesses were forced to close this spring because of the pandemic, the Comfort Inn and Suites in North Battleford was able to stay open, stepping up for health care workers in a big way.

The hotel opened its entire fifth floor to health care workers to stay for free.

“It was a really great feeling to be able to help out with the community locally and especially with our local health care workers,” said hotel sales and business relationship manager for CCR hospitality, Darin Manegre

Manegre says offering health care workers a place to stay helped the workers stay on the job and helped keep their families safe and not potentially exposed to COVID-19.

Between April and June, the hotel provided more than 375 free hotel stays in the 22 rooms, which would have equalled about $45,000 in revenue.

Manegre said he was grateful the hotel was able to help the local community.

“It just clicked one night and I just said well it would be good to do something,” he said.

The fifth floor of the hotel was reserved strictly for health care workers. Because of this, the hotel also assigned one of the elevators to them and disinfected it between each use to try to eliminate any potential spread of COVID-19.

Towels and bedding were replaced by the health care workers themselves and their laundry was separated from the rest of the hotel.

Some workers would stay for a few days but some stayed for weeks

After each stay, the rooms were deep cleaned and prepared for the next guest.

“It's an awesome feeling, glad we could do it for the community,” said Manegre.

“This time has ben very difficult (for health care workers) and it’s hard on their families as well.”

Manegre says the gesture was received well by the health care workers and locals.

“It was overwhelming, they were so happy.”

He says the hotel would likely offer free rooms to health care workers again were a second wave to hit.

Correction:

This story has been corrected to include the correct location of the Comfort Inn and Suites.