The aim of this study is to investigate the direct impact of COVID-19 on the hotel industry in Indonesian. Quantitative data on the difference before and after the pandemic is used to measure the effect of the virus phenomenon that began in China at the end of 2019 until it spreads to Indonesia on April 2020. A series of data consists of occupancy rates for all representative hotels across all regions based on 34 provinces in Indonesia was analyzed. The finding shows that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant and negative consequence on the hotel industry by 38.91%. The implication of this findings practically reveal the volume and intensity of the effect of a pandemic on the hotel sector. The results of this study can be beneficial for decide greater strategies for hotel businessman and government to improve tourist interest of lodging industry, especially star hotels in Indonesia. This research is attractive since it identifies the initial impact measurement when a pandemic occurs. Thus, the results of this investigation can be elaborated as a first warning system in the hospitality sector when another outbreak is happening in the future.