The ramifications of Tuesday's devastating terrorist attacks in New York and Washington are only just beginning to sink in. What were your experiences of the day's events? Was your hotel or business affected? What were the reactions of your customers? What do you think the longer-term impact will be? If you have any comments, experiences or information e-mail me on david.shrimpton@rbi.co.uk and we will publish your comments below. - David Shrimpton, Web site editor.
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There is so much news its hard to take it all in - but there seem to be some astonishing reactions from the US hospitality industry - 2 things I have heard this morning…
All US airlines have offered to refund in full any passengers who cannot fly or more importantly do not wish to fly.
A second report this morning from an English chap phoning home to reassure parents that he was OK and is booked into his hotel for the week has been advised that his hotel rate has been doubled for the rest of his stay.
Says something about the hotel and airline industries - don't you think…
Rebecca
The more I think about it, I realise my comment was totally a knee-jerk reaction to something I heard and I know as well as the next person that many hotels are generously opening up their spaces to people who desperately need it.
Rebecca
We have had contact with our three shops in New York and, as far as we know everyone is OK.
Pret a Manger
I hope they lynch the persons responsible for this barbaric and inhuman act of political terrorism. Having been brought up in Northern Ireland I have grown up with this sort of thing and I should be immune to it but this has touched myself and every other human being all over the world.
Name withheld
To me the acts of last Tuesday are again another defining period in history, when many years later everyone will remember where they were, the other defining act being of course the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
I felt compelled to send you an email, after reading your request for comments etc, about the horrific attacks in America last Tuesday.
I am currently Sous Chef at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC. I am also British. The ramifications of the attacks are starting to hit the industry incredibly hard in the USA.
This week alone my hotel has lost $80,000 in F&B conventions and banquets, and we are still recieving cancellations well into the following weeks. Restaurants as far as Texas are feeling the pressure. I can only hope that in the coming months America's hospitality industry can get itself back on its feet.
My experience of the day's events started at 10am when my wife (who is American) called me at home and caught me before I left to go to work. I then obviously turned on the television, as it turned out I was unable to go to work. As all roads into the city were closed off. This was at 10:45am The Pentagon hit was approx 10:00am. The City's officials were taking no chances.
The long-term effect really depends on the public. How long will it take the American public to rebuild their own confidence?
Incidently, one of our chefs who works part-time with us, also works at the White House. He is in the US Navy, as apparantly only Navy Chefs are allowed to work at the White House. I heard he called on the Tuesday afternoon to let us know that he wouldn't make it in, as they had evacuated the White House. As of yet we haven't heard back from him. I suspect security at the White House is extremely tight.
Life here has changed dramatically. Today (Fri) was the first time this week the roads had traffic on them, and the first indication I have seen that life is gradually coming back to normal.
Simon Volante, Washington DC