After quarantining for months, many Americans are looking to escape the slump of daily life by taking a summer vacation. As some countries are beginning to allow domestic travel, planning a summer holiday is once again a reality. An increase in travelers also necessitates that hotels be ready to accept guests and tourists. Even during a pandemic, hoteliers must be able to guarantee a safe, clean stay — especially if they want travelers to choose them over competitors.
To meet and exceed the demand for heightened sanitization and safety measures, leaders in the hospitality industry are adopting new protocols and strictly following safety guidelines. Here are a few steps hotels are taking to ensure the safety and well-being of their guests.
Enhanced Cleaning to Protect Guests
Of course, one of the simplest and most effective ways for hotels to act against the spread of COVID-19 is to enhance their cleaning procedures. Often, this means creating new safety protocols to protect guests. These additional guidelines and rules may include disinfecting room keys, frequently sanitizing high-touch items, and common areas like elevators and door handles and using cleaning solutions approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Additionally, hotels may close public spots like the pool and fitness center.
Transparency and Auditing
To maintain these high standards of cleanliness and intense guest safety measures, some hotels are committing to frequent third-party auditing. Doing so will validate their compliance with CDC guidelines and their safety protocols. Moreover, many hotels are promising to be transparent with guests about the processes they’re putting in place. As task forces and organizations establish certifications and standardize best practices, transparency will likely be the best policy until the standards are firmly set.
Health Product Declaration
Additionally, some hotels are beginning to embrace transparency in disclosing the Health Product Declaration of their flooring, paint, and other building materials. This step assures customers of the quality and safety of different materials within the building and rooms in which they’ll be staying. In the future, hotels will likely look to follow HPD guidelines in the construction and furnishing of their buildings.
Partnerships with Disinfection Experts
Many hotels have also partnered with disinfection experts to uphold proper cleaning procedures and assure guests that they’re safe. For instance, Hilton recently rolled out a new program called CleanStay with Lysol protection, which incorporates a scientific approach to cleaning. The program is a collaborative effort with Reckitt Benckiser — maker of Lysol and Dettol — and Mayo Clinic. Other hotels, like Marriott International, are hiring experts in food safety, housekeeping, and occupational well-being to achieve proper disinfection.
New Health Positions
Hotel managers and company owners are also beginning to rethink their team dynamic. Before the pandemic, they may not have considered hiring health and well-being managers. Now, however, hotels that create and fill such a position could influence the deciding factor for guests looking for a place to stay. Odds are, people will be more comfortable staying in a hotel with a health or disinfection expert present. Additionally, hotels will likely hire short-term employees to train current ones in proper safety practices.
The Future of Hospitality
History has proven that it’s only a matter of time before the next epidemic occurs. Plus, there’s no telling how long the coronavirus will continue plaguing the world — or if it will ever go away. Therefore, the hospitality industry must think long-term when crafting solutions to safety issues and responding to guest concerns.
By investing in permanent safety devices like electrostatic sprayers, ultraviolet (UV) light sanitization, and infrared sensors to spot fevers, hotels can better prepare for a bright future, even if another pandemic were to occur.
Credit
Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online, and more!
Follow Kacey on Twitter and subscribe to her blog to keep up with her travels and inspiring posts!
We are in this together!
I need to let you all know that we are in on this together. If you need to vent, talk, cry, or just have some to talk with then I am here listening. Since I am working part-time at the local Kroger, I will to the best of my ability to work it out around my schedule.
But you can reach me here:
Email: hotelblogger@aremorch.com
Also, join us at our Facebook Group – Hotel Social Media Community
We will get through this unprecedented event together! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
For any specific information on COVID-19, I recommend go to CDC, WHO, AHLA, AAHOA, and HSMAI. Also, follow information from your local authorities.
NOTE
We are starting to reopen some hotels again (Yay!!!). Make sure you follow their guidelines and say THANK YOU to those that now show a unique spirit to serve, and helps us all get through this!! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
About Are Morch
Hi, I am Are Morch. Your Hotel Marketing Coach and Customer Experience Expert that specializes in creating effective digital customer experience offer for hotels while growing and scale customer acquisition and revenue.
Get more from Are on Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Instagram| Podcast
