Investment – Joerg Teuchert

Notification and public disclosure of transactions

Todd Wurtsbach — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 02:38:35 +0000

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Regulatory news:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN: PSH) (LN: PSHD) (NA: PSH) notes that the information set out below is provided in accordance with the requirements of Article 19 (3) of Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No 596 / 2014 as it is part of UK law under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.

1.	Contact details of the person with managerial responsibilities / closely related person
a)	name	JAEB SARL
2.	Reason for notification
a)	Position / status	Person closely associated with Nicholas A. Botta, Director (non-domestic)
b)	Initial notification / modification	Initial
3.	Contact details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction controller
a)	name	Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.
b)	LEI	U7LC4KOKCTZ0YWGI2G56
4.	Details of the transaction (s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been carried out
a)	Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument	Public actions (A actions)
	Identification code (ISIN)	GG00BPFJTF46
b)	Nature of the operation	To buy
vs)	Price (s) and volume (s)	Prices)		Volume (s)
		$ 35.20		156,250
D)	Aggregated information: – Aggregated volume – Price		Volume (aggregate)		Price (aggregate)
		1.	156,250		$ 35.20
e)	Date of operation	March 30, 2021
F)	Location of the operation	Outside of a trading venue
Notes: Nicholas A. Botta sold 156,250 public shares to JAEB LLC, of which he acts as trustee.

About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.
Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN: PSH) (LN: PSHD) (NA: PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-end fund that makes concentrated investments primarily in companies domiciled in North America.

Category: (PSH: Insider Trading)

See the source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/2021040606134/en/

Contacts

Media
Camarco
Ed Gascoigne-Pees / Hazel Stevenson +44 020 3757 4989, Media-PershingSquareHoldings@camarco.co.uk

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How To Handle Variable And Growing Student Loan Interest Rates Ranger student loan

Todd Wurtsbach — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 02:38:21 +0000

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For student loan borrowers, the interest rate is one of the key factors that determine how much money will ultimately be repaid. But unfortunately, it’s not always something you have a lot of control over.

If you’ve taken out a federal student loan, you probably don’t have to worry about variable interest rates because since 2006 all federal student loans have fixed rates. This means that the interest rate stays the same throughout the life of the loan. But if you have a private student loan, then your rates may or may not be variable depending on the type of student loan and the terms you agree to initially.

Variable interest rates tend to start lower and then increase over the life of the student loan depending on economic conditions. They are usually based on the London Interbank Offered Rate, known as Libor, and can change on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis. Therefore, for borrowers looking for something more secure, federal student loans and private loans with fixed interest rates tend to be safer bets.

If you’ve already taken out a private student loan with variable interest rates and your rates have started to rise, don’t despair. You can manage it in different ways:

Pay off your student loan faster.
Try to lower your interest rate.
Refinance your student loan.

Pay off your student loan faster. Use rising interest rates as a motivation to increase your payments and get out of debt sooner. If you have both variable and fixed interest rates, try setting additional payments towards your variable rate student loan and prioritize its repayment.

If your current income doesn’t allow you to increase your payments, take a close look at your spending each month and see where you can cut. Set a budget. You could also pick up a side crush like driving for Uber, walking a dog, or renting a spare room in your home.

Even if you only spend an extra $ 20 per month on your student loan, it could make a big difference to the length of your loan.

Try to lower your interest rate. You may also want to see if your lender can lower your rate at all or turn your variable rate loan into a fixed rate loan. If you’ve made regular and on-time payments, you might have a little more leverage to negotiate.

While there’s no guarantee anything will happen, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Refinance your student loan. If the interest rate on your private student loans has gone up and you are unable to pay off the debt quickly or seem to be reducing it, you may be better off refinancing your student loan to a fixed rate.

With refinancing, you take out a new student loan from a private lender and then use it to pay off your old student loan. You can choose between a variable and fixed interest rate and decide on new repayment terms. If you have good credit, or are applying with a co-signer who does, your interest rates could be considerably lower than they currently are.

The other advantage of refinancing is that you can do it as many times as you want or need if you are eligible for a new loan. So if you refinance your student loan now and then later your credit rating goes up or rates go down, you might consider refinancing again for better rates.

If you have a federal variable rate student loan, that is, taken out before 2006, you may consider refinancing it to a private fixed rate student loan through a private lender. But keep in mind that you will miss the benefits of federal student loans, such as income-based repayment plans and deferral options.

For student loan borrowers facing rising interest rates, there are options to deal with them. Do what you can to reduce the interest rate on your student loan to something manageable. Otherwise, you could end up paying an astronomical amount of interest over the life of your student loan.

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Ways To Make Your Home Renovation Project Possible Now KLRT

Todd Wurtsbach — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 02:38:12 +0000

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Posted: Apr 5, 2021 / 9:16 AM CDT
/ Update: Apr 5, 2021 / 9:17 AM CDT

We ALL “got to know” our homes last year, when the pandemic required us to live, work and play within the same four walls.

Over the past 12 months, you MAYBE identified a few home improvement projects that you are ready to do THIS year!

Arvest Bank’s Faviola Alba also has some ideas on how to financially integrate these projects into your plan.

Homeowners who don’t have the money to pay for a home improvement project, or the credit available on their credit card or additional financing options, may consider using their home equity for home improvement projects.
If you have some equity in your home, you can take out a home equity loan.
Banks give homeowners a loan based on that equity – the money you’ve already paid for your home – and that equity serves as collateral for the loan.
Homeowners pay on this loan until the loan is paid off.
Home equity loans generally have lower interest rates than a personal loan because your home is used as collateral.

Another option using the equity in your home is a Home Equity Line of Credit, or HELOC.
This is when banks offer a customer a line of credit to borrow against the amount of money they have paid for their home.
It’s like a credit card or a personal line of credit.
Homeowners borrow against the equity in their home, they repay that line of credit just as they would with a credit card or personal line of credit, and they can continue to borrow and pay off that line of credit until the end of the day. expiration of the line of credit. .
The difference between this line of credit, this credit card, or a home improvement loan is that you may be able to borrow more with this option.

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Quicken Loans National Top 5 Fantastic Picks

Todd Wurtsbach — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 02:37:57 +0000

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Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Quicken Loans National will make a triumphant return to the legendary Congressional Country Club this week.

Quicken Loans National is ready to deliver its own set of thrills, challenges and possibilities. next stop on the PGA TOUR calendar.

The Quicken Loans National, returning to Congressional Country Club for the first time since 2014, will feature world-class golf on a classic track, similar to what we saw last week.

With the US National Open in the rearview mirror, the next big event on the schedule is the Open Championship. This is where one of the main benefits of playing Quicken Loans National lies – the top four non-exempt players will get invitations to the third major tournament of the year, which will raise the stakes even higher. It’s all part of the Open qualifying series, introduced in 2014 to replace most section qualifiers.

Even so, we are not dealing with a particularly strong area this week – this year’s busy schedule has made it more difficult for less prestigious events to attract the best players. As a result, there won’t be too many top-notch players in attendance, but plenty of other familiar faces are returning to the draft pool after failing to qualify for Oakmont.

Now let’s take a look at our five fantastic pieces featured for the Quicken Loans Nattional. They should work well in a variety of formats, but are specifically intended for DFS leagues.

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Predominantly Black Congressional Districts Get Fewer P3s Loans: Study

Todd Wurtsbach — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 02:37:34 +0000

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A closed sign is seen in a retail store, during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in New York City, United States, April 29, 2020. REUTERS / Brendan McDermid

(Reuters) – Congressional districts with the highest black populations received up to $ 13 billion less in Paycheck Protection Program (P3) funding than districts with the lowest percentage of residents black, according to a new study.

The 10 congressional districts with the lowest black populations got more than 64,000 more P3 loans than the 10 districts with the most black residents, according to analysis of federal data by advocacy group Accountable.US. Predominantly black districts have received up to $ 23 billion in funding as of July 20, compared to $ 36 billion for non-black districts.

The $ 600 billion government stimulus package was intended to bail out small businesses that have been slammed by mandatory shutdowns to stem the coronavirus outbreak and by cutting consumer spending. As Congress debates the details of a new round of stimulus packages, more entrepreneurs are considering shutting down permanently amid increasingly uncertain economic times.

Small black-owned businesses, which are heavily concentrated in retail, restaurants and other service industries most affected by closures, are expected to close twice as fast as small businesses as a whole.

Imani Moise reporting; Editing by Steve Orlofsky

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Tuberville cosponsors Stopping Border Surges Act – ‘Prevent exploitation of our immigration laws’

Todd Wurtsbach — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 02:37:11 +0000

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US Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined four other colleagues to introduce legislation to address loopholes in the US immigration system that encourage vulnerable populations to use dangerous and illegal entry routes in the USA.

Title on Border Surge Stop Law, The bill is sponsored by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and co-sponsored by Tuberville and Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Ted Cruz (R-TX).

The introduction of the legislation on Monday came in recent months, demonstrating the dangerous costs of immigration surges at the southern border. Last month alone, traffickers reportedly earned up to $ 14 million a week smuggling vulnerable men, women and children across the border. And, of course, once indebted to the cartels and coyotes, the price they pay is far more expensive than the money. Reports indicate that a third of those heading for the border are sexually assaulted, and many are coerced into some form of trafficking.

In addition to empowering cartels and coyotes, immigration surges – such as the United States has experienced since President Joe Biden took office – have overwhelmed the country’s facilities and its ability to process immigrants from fast and safe way. In recent days, thousands of unaccompanied minors have been detained in overcrowded customs and border patrol facilities built to house adults, with no end in sight, and adults have been released prematurely into the community, receiving COVID-testing. 19 positive just days after their release. .

In a statement, the Stopping Border Surges Act includes reforms that would help stem the influx of foreigners that our country can neither support nor support; strengthen our asylum process; eliminate the incentive to send children on the perilous solo journey to the border; and dampen the exploitative power of coyotes and cartels.

“By reversing some of President Trump’s most successful border policies, President Biden has sent a ‘come one, come all’ signal to immigrants,” Tuberville said. “Not only did this create a wave of illegal immigrants crossing the border, but it also created an environment conducive to abuse.”

“This bill prevents the exploitation of our immigration laws for the benefit of those willing to use vulnerable migrants, including children, to promote illegal behavior. Children should not be used as a free pass to enter our country. I urge my colleagues to join this bill, ”he concluded.

A summary of the invoice can be viewed here.

This week, Tuberville is expected to join a group of Republican senators to visit McAllen, Texas, which he called a “hotspot for illegal border crossings.” Senators will meet with customs and border protection officials and observe processing facilities and ports of entry.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

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Payday Advance Applications | Savings and budgeting

Todd Wurtsbach — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 02:36:33 +0000

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TV commercials make payday advance apps so wonderful, so useful, so perfect. Are you strapped for cash? Well, just get your paycheck a few days in advance.

What are Payday Advance applications?

The idea behind payday advance apps is that they advance your paycheck, or a portion of your paycheck, early for a small fee.

Some of them do, but they are all different, and some may be less appealing than others when you compare and rate their differences. But not all of them should be described in a pinch as predatory businesses, according to Ryan Cicchelli, founder of Generations Insurance & Financial Services, a financial planning services company in Cadillac, Michigan.

“These applications are, on the whole, a far cry from the much more unpleasant practices seen in mall loan stores,” Cicchelli said.

That’s not to say that Cicchelli thinks people should drop everything to download a payday advance app. “Let’s not forget that any kind of payday advance can create a slippery slope that puts people in greater danger down the line,” he says. “People should only use these services after carefully weighing the pros and cons. But for people who only need a few dollars to get through the week, these services can be a lifeline. they’re probably cheaper than adding anything to a credit card balance. “

We’ll dig deeper into the pros and cons of payday advance apps, but if you want to learn more about these apps and how they differ from each other, the big names include:

Carillon.
Varo.
To win.
Brigitte.
Dave.

Carillon

If you have a chime online bank Account and your employer offers direct deposit, your check will become available as soon as your bank receives the money. Typically, many banks will have checks for 48 hours before they are available to the consumer; Chime just manages to get the money to you faster. Its TV commercials tout the element of payday advance, but it’s actually an online bank account with a payday advance feature.

Varo

It is also an online bank account with some payday advance features. Like Chime, Varo can send your paycheck to you by the time it reaches the bank account, which is typically 48 hours earlier than conventional banks. And if you need your money sooner, Varo will give you a $ 20 cash advance for free. But if you need more than that, you’ll start paying. The maximum of your paycheck that you can have advanced is $ 100, and the maximum that you will pay for this is $ 5, which you will need to pay back within 15-30 days.

To win

This payday advance app will send you up to $ 100 per day and up to $ 500 from your paycheck. You must offer your current account information and prove that you have a salary; freelancers may have a hard time proving it to Earnin’s eyes. But he will give you that money for free and without interest. We just ask you to pay a tip; he suggests 4%.

Brigitte

The payday advance application will send you up to $ 250 that you have already earned in a minute. You need to show proof of your monthly income and also that you have had your bank account for some time (it should be at least 60 days old which is common among these apps).

Once Brigit is convinced that you are on the right track and truly receive a paycheck, you can get a cash advance of up to $ 250. Once you get paid, an automatic withdrawal of what you owe Brigit will be sent back to the payday advance app. There is no charge and no tip request. If you want to use additional features like setting up to get a small cash deposit whenever your balance is about to drop below zero, you can pay a monthly fee of $ 10. To avoid an overdraft fee of some $ 30, you may think it’s worth it.

Dave

Such a likeable name. So what do you get with Dave? Well, you can get up to $ 100 upfront, although there is a way to get $ 200 (that involves getting a Dave debit card and Dave spending account). No interest will be charged, but you will be asked for a “tip”. You will also need to pay a monthly membership fee of $ 1 to use the app. It should also be noted that if you need the cash quickly, say within eight hours, you will need to pay a fee of $ 4.99. But if you plan and can wait a few days, there is no charge.

There are some additional features which are nice. For example, if your account balance is low or you don’t have enough money to pay a bill that Dave knows will be due soon, you’ll get a notification. In other words, Dave will help you manage your money.

The advantages and disadvantages of Payday Advance applications

The benefits of payday advance applications should be pretty clear. If you use one, you can either get your full paycheck a little earlier than at other banks (at least that’s common sense), or you can get a small payday loan, usually between $ 100 and $ 250, for a relatively low and interest-free fee. Compare that to payday loan stores and online loan stores, both of which can really absorb consumers with their high interest loans.

One downside to payday advance apps is that they don’t do very well as a permanent or repeat solution. If you are constantly short of money and by frequently using payday advance apps, you might find yourself in a cycle where each month you are spending money to get your own money a little earlier. The cycle might not be as bad as with a payday loan store, but it can be a cycle of debt and cash flow shortages nonetheless.

Justin Nabity, certified financial planner and founder and CEO of Physicians Thrive, an Omaha, Nebraska-based physician financial advisory firm, believes payday advance apps can come in handy in a financial emergency.

“These apps allow you to get cash up front that can easily cover small expenses and save you from high interest bank loans,” says Nabity.

But he wouldn’t recommend making a habit of using payday advance apps.

“This is not a long-term solution, and regular use of these apps can lead to unhealthy financial habits,” says Nabity.

After all, anyone with a checking account and a regular paycheck should always have at least one goal: to reach the next pay period with some extra money in the bank. If you have an occasional shortfall, what should be usual is reaching a savings account for more money rather than paying a service to get your money a little earlier.

It is not easy to extend a salary if it is low at the start. If you use a paycheck advance app sparingly, it will probably be more useful than harmful.

But if you regularly use payday advance apps, especially the ones that charge a nominal fee, you’re essentially creating a new bill or expense that you incur once or twice a month. Meanwhile, if you’re constantly using payday advice apps, you’re probably not putting money aside in a savings account. Which means if your car breaks down or you need to call a plumber, you might need a large amount of money that cannot be covered by a payday advance application. And what else?

This is when you can turn to a payday loan store or an online lender with sky-high interest rates.

The bottom line: if you are going to use payday advance apps and want to get ahead financially, you should use them sparingly.

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Mortgage companies banned from foreclosure until 2022 under CFPB plan

Todd Wurtsbach — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 23:17:43 +0000

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Millions of homeowners who fell behind on mortgage payments due to the pandemic would have more time before facing foreclosure under rules proposed Monday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The overhaul would generally prohibit mortgage agents from starting foreclosures before Dec.31, the CFPB said in a statement. The goal is to give the nearly 3 million borrowers who have delayed or stopped their payments a chance to resume them before lenders initiate forced home sales.

One of the main reasons the CFPB has said the change is necessary is that approximately 1.7 million consumers will be leaving U.S. forbearance relief programs in September and beyond, which means that they will have to start making payments again.

The CFPB would also allow service providers to offer “simplified” loan modification options to borrowers who have suffered from the pandemic. The agency said it plans to allow mortgage companies to continue foreclosures before the end of the year if they take certain steps to help borrowers avoid losses, such as modifying loans to reduce monthly consumer payments.

“The nation has endured more than a year of a deadly pandemic and punitive economic crisis,” CFPB acting director Dave Uejio said in the statement. “We must not lose sight of the dangers that so many consumers still face. “

The CFPB’s proposals follow a warning from the agency last week that mortgage companies could face penalties if they do not take action to prevent an increase in “avoidable foreclosures.”

More homeowners are behind on mortgage payments today than at any time since 2010, the office said Monday. The proposed set of rules, on which the regulator will seek public comment, aims to give service providers and borrowers the “tools and the time” necessary to prevent a deluge of foreclosures, the statement said.

This article was provided by Bloomberg News.

To read more stories, click here

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New Education Secretary Should Prioritize Pell Grant Implementation For People In Prison

Todd Wurtsbach — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 23:17:41 +0000

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Newly Confirmed Secretary of Education Miguel CardonaMiguel CardonaThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Alibaba – Democrats discuss price ahead of policy amid rush on overnight healthcare – Presented by Indivior – CDC panel approves boosters for some, but not on the basis Jobs Education Secretary Says COVID-19 Vaccines Should Be Mandatory for Eligible Students CONTINUED made some compelling promises during his confirmation hearing: namely that he would prioritize closing the equity gap and making education more accessible to all students. One of the most immediate ways to achieve this goal is to ensure that eligibility for Pell Grants for Incarcerated Students is implemented as quickly as possible before the 2023 deadline. and their families’ lives are counting on him to help them end the ban on Pell scholarships for those incarcerated in the past. Congress has done its part in lifting of the ban at the end of December, and it’s now up to Cardona and her team to focus on implementation.

It’s important to understand how exactly overturning this 26-year ban will change lives. The Vera Institute of Justice, along with the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality, found in a 2019 report that lifting the ban increase employment among those formerly incarcerated by 10 percent, on average. The researchers also found that reducing recidivism rates would save states $ 365.8 million per year due to fewer people returning to prison. At a time when many state and municipal budgets are being squeezed due to the disastrous effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, these cost savings will be extremely critical.

The ban on Pell scholarships for incarcerated people was one of many nefarious policies inherited from the punitive “tough on crime” era that prevented many inmates from continuing their education. For example: Blacks make up 13 percent of the American population, but they make up over a third of the people in the criminal justice system. Restoring access to Pell Grants will help address and correct an unfair policy that perpetuates racial inequalities.

It is those who have been directly affected by Pell’s ban and who have bravely stepped forward to share their personal stories with others who deserve to be celebrated as the true champions of this winning policy. People like Boris Franklin, who spent 11 years incarcerated in the New Jersey prison system. Boris was fortunate enough to gain access to the state-funded NJ-STEP program, which allowed him to continue his studies in sociology at Rutgers University while being behind bars and eventually getting a job where he continues to push for criminal justice reform at local, state level. and federal.

The power of education for incarcerated people and the potential it has to disrupt the entire enterprise of mass incarceration cannot be overstated. Because our criminal justice system disproportionately harms blacks and blacks, restoring access to Pell scholarships for all incarcerated students will also be be a way to overcome structural obstacles that have trapped too many people of color in generational cycles of poverty and incarceration. These cycles should be broken as more and more people can now pursue university studies behind bars.

Now it’s up to Cardona to follow through and get to work to implement the long overdue changes so that access to Pell Grants for incarcerated people, and therefore the promise of post-secondary education, becomes a reality. . We would like the secretary to assign a senior person to guide the implementation of Pell’s reinstatement. The law also directs correctional agencies to select the colleges that will be allowed to work in their facilities. Agencies will need guidance on how to select programs that work “in the best interests of the students” as required by law. Cardona should provide actionable guidelines for these correctional agencies to reference in their selections, including guarantees to ensure that the programs are of high quality and have a clear path to a bachelor’s degree. The Office of Federal Student Aid should also designate a contact person to help incarcerated people overcome problems accessing financial aid, such as dealing with delinquent student loans.

Providing access to Pell Grants to incarcerated people may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of the world we face today, but for the about half of all Americans whose family member has been put behind bars, this is an important step. This bipartisan victory at a time of deep division in our country should also give justice reform advocates everywhere the confidence to know that future reforms are possible. Families depend on it.

Nick Turner is President and Director of the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice in New York City, which was established in 1961 to work with government, civic leaders, and communities affected by criminal and immigration legal systems. to implement the change. Follow him on Twitter @ NickTurner718.

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6 differences you’ll notice if you stay at the Grand Hotel on Île Mackinac this year

Todd Wurtsbach — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 23:17:39 +0000

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MACKINAC ISLAND, MI – As the staff at the Grand Hotel in Mackinac Island opened the resort for its 134th year a few weeks ago, they knew this season would be a little different for guests and workers as they put in places new guidelines to help protect everyone’s health during the coronavirus era.

They said they also knew there were a few things that they would need to tweak once people started to arrive and they evaluated how the new practices worked.

So while guests can still enjoy the experience that defines a stay at a Grand Hotel – the rocking chairs on the porch, the afternoon tea service, the multi-course meals in the dining room. – regular visitors will notice changes as soon as they enter room 397 of appeal.

“I think we’ve created a culture. Employees and guests work together, ”said Ken Hayward, senior vice president and general manager of the resort.

What staff have learned over the past two weeks has led them to add more signage in specific areas, reposition hand sanitizing stations, and master the replenishment needs for disposable masks, sanitizing wipes and other articles.

“There have been improvements in dealing with the realities of executing our plan,” said Hayward. As for the first reactions of the guests? “A first-time guest… probably won’t notice.” Long time guests and veterans, (it will look) a little different.

Here’s a look at the differences you’ll likely notice first:

Members of the Grand Hotel Service Desk on Mackinac Island show off their face masks, now a mandatory part of their uniform. Photo courtesy of the Grand Hôtel.

1. Face masks

All the staff of the Grand Hotel wear masks. You’ll notice them on everyone from front desk and housekeeping staff to the dining room crew and housekeepers. All guests are also requested to wear a face mask in the common areas of the resort. If you enter the hotel without one, reception staff will suggest one. Ditto for the Grand Hotel’s off-site dining properties like Woods, where a silver bowl filled with individually wrapped face masks awaits guests upon arrival. At eating places, you are welcome to wear them until you are seated at your table.

Day visitors are also encouraged to wear masks. The Grand Hotel charges non-guests $ 10 to explore the gardens and access the hotel during the day. If you pay to enter the property and do not have a mask, you will be offered one.

On the first day the Grand Hotel welcomed visitors this year, staff handed out around 50 masks to non-guests wishing to access the resort, Hayward said.

“It comes down to the culture that we are trying to instill,” he said. “When everyone sees everyone wearing a mask,” it makes it more normal for all guests and visitors to keep them on.

“Communicating with masks and plexiglass at the reception makes things a little different – sometimes difficult – but necessary,” he said.

Hand disinfection stations are installed in the common areas of the station. In this photo, the plexiglass barrier and social distancing sign at the hotel’s concierge desk are also visible. Photo courtesy of the Grand Hôtel.

2. Plexiglas and hand disinfection stations

Large plexiglass screens have been installed at the reception of the Grand Hotel, in its service area, as a barrier to its concierge desk on the lounge level and in all the bars of the establishment.

There’s plenty of room for things to pass underneath, whether it’s your room keys, brochures about island activities, or an afternoon cocktail.

A sign on a deliberately left empty table inside the Grand Hotel’s main dining room. Photo courtesy of the Grand Hôtel.

3. Dining room

Dining in the Grand Hotel’s main dining room and its offsite properties probably won’t look any different – until you sit down. Instead of removing 50% of the tables in their main dining room, staff decided to leave all tables as is, but keep half empty to create social distancing. Hayward first said this confused some guests – why couldn’t they sit at that empty table by the window with its expansive view of the Straits of Mackinac, they would ask staff. It was available, wasn’t it? To clarify matters, staff have since added signs to these voluntarily left vacant tables explaining that they are “only for social distancing.”

In other areas, take-out and alfresco dining options have increased at all of the resort’s restaurants. At Woods, small tables have been set up far apart on the outdoor patio. And the new Grand Coffee and Provisions store, which replaced the hotel’s first-floor tea shop, is designed for take-out convenience.

Norman Dillard, who manages the staff working at Grand Coffee, said they think it’s important to give customers a new way to get fresh items to go. They stock everything from local whitefish dip and other gourmet items for DIY picnic baskets to freshly made sandwiches, made-to-order espresso drinks, bagged snacks, beer, wine and other drinks and sweets.

“We wanted to be more relevant during this time,” Dillard said.

The iconic porch of the Grand Hotel, with the rocking chairs and small tables now arranged in a new way to promote social distancing. Photo courtesy of the Grand Hôtel.

4. The largest porch in the world

At 660 feet long, the Grand Hotel has the world’s largest porch. And while it welcomes guests throughout its columned and flagged expanse, it looks a little different. Hayward said they initially toyed with removing half of the iconic white rocking chairs from the porch to ensure good social distancing. Then the staff realized they could stagger the rocking chairs – some spaced along the front of the porch and others resting along the back wall. Small tables and chairs are equally spaced.

The Service Desk moved this year. It is now in a separate area, away from the reception. Photo courtesy of the Grand Hôtel.

5. New spot for the Service Desk

The service desk had long been located at the cat’s corner of the resort reception. But a change has been made this year to give check-in customers more space to spread out in the reception area and separate them from those who might need help from after-sales service staff. for luggage or other items. The service office has now moved to a nearby hallway where a children’s area once stood. In this season of social distancing, having a kids’ area was no longer practical, Hayward said. So moving the service area there created a separate space that worked well.

Ordering food, drinks or extra items like towels or shampoo for your room? They will be delivered to your door in contactless delivery. In this photo, a bartender is preparing a drink for a guest. Courtesy of the Grand Hôtel.

6. No delivery to the room or cleaning

To ensure that guests are the only ones to access their rooms during their stay, the Grand Hotel has suspended all room deliveries by staff, as well as daily room cleaning services. If you are ordering room service or just want to drop off extra towels, guests can place those orders over the phone and items will be left outside the room doors for contactless service. The same goes for the “welcome benefits” that some guests enjoy, such as bottles of wine or sweets. Once alerted by reception staff, they can now be picked up at the concierge.

Early reactions

While Hayward believes months of staff planning have paid off with an openness that has prepared them for new safety protocols, he knows more adjustments may be needed as the season progresses.

“I can tell you that most of the time people thank us for finding a way to be able to open,” he said. “They are so happy that they are not home.”

“As more than one guest told me, if you have to wear a face mask for us to come here, it’s worth it.”

For more information on the health and safety practices of the Grand Hôtel, Check here.

For more information on reservations and special vacation packages, see the resort website.

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