A Myrtle Beach hotel plans to lay off dozens in wake of COVID-19 struggles
A Sheraton hotel in Myrtle Beach became the tourist town’s latest victim of the coronavirus pandemic, announcing layoffs of 67 workers as revenue losses continue to mount for hospitality businesses in the region.
The South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce received last week notice of the layoffs at the Sheraton Broadway Plantation Resort Villas, located at 3301 Robert M. Grissom Parkway. The company wrote in its filing that it expects the layoffs to be permanent.
“The vast reach of the coronavirus outbreak, as well as the declaration of a national emergency, and various governmental directives for individuals to avoid congregating, limit travel and limit occupancy was unforeseeable and cause, and will continue to cause, among other things, a drastic impact on our business,” the company wrote. “Specifically, resort occupancy levels and sales tours have been drastically reduced due to state of South Carolina repeated release of Emergency Directives beginning in March and which remain in effect today.”
The layoffs do not go into effect until Nov. 13. They include positions ranging from sales executives to front desk staff to marketing to business managers.
The Sun News has reached out to the hotel for further comment on the layoffs, including details about how much of the hotel’s workforce this will affect.
Other hospitality and entertainment businesses in Myrtle Beach also had their own layoffs earlier this year. Medieval Times laid off 131 people on April 12, the Hard Rock Cafe laid off 82 workers one day later, and two Hilton properties laid off 118 people in July.
This story was originally published September 14, 2020 at 12:00 PM with the headline "A Myrtle Beach hotel plans to lay off dozens in wake of COVID-19 struggles."
