BETHESDA, MD — Marriott International Inc., the world’s largest hotel chain, is poised to furlough tens of thousands of employees as the coronavirus pummels the hospitality industry, a Marriott spokesperson confirmed to Patch.

The Wall Street Journal first reported Tuesday that the hotel giant would be making staff cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Marriott spokesman Brendan McManus has since confirmed the story.

“As travel restrictions and social distancing efforts around the world become more widespread, we are experiencing significant drops in demand at properties globally with an uncertain duration. We are adjusting global operations accordingly which has meant either reduction in hours or a temporary leave for many of our associates at our properties,” Marriott said in a statement.

The company added that associates will keep their health benefits while they are furloughed.

“We are working quickly to mitigate the impact to our business while also focusing on assisting our associates, our guests and our owners,” Marriott said. “While the ultimate impact is difficult to predict at this time given the fluidity of the situation, we remain confident in our long-term prospects.”

Click Here: Putters

Marriott International’s global headquarters is based in Bethesda and boasts a portfolio of more than 7,000 properties spanning 130 countries and territories. When the hotel operator’s lease expires in 2022, it plans on moving to a new $600 million headquarters in downtown Bethesda.