« CI miss being at home ”. In March 2020, as New York City entered a lockdown phase due to the coronavirus pandemic, Robert Mallia was appointed a “guardian” of the five-star Chatwal hotel in Midtown. The mission of this 36-year-old American bachelor is simple: stay put in case of problems, reports the New York Post. After 14 months spent in room 307 of this palace, weariness begins to be felt among those who volunteered with the establishment. “I am satisfied with my cell now,” said Robert Mallia in particular.
“When weeks turned to months, I got used to my room, like in Shawshank Redemption,” says the man, architectural designer for the Dream Hotel Group, which owns several hotels in Manhattan, including the Chatwal in Midtown. “Having the chance to live in a building we worked on is cool,” continues Robert Mallia. The latter usually lives in an apartment in Long Island City, “quite modest compared to a five-star luxury hotel,” which he continues to visit frequently.
Almost alone to ensure the maintenance of this 76-room hotel
The 36-year-old American has been very isolated from the outside world for over a year now. His only companions are security guards and the building’s chief engineer. They make weekly visits to verify compliance with the fire code. Robert Mallia has a very precise daily schedule to take care of. After waking up at 5.30 a.m., he is responsible for various household chores: he sorts the mail or searches for possible leaks. Once a week, he must also flush all the toilets in the 76-room facility. For showers and sinks, turned on for ten minutes, this happens twice a month.
READ ALSOCovid: free as a vaccinated New Yorker
With a large portion of the American population vaccinated, the United States has begun a return to normal life. The Dream Hotel Group thus began the reopening of its various hotels in May. The Chatwal should soon do the same, good news, and some relief, for Robert Mallia who will also be able to return to his previous life.
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