Nashville’s JW Marriott is being proactive in their plans to keep both guests and staff safe during the coronavirus pandemic. The luxurious hotel, located in the heart of Music City, shared the specific steps they are taking, as cases of COVID-19 continue to rise.

“People understand the position we’re in. We’re providing service. That’s our industry. We’re providing safety, and we’re also trying to follow the guidance of the mayor and the CDC and the AHLA, so we gently remind people that’s our angle,” Vice-President and General Manager of the JW Marriott Lukus Kindlesparker told WKRN. “Our angle isn’t political, it’s not trying to be divisive. It’s simply a matter of this is what we feel is the most safe for your experience and we ask that you participate.”

The numerous measures the JW Marriott is taking include remote controls that are disinfected daily and placed into a protective plastic sleeve, QR codes used for in-room dining, as opposed to menus, and a touchless sanitization station in each elevator.

The JW Marriott closed in mid-March and reopened on June 15. Only 30 percent of the former staff has returned, according to Kindlesparker, with the first round of layoffs taking place in April. Even with all the JW Marriott is doing to encourage business, he admits more layoffs are likely.

“When the bars and restaurants were allowed to open with limited capacity, we saw a little uptick,” he shared. “When live music was introduced, we saw a bigger uptick. We were starting to ride this wave of optimism. When the mayor had to make the unfortunate order to close the bars at 10:00 PM., that was immediate impact for us. July 4th weekend, which we all know is always a great weekend here, that weekend was pretty devastating.”

Mayor John Cooper announced the decision to return to a “modified Phase 2” as the numbers of those testing positive for coronavirus rapidly rose.

“The modified plan is tailored on what we’ve learned through contact tracing investigations over the past several weeks. It is in response to a sharp recent case increases and clustering of cases,” the mayor said in a press conference (via WSMV).

Mayor Cooper also recently enforced a mandatory curfew of 10:00 PM for restaurants serving alcohol. That order is currently in place through mid-August at least.