Hampton Inn by Hilton®
Lakeville’s Hampton Inn employee, Sarah B., applies the Hilton CleanStay Room Seal to a recently sanitized hotel room. The procedure is the last step of the hotel’s rigorous guest room cleaning process.
Hampton Inn opened with 117 guest rooms in October 2019. Manager Karen Peters runs the hotel and works closely with staff to provide guests a safe and comfortable experience.
How has COVID-19 impacted your business?
COVID-19 has been very tough for the hospitality industry. Occupancy was immediately reduced and we closed the breakfast, pool, fitness and meeting rooms. Public and team-member areas are cleaned at scheduled intervals, and high-touch areas, like elevators and bathrooms, are sanitized hourly. In addition to our rigorous cleaning standards, we follow the Hilton CleanStay program in partnership with Lysol, which adds disinfecting steps for several surfaces in the room to ensure CDC compliance.
How are you getting creative?
Through new networking opportunities! We’re forming new relationships with companies that continue to travel and work through these difficult times.
How can the public support businesses like Hampton Inn?
We ask the public to please use safety precautions, wear masks and follow CDC guidelines when they travel. It helps us do our jobs better and ensures the safety of our guests and employees.
Eagan Arms Public House
Eagan Arms Public House owners, Tracie Munce (L) and Lee Tomlin (R), opened their restaurant in February 2020, one month before Minnesota’s COVID-19 restrictions took effect.
Lee Tomlin and Tracie Munce opened Eagan Arms in February 2020 as a family-friendly establishment featuring Scottish, Irish and English food. Residing in Eagan, Lee and Tracie wanted to create a place where the surrounding community could gather and enjoy their time together.
How has COVID-19 impacted your business? The first few months were hard. We opened with 35 employees one month before the COVID-19 lockdown. Initially, we scaled back to the two of us, but slowly built up to 12 employees once we had safety protocols in place. We’ve maintained virtual contact with all our employees and kept them involved with our operating plans.
How are you getting creative? By learning to engage with our community in different ways. We’ve created virtual events, amended our takeout menu to focus on family-style meals and worked with a business coach to find innovative solutions. Additionally, through a metro-based business banker, we applied and received funds from the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
How can the public support businesses like Eagan Arms Public House? Supporting locally-owned restaurants like Eagan Arms Public House means you support your neighbors. Until indoor dining resumes, we’re open for takeout!
