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September 10, 2020 Deal Watch Today

Hilton Hartford to be auctioned amid ‘devastating’ COVID impact

HBJ Photos | Joe Cooper The 388-room Hilton Hartford at 315 Trumbull St.
By Joe Cooper

The owner of the Hilton Hartford says it plans to put the 388-room hotel up for auction as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to stifle the hospitality industry.

The Waterford Hotel Group's plan to auction the Trumbull Street property, near downtown's XL Center, surfaced two months after it informed state labor officials that it laid off more than 300 workers at the Hartford Marriott Downtown and Hilton Hartford hotels. It also warned that it may be forced to close both hotels due to the loss of business during the health crisis.

Hilton officials at the time said it laid off 124 employees, including dozens of room attendants, banquet servers, cooks, managers and a director of operations, among others. Hours were also reduced for another 30 workers.

The city will help Waterford auction the Hilton hotel at 315 Trumbull St., the Courant reported late Wednesday. Mayor Luke Bronin’s office could not be reached for immediate comment Thursday.

“With each passing day, we are gaining a better understanding of the devastating economic impact of the virus, particularly on larger, full-service hotels focused on serving corporate and group business, such as the Hilton Hartford,” a Waterford spokesperson said in a statement Thursday. 

“We have had to make many difficult decisions as we continue to navigate this uncharted territory and evaluate all options for the hotel, including putting the property up for auction,” they continued.

A major decline in travel during the pandemic is also expected to cost state and local governments in Connecticut more than $287 million in tax revenue generated by the hotel industry in 2020, according to a report by Oxford Economics. Nationally, the report anticipates hotel tax revenue in all states will drop by $16.8 billion in 2020.

The economic damage to the hotel industry has especially been felt in Hartford, where the Homewood Suites by Hilton, a 116-room hotel on Asylum Street, has closed its doors for good due to uncertainty surrounding mass COVID-19-related closings and cancellations.

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