Colleen was confused.
Yes, some hotel transportation is exclusive for the flight crew. There are times when the airline has contracted with the hotel, or with a third-party transportation company, to provide exclusive transportation, often off-schedule from the hotel's normal transportation schedule. This is more often the case when it is not an airport hotel. Crews more frequently use the normal hotel shared transportation when it is an airport hotel and not one farther away from the airport. At my airline, most of the transportation to airport hotels in NOT exclusive, and most of the transportation to downtown hotels IS exclusive. There are exceptions to both.
Colleen is confused because her company likely requires HER, and all of their crewmembers, to wear a mask while riding in hotel busses. That applies to her even when the hotel, city, and state do not have such a requirement. It sounds like she was unaware of that distinction.