A new Hotel Relief Grant Program is set to launch on Friday, July 1, for Montgomery County hotels with 10 or more rooms and Bed and Breakfasts with five or more rooms. The ownership of these facilities must be based in Maryland and be able to demonstrate a loss of revenue of 25 percent or more from September 2021 through January 2022 compared to September 2019 through January 2020. Up to $500 per room in Hotel Relief Grant money is available.
Applications, when available, can be found online at the Montgomery County Business Portal. Applications will be accepted through July 22. The business portal will include program details, including eligibility requirements and frequently asked questions.
“There are few industries that have been impacted as significantly from the pandemic as our hospitality businesses,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “Our leisure and hospitality businesses employ approximately 12 percent of our County’s workforce and the World Tourism Organization has predicted that this sector will not recover fully until 2024. It is imperative that we continue to assist this industry’s recovery efforts in order to help them support their workforce. I encourage all County hotels and B and B’s to apply for this newest round of grants.”
This is the fourth round of the Hotel Relief Grant Program provided by the County using ARPA funds provided by the State of Maryland. To date, more than $6.8 million has been distributed. In this round, the total grant funding available is $2,690,000.
The Hotel Relief Grant Program is administered by Visit Montgomery, in partnership with the Montgomery County Business Advancement Team.
“Visit Montgomery is pleased to see the County’s support for the local lodging industry,” said Kelly R. Groff, president and CEO of Visit Montgomery. “The pandemic resulted in a dramatic downturn in travel. The recovery for the business transient, meetings and conference sectors has been slower than originally anticipated. These grants will provide needed support to the lodging sector through a full recovery.”
Businesses are encouraged to check their standing with the State of Maryland before submitting an application. Awards cannot be made to businesses that are not in good standing.
Questions about the program should be sent to: info_@visitmontgomery.com
