WhyHotel, an alternative lodging startup based in NoMa, laid off a significant portion of its pop-up hotel team and some talent staff in early April 2020 due to the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitality and travel industries. While the exact number of layoffs was not disclosed, the company had nearly 100 employees as of December 2019. CEO Jason Fudin announced the cuts via LinkedIn, citing the need to adapt to the unprecedented downturn, which also led to pay cuts for remaining employees. Concurrently, WhyHotel pivoted its operations to enforce minimum 14-day stays to align with social distancing guidelines and shifted focus to its Hospitality Living real estate development arm, aiming to launch a high-rise residential project by 2022. The layoffs reflect broader challenges faced by startups in the sector during the pandemic's peak.
