Just as with the airport journey, travelers can expect to see some significant changes during their hotel stays. The top priority for hotels as they open up again is providing a sense of security for their guests. Travelers need to have confidence that the hotels they are staying in are safe and clean and implementing strict protocols around cleanliness and social contact.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) launched their Safe Stay™ initiative which is ‘focused on enhanced hotel cleaning practices, social interactions, and workplace protocols, while ensuring transparency throughout the guest journey’. The initiative lays out guidelines and general advice for how different elements of the guest journey need to change and what hotels can do to help guests feel safe during their stay. We’ve summarized the key points laid out in the AHLA guidelines along with what some other major hotel brands are doing to help keep guests safe. Here is everything you need to know for your next hotel stay.
Cleanliness, sanitation and hygiene will be a top priority
All areas of the hotel will see increased cleaning schedules, with high traffic areas such as the lobby, front desk and elevators will be cleaned and disinfected more frequently. Sanitation stations will be set up throughout the hotel so guests can frequently sanitize their hands.
Guest rooms will be thoroughly sanitized with special attention paid to multi-touch, hard non-porous items including television remote controls, toilet seats and handles, door and furniture handles and light switches. Hilton announced the implementation of the CleanStay program which includes the introduction of the CleanStay Room Seal. A seal will be placed across the guest room doors once it has been clear. The seal shows guests that no one else has been inside the room since it was last cleaned, adding an extra level of security for guests.
Wherever possible multi touch items will be removed from the guest rooms
Items such as pens, paper, local guides, books and anything else that can be removed from guest rooms will be. Although these items may be relatively easy to sanitize it is likely that hotels will remove what they can to reduce the risk. Some of these items may still be available on request depending on the hotel.
We will also see a significant impact on hotel toiletries. Many hotel chains have been removing single use plastics for environmental reasons. We will see a continuation in this trend as guests return to hotels. Wall mounted dispensers are much easier to sanitizer and require less interaction from the housekeeping staff than small individual bottles.
Digital (no contact) process will be introduced.
Much like the airport, hotels will be working to minimize direct contact between hotel staff and guests. Guests will be encouraged to check in and out of the hotel digitally. It is likely that he hotel you are staying at will send you download details for their app prior to your arrival so you can be prepared. Other processes such as ordering food, contacting reception and, in some cases, accessing your room will be done digitally.
Food options and services will be different or limited
Food options at hotels will be different too. It is unlikely that hotels will serve food in a buffet style anymore and will instead encourage guests to order individual meals. Restaurants will be implementing social distancing and so seating capacity will be limited. Guests will be encouraged to pre book their meal and we may even see time limits on booking. Room service will be greatly encouraged as it helps to limit contact between guests. No contact delivery of room service will be implemented (meaning the food will be left outside your room and you will need to bring it in yourself).
Leisure centers will be open
We have been speaking to a number of our hotel partners all over the world and the general consensus is that hotel gyms will be available. Gyms will receive extra cleaning and the number of guests permitted to use the hotel at any time may be restricted.
Spas will open and accept guests again however the experience will be a little different. Staff will be wearing PPE equipment and treatments may be limited.
Back of house protocols
While the front of house changes are important for guests, what hotel staff are doing behind the scenes is equally as important. The guidelines recommend that staff should receive Covid-19 safety and facility sanitation protocols training, follow strict hand washing protocols and wear PPE equipment when necessary. Back of house areas will receive the same level of cleaning as the front of house areas and staff members will be encouraged to practice social distancing wherever possible.
Some hotel services may disappear
As mentioned above hotel staples such as the buffet and in room toiletries are unlikely to be part of the new hotel guest journey. In an effort to reduce potential contact between guests and staff we may see some other hotel services disappear too. These may include doormen, hotel porters that bring your luggage to your room, luggage storage and more. There has been specific information about reduced auxiliary services from the large hotel chains that indicates these services will be reduced or disappear. However all the hotel initiatives and the AHLA guidelines do state that contact between guests and hotel staff should be reduced wherever possible, which could mean these types of services become unavailable.
Hotels are doing everything they can to ensure the safety of guests and staff alike while still trying to provide guests with an enjoyable experience. Staying in a hotel post Covid-19 will be different, there is no doubt about that, but it is encouraging to see major hotel brands make the effort to build out these plans and put protocols in place to help keep their guests safe. Building up trust and reliability among travelers will be key to the successful reopening of hotels all over the world. To help you feel more at ease before checking into a hotel read up on what they are doing to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 and keep their guests safe.
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