Unusual: in New York, a man has been living alone in a luxury hotel since the start of the Covid-19 epidemic

The five-star hotel The Chatwal will soon reopen after the announcement of the relief of health measures against the coronavirus in New York. The resumption of activity will mark the end of the 14-month isolation of a 36-year-old man who has lived alone in the building since the start of the pandemic. As a volunteer, he took care of the maintenance and surveillance of the building throughout this time.

Robert Mallia, 36, lives alone in the very luxurious New York hotel The Chatwal since March 2020. The single, childless American occupies one of the establishment’s 76 rooms, where 59 people usually work. At the start of the pandemic Covid-19, local health authorities have ordered hotels to close but ordered that one person stay in each building for safety reasons, reports Slate Tuesday, May 18 relaying information from Crain’s New York.

The 30-year-old volunteered to take on this responsibility after the refusal of several employees. The building is not unknown to him since he is in fact an architect for the Dream Hotel group, owner of The Chatwal. For the past 14 months, Robert Mallia has been getting up every morning at 5:30 a.m. and doing various maintenance, monitoring and repair tasks.

He must flush the toilet every week

The improvised caretaker, for example, had to flush all the toilet rooms once a week and run the water in the showers and taps twice a month for ten minutes. He also took care of sorting mail and doing small plumbing jobs. The establishment is about to reopen, much to the joy of the lonely American. “I miss my home,” said the man who lives in Long Island City (United States).

“My apartment is pretty basic compared to a five star hotel,” commented Robert Mallia. During his retirement of more than a year, the man however received visits, such as those of security guards or the engineer who came once a week to ensure that the regulations were respected. The couriers also brought him the meals he regularly ordered.

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