Posted on 05/29/2003 6:09:27 PM PDT by Brian S
Anchorage, Alaska-AP -- Fear of SARS was enough to keep an Alaska hotel from honoring the reservation of a guest who'd traveled through Singapore and Hong Kong.
Such incidents could be on the rise. Thirteen Westmark hotels in Alaska and Canada have adopted an anti-SARS policy.
The hotels are owned by the Holland America cruise line. A spokesman for the company says SARS brings "a lot of unknowns" and risk.
Dozens of cruise ship passengers have been turned away after that industry adopted a similar policy a month ago.
A consultant who travels frequently to Asia calls the move "bad business" -- saying Singapore and Hong Kong are vital to U-S business interests.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome has killed at least 750 people and infected more than 82-hundred.
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