OYO Hotels & Homes is opening the doors to its hotels and offering free stays to doctors, nurses and other medical first responders who are helping in the fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19) in India. Starting with select OYO Townhouse hotels in Gurgaon and Bangalore, medical first responders who are in need of a place to stay and are facing any accommodation issues will receive free accommodations on the display of identification cards.

Commenting on the development, Ankit Gupta, Chief Operating Officer & SVP - Frontier Businesses, OYO India and South Asia said, “We at OYO are doing everything possible to ensure the well-being of the healthcare professionals who are our frontline against COVID-19 and it is our duty to support them. We have initiated similar efforts in the United States, Malaysia, Thailand & Nepal. We wholeheartedly thank our asset owners as well for their selfless partnership in this decision. Without their support, these initiatives cannot succeed. We will continue to explore every avenue to ensure all possible support for healthcare professionals in India.”

Those on the frontlines in the medical community can book select OYO Townhouse hotels on its app or website to get their reservation for the shortlisted OYO hotels. By producing the valid identification highlighting the hospital or clinic affiliation, OYO Hotels will cover all the costs of accommodation for the medical professionals. All guidelines with respect to health and hygiene as prescribed by the WHO and India’s Ministry of Health are being followed at the selected hotels. The staff of the hotel is also taking the utmost precaution to ensure that due sanitisation happens round the clock.

Mr. Gyan Parkash Tayal, OYO Townhouse asset owner of a hotel in Gurgaon said, “When the OYO team got in touch with us to offer our hotel free of cost to the doctors and nurses in the vicinity, I immediately agreed as this was an opportunity to give back to our true fighters. OYO has been with us in our difficult times so I want to be with them to fight this crisis together. The staff of the hotel is following all relevant health advisories with regards to precautions to be taken in the wake of COVID-19. The staff has been trained to follow standard procedures like wearing masks, gloves and are ensuring minimal touchpoints with guests and other staff. Food is also being served in disposable items to ensure safety and sanitation.”

Another asset owner of OYO Townhouse in Bangalore, Mr. Nagamal Reddy said, “I have been associated with OYO since 2019 and we have received extensive advisories and regular updates on the recent developments. I have collaborated with OYO to serve our country’s heroes by taking care of their accommodation needs. We are all united in our efforts to fight COVID-19 and provide support to healthcare professionals of the country.”

Following the launch of a similar initiative in the USA and other international markets, OYO will provide free accommodation services thanks to its hotel partners in the shortlisted OYO Townhouse properties to doctors, nurses, medical staff who are on the frontlines of India’s medical mobilization. This initiative is separate from Donate a Night and marks a series of efforts aimed at supporting India’s frontline healthcare.

In addition to this initiative, OYO’s ‘Donate A Night’, is a crowdfunding campaign where users can voluntarily contribute to donate one night’s accommodation for people who need it the most - first responders like doctors, medical staff, emergency services personnel, policemen as well as low-income individuals such as stranded daily wagers or migrants. As part of its fight against COVID-19, OYO has also joined forces with Apollo Hospitals as a part of Apollo’s Project Stay I (Stay Isolated) to develop and support accommodation requirements of suspected COVID-19 patients requiring quarantine or self-isolation.