A second major area convention hotel, the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, notified state officials June 3 of staff layoffs.
The Sawgrass Marriott said it temporarily laid off or reduced the hours of 408 of its 421 employees.
Its Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notice said its temporary layoffs began March 14 and were expected to last less than six months.
However, the extended impact of the pandemic “makes it reasonably foreseeable that these temporary actions may extend beyond six months,” said the letter from Sabrina McCombs, director of human resources.
Although the Sawgrass Marriott is in Ponte Vedra Beach, its WARN notice was sent to Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, as well as the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
The Sawgrass letter was dated the same day as one from the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Downtown that it is permanently cutting 120 jobs and temporarily laying off another 80 workers.
The letters came days before the Republican National Committee announced June 11 that the Republican National Convention is being moved to the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena Downtown.
The Hyatt, at 225 E. Coastline Drive, is the hotel closest to the arena.
The Hyatt’s notice said the “permanent separation” of 120 employees would take place on June 14.
It also said 80 workers were temporarily laid off on June 3-4.
The letter sent by Hyatt General Manager Joe Hindsley cited the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hotel’s business since the beginning of April.
“We were hopeful that the restrictions and associated loss in revenue would be temporary. Since that time, it has recently become apparent that there will be longer-term revenue impacts,” he said.
“With such a significant reduction in our business in a rapidly evolving situation, we have to make painful choices that would have seemed unthinkable just a short time ago,” he said.
The Republican National Committee announced June 11 that much of the convention events scheduled for Aug. 24-27 were moving from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Jacksonville.
No announcements have been made about possible events at the Downtown Hyatt, which is a venue for many smaller conventions throughout the year.
Hindsley did not respond to requests for comment.
The Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa responded June 16 with a statement:
"Due to widespread travel and social distancing restrictions, we have experienced significant drops in customer demand. Hotels are adjusting operations accordingly, which has impacted employment, resulting in staffing reductions, temporary leaves, and in some cases, termination notices."