More layoffs are heading to South Florida’s hospitality industry as the area’s economy grapples with the impacts of the novel coronavirus.
The 221-room Four Seasons Hotel Miami at 1435 Brickell Avenue furloughed 312 people, according to a WARN notice filed with the state. It said it would close business for the foreseeable future.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Miami Airport & Convention Center, a 334-room hotel at 711 Northwest 72nd Avenue said 179 employees were furloughed, while the 199-room Hilton Boca Raton Suites at 7920 Glades Road, is also closing temporarily and laid off 41 employees, according to WARN notices.
Last week, Brightline, the high-speed train service that runs from Miami to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, said it will lay off 250 employees after it suspended operations, according to a spokesperson. The company is a subsidiary of Florida East Coast Industries, which is backed by the private equity firm Fortress Investment Group.
Also last week, Daniel Boulud’s French-American restaurant Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach laid off 99 employees. Isla Bella Beach Resort in Marathon, a 199-room resort at 1 Knights Key Boulevard, Mile Marker 47, also let go of 130 people. And Waterstone Resort & Marina in Boca Raton, a 139-key resort at 999 East Camino Real, laid off 111 people, according to WARN Act notices filed last week.
On Thursday, Miami-Dade and Broward counties issued safer at home orders, only allowing travel to essential businesses, including grocery stores and pharmacies.