“Chicago hotel owner Oxford Capital Group is turning over 1,100 downtown hotel rooms to the city as part of a push to provide temporary housing for people who need to be isolated to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“Oxford said it will house guests without virus symptoms, including first responders, at one downtown hotel it manages, Hotel 166, and four that it owns: Hotel Cass, Hotel Essex, Hotel Julian and Hotel Felix. The company has signed on to a plan that city and state officials unveiled March 23 to rent thousands of hotel rooms to reduce the burden on area hospitals as the coronavirus spreads.
“As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout our community, we wanted to do our part to provide a sanctuary for those who need it during this difficult time,’ Oxford Capital Group founder, President and CEO John W. Rutledge said in a statement. ‘We’re proud to help the city combat this crisis and allow our brave medical professionals to focus on their most critical patients in their hospitals.” (Gallun, Crain’s, 3/25/20)