Hotels in Germany gradually get back to business

As Germany eases coronavirus restrictions, hotels in some states are starting to reopen. But hygiene rules will often remain in place, and hotel owners still expect huge losses.

Hotels in the German capital, Berlin, the surrounding state of Brandenburg and the northwestern state of Lower Saxony reopened on Monday as restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the coronavirus are gradually loosened across the country.

Other states are to follow in the course of the week.

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But some rules remain, with the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, for example, restricting hotels to 60% of capacity.

The state, which has had no confirmed coronavirus infections for five days, is now allowing visitors from other states to stay in them after opening them only to locals last week. In this state and several others, staff will be required to wear masks. Lower Saxony is also not allowing hotel capacity to exceed 60%.

One state after the other

The central state of Saxony-Anhalt will not be opening hotels to visitors from outside the state until Thursday. In the southwest, Baden-Württemberg is waiting till Friday to reopen hotels and the southern state of Bavaria until Saturday.

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Germany's federal system means that individual states can decide for themselves when and how to relax restrictions, although the government in Berlin has tried to encourage a uniform response throughout the country.

Huge losses in income are likely as a result of the coronavirus restrictions, with a survey by the Bavarian hotelier association Dehoga Bayern showing that hotel owners expecting a 57% drop in revenue in 2020.