Best Hotel Chains Dealing with COVID-19

Coronavirus has not only impacted our health, but our daily lives, as well. As the country and the world slowly starts to reopen, here is what you should expect from hotels in the near future: 

• Less furniture to make way for more social distancing in lobbies and other public areas

• Hand sanitizing stations will be highly visible

• Housekeepers, whose role moves from behind-the-scenes to center stage as they frequently and conspicuously wipe down railings, elevator buttons and door handles with hospital-grade disinfectants.

• Some housekeeping teams will have high-tech tools at their disposal, like germ-zapping robots that look straight off the set of “Star Wars” and electrostatic sprayers to rapidly disinfect guest rooms and fitness centers.

• Made by Xenex Disinfection Services and costing about $100,000 each, the machines emit broad-spectrum ultraviolet light to destroy viruses and bacteria within minutes. 

• The new measures mandate extra disinfection of the 10 most often touched parts of a hotel room — light switches, TV remotes, thermostats, toilet handles — and putting a seal on room doors to let guests know they’re the first to enter their freshly cleaned quarters.

• Fitness centers will close periodically throughout the day for additional cleaning, and the number of guests exercising at the same time will be limited. 

• Breakfasts will likely entail more grab-and-go options. Buffets, where they still exist, will have enhanced sanitation and be less hands-on.

• Disinfecting wipes will be put in all guest rooms.

• In nearly half of these hotels, guests can use their phone to check in, access their room with a digital key and order a meal that will be packaged and deposited outside the door.

Below, we have also researched what individual hotel chains are going to do as they start reopening. Email info@familytc.com with any questions!

Sandals and Beaches

• Sandals Resorts has completed a thorough research assessment of all points of guest contact, resulting in the integration of advanced hygiene practices across 18 key touch points, starting from the moment guests arrive at airport lounges through the entirety of the resort experience.

• All resorts are diligently cleaned and sanitized on an ongoing basis, with a triple-check system and a minimum of three inspections daily. These inspections include all hard surfaces—including door handles and interiors of vehicles used for airport transfers; public restrooms, which are inspected, cleaned and sanitized in 20-minute intervals; kitchens, bars and restaurants, including menus, tables, cutlery, glassware, chairs and more; and swimming pools and hot tubs.

• Additional hand sanitizing stations will be provided for guests and team members throughout the resorts, at all dining locations and within each individual guest room. Any items that guests will come in contact with—from room cards to welcome cocktails glassware—are sanitized before distribution.

• The introduction of additional hospital-grade disinfectants; electrical aerosol sprayers for advanced cleaning; the use of UV-LED lighting equipment to inspect cleanliness; air duct sanitization for each arrival and upon each departure; weekly steam-cleaning and sanitization of carpeting; placement of anti-bacterial gels and soaps in each guest room; and strict adherence to the triple check system.

• Guests will have the ability to check-in online, allowing them to skip the front desk and go directly to their room. A welcome cocktail, a personal anti-bacterial hand towel and individual in-room hand sanitizer will always await arriving guests.

• The addition of more airport transfers with fewer guests per vehicle; extending check-in times between visitors; setting up a safe social distance across restaurants, bars and beaches; replacing handshakes with a nod and a smile; and restricting elevator trips to one couple per trip at Sandals Resorts and one family per trip at Beaches Resorts, with staff members taking alternate routes.

• All staff will be required to know where the nearest hand sanitizer stations are located at all times, wear protective face gear and gloves at all times when on resort, and ensure uniforms are not worn during travel to and from work. All team members across resort locations will also undergo required temperature checks before the start of each shift in addition to stringent medical clearance.

• All vendors, suppliers and partners will be held to the new Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness standards by restricting delivery windows to one party at a time, while limiting physical contact; sanitizing all touch points, including equipment, storage spaces and access areas; and removing all outer packing upon arrival.

Hilton

• Hilton CleanStay with Lysol Protection: Hilton has developed a global program that will introduce a new standard of hotel cleanliness and disinfection to ensure Hilton guests enjoy an even cleaner and safer stay: Hilton CleanStay with Lysol protection. The program has been developed with experts from RB, maker of Lysol and Dettol, brands trusted for safely disinfecting surfaces. In addition, experts from the Infection Prevention and Control team at Mayo Clinicwill advise and assist in enhancing Hilton’s cleaning disinfection protocols.

• Hilton CleanStay Room Seal to indicate that guest rooms haven’t been accessed since they were cleaned

• Extra disinfection of top 10 high touch areas in guest rooms including light switches and door handles

• Increased cleaning frequency of public areas 

• Guest-accessible disinfecting wipes at entrances and high traffic areas

• Enhanced cleaning for fitness centers  

• Reduced paper amenities (like pads and guest directories) in rooms

• Enhanced cleaning & other changes to buffets, in-room dining and meeting spaces

• Industry-leading contactless check-in and check-out with Digital Key at more than 4,700 properties globally

• Evaluation of new technologies like electrostatic sprayers with disinfecting mist and ultraviolet light to sanitize surfaces and objects

• Enhanced Team Member safety and well-being with personal protective equipment and enhanced training and protocols

Marriott

• Marriott has created the Marriott Global Cleanliness Council to tackle the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic at the hotel level and further advance the company’s efforts in this area

• Marriott is rolling out enhanced technologies over the next few months, including electrostatic sprayers with hospital-grade disinfectant to sanitize surfaces throughout the hotel. Electrostatic spraying technology uses the highest classification of disinfectants recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) to treat known pathogens. 

• In public spaces, the company requires that surfaces are thoroughly treated with hospital-grade disinfectants and that this cleaning is done with increased frequency. In guest rooms, the company has likewise added to its rigorous protocols, requiring that all surfaces are thoroughly cleaned with hospital-grade disinfectants. Marriott will also be placing disinfecting wipes in each room for guests’ personal use.

• The company will be using signage in its lobbies to remind guests to maintain social distancing protocols and removing or re-arranging furniture to allow more space for distancing. Marriott is also evaluating adding partitions at front desks to provide an extra level of precaution for our guests and associates and is working with supply chain partners to make masks and gloves available to associates. The company is installing more hand sanitizing stations at the entrances to its hotels, near the front desk, elevator banks and fitness and meeting spaces. In addition, in over 3,200 of Marriott’s hotels, guests can choose to use their phones to check in, access their rooms, make special requests and order room service that will be specially packaged and delivered right to the door without contact.

• At Marriott, all food handlers and supervisors are trained on safe food preparation and service practices. Marriott’s food and beverage operations are required to conduct self-inspection using the company’s food safety standards as guidelines, and compliance is validated by independent audits. In addition, the company is modifying its operational practices for in-room dining and designing new approaches to buffets.

IHG

• Activation of response teams to provide around-the-clock assistance to our hotels.

• Hotels have increased the frequency of cleaning public areas (including lobbies, elevators, door handles, public bathrooms) and high-touch points in guest rooms.

• All hotels have been advised on cleaning products and protocols which are effective against viruses.

• They continue to review food and beverage service in accordance with current food safety recommendations.

Hyatt:

• Colleague certification, trainings and recertification process for hygiene and cleanliness

• Increased frequency of cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants on all high-touch surfaces and areas such as lobbies, guestrooms, restaurants, meeting and event spaces, recreational areas, public restrooms, fitness centers, elevator buttons, all employee areas, and more

• Implementation of enhanced food safety and hygiene protocols for restaurants, room service, and group meetings and events

• Prominently placed hand sanitizer stations throughout hotel public and employee areas and entrances

• Exploring purification and sanitation device installation in an effort to ensure air quality

• Protective masks and other equipment worn by hotel colleagues

• Social distancing guidance in public areas across hotel properties

• Evolving new policies in consideration of guidance and information shared by various health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local authorities, and other leading organizations and experts

Banyan Tree:

• All public areas and back-of-house areas are sanitized on an hourly basis, paying attention to high-flow and high-contact points.

• All rooms are deep cleaned and disinfected with virus-specific protocols, with hand sanitizer points at all F&B outlets, and mandatory temperature checks at all Spas.

• All guests are now asked to provide a more detailed background on travel history.

• All associates undergo daily temperature checks, and receive ongoing training by medical practitioners on COVID-19 awareness and overall health, safety and knowledge.

Como Hotels:

• While stricter hygiene measures have been in place since the outbreak of COVID-19, they continue to review and raise our standards to be in-line with the latest research and recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO). This includes elevated deep cleaning procedures and strict hygiene checks in all areas. They have also activated a global response team, ensuring the readiness and preparedness of our hotels and resorts to welcome you again.

Rosewood Hotel:

• Hourly deep cleaning, disinfection of public areas and common touch points, e.g. lobby areas and elevators

• Provision of surgical masks and hand sanitiser to all guests and associates

• Mandatory, frequent temperature checks for all guests and associates

• Health declaration for all contractors and other third parties who visit our properties

• Regular cleaning of air filters and air conditioning systems

• Briefing all associates on enhanced personal hygiene

• Closure of hydrotherapy areas in spas, including steam, sauna and vitality pools

Shangri La

• Limousine is disinfected before and after each use. 

• Disinfectant floor mats are located at the entrance to sanitise shoes. 

• Temperature screening is conducted at all key entry points and sanitizers are available at guest contact points. 

• Guests to fill in health and travel declaration forms. 

• Face masks, hand sanitisers and other protective items are available for guests to use. 

• Incoming luggage and parcels will be disinfected. 

• All public washroom facilities are equipped with anti-bacterial soap and hand sanitisers. Cubicles are cleaned with hospital grade disinfectant, especially high touch points which are disinfected every 20 minutes. 

• Guestrooms are disinfected after each check out. 

• The use of US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) listed disinfectants; Oxivir and Virex from Diversey. 

• Enhanced daily hotel’s linen with special disinfectant processes that sanitises laundry hygienically by professional staff with stringent measure. 

• Guest laundry is handled with individual packaging to avoid contamination. 

• All our colleagues are professionally trained on hygiene and sanitation protocols. 

• All our colleagues are equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE), practice strict personal hygiene and safety precautions at work and to stay at home if they are unwell. 

• Temporary closure of swimming pools, hot whirlpool baths, saunas and steam rooms.

Palace resorts:

• Palace Resorts and Le Blanc Spa Resorts have developed Purely Palace, an advanced safety and cleanliness initiative for all resorts. This new program includes enhanced preventive actions across all points of contact.

• Team members will have their temperature checked upon entering the premises; uniforms will be completely sanitized; footwear will be properly disinfected; team members will be equipped with facemasks, which will be replaced every four hours.

• Guests will be encouraged to check-in online through our resort app. Floor markers have been installed to respect social distancing guidelines. Acrylic protective barriers have been installed at all guest check-in areas to protect both the guest and team member. Each guest will be asked to sign a declaration of health confirming they are free of any COVID-19 related symptoms, have not had tested positive or come into contact with anyone that has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 30 days. Incoming guests’ luggage will be immediately disinfected upon arrival.

• Housekeeping teams will follow strict quality and sanitation controls, including mandatory use of gloves, face shields, and facemasks while cleaning and disinfecting guestrooms.

•  All mattresses will be professionally steamed to help eliminate any harmful viruses and bacteria. Upon guest departure, each room will undergo a complete disinfection process using an electrostatic nebulizer system. 

• Sanitation tablets will be installed in air conditioning units to eliminate potential viruses and bacteria. A health certification will be placed in each room, guaranteeing that everything has been completely disinfected to the highest and strictest standards. 

• Guests will also receive a personal hygiene kit in their rooms, which will include antibacterial gel, facemasks (for optional use, one per person) and disinfecting wipes.

• All public areas will be sanitized daily with an electrostatic mist system. Indoor and outdoor soft furnishings will be disinfected and spaced according to social distancing requirements. 

• Entertainment venues will be disinfected throughout the day and will undergo a deep sanitation process at the end of each performance. At shows, families will be seated with enough space between families to respect social distancing guidelines, and our indoor entertainment spaces will have a maximum capacity. 

• Nightclubs, bars, and other public facilities, such as The Playroom Kids Club, Wired lounge, and the Fitness Center will have a maximum guest capacity. Social distancing will be enforced when waiting in line for outdoor activities such as the Water Park and the FlowRider Double Wave Simulator. The number of people in elevators will be limited, and antibacterial gel dispensers will be placed at each elevator door. 

• Spa and beauty salons will offer sanitized check-in areas, common areas will be limited to maximum capacity, and all hot tubs and hydrotherapy areas will be kept at controlled temperatures to limit the spread of germs. All swim-up pool bars will be closed.

• All buffets will be removed from all restaurants. While physical menus will be disinfected after each use, guests will be highly encouraged to view our menus through the resort app. All kitchens will continue to follow the highest government sanitation standards. Team members are required to wash their hands every 30 minutes.

• All golf carts, lobby-to-lobby buses, and general internal transportation will be disinfected every 30 minutes. As for transfers, all vehicles will have a maximum capacity according to their size, so guests are spaced as safely as they can from each other. 

AM Resorts

• AMResorts, an Apple Leisure Group company, introduced its new 360-degree quality, safety and hygiene program CleanComplete Verification. The CleanComplete Verification program elevates the standards of quality and cleanliness at their 58 beachfront branded properties across Mexico, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, and Panama. Backed by one of the highest-level third-party certifications for quality and safety in the industry, the Cristal International Standards certification, the initiative addresses all aspects of resort operations and guest experience from welcome to departure.

• Each property has implemented Cristal’s Prevention of the Spread of Infection (POSI) audit protocol. All AMResorts branded properties also employ Cristal’s FoodCheck Certification, which complies with certified and audited food safety practices based on the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), an internationally recognized system for reducing the risk of safety hazards in foods.

• The CleanComplete Verification program includes hygiene check-in stations with temperature check protocols in place upon arrival to the resort, and increased sanitation procedures including use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer for those handling luggage and cleaning of the lobby with high-grade disinfectant every hour; Cristal RoomCheck verification process to meet the highest hygiene cleaning for each guest room, with sanitation information on in-room tablets, printouts and TVs; increased sanitation throughout all areas of the resorts including high human contact areas such as staircases, elevators, public areas and restrooms, as well as sports equipment and spa facilities, with beach and pool loungers being distanced; all Explorer’s Club and Core Zone facilities cleaned and disinfected prior to opening, after closing, and regularly during operating hours, with temperature checks required for all before entering; all bar and restaurants zoned for social distancing measures, while staff wear masks and use increased hygiene techniques; and express check-out service to reduce contact.

• AMResorts also has created new staff positions, which are responsible for the oversight of health and sanitation measures. Regular wellness training is provided to all personnel to ensure they take the correct steps for their own health as well as the safety of guests.

Melia Hotels

• Meliá Hotels International has developed a program for the gradual reopening of its hotels in the post-COVID-19 recovery phase and is working together with one of the most prestigious certification organisations in the world, Bureau Veritas, to ensure that it complies with the most rigorous health and safety standards.

• Meliá is also actively cooperating with sectorial organisations and health authorities in Spain to prepare a guide for hotel operations in the context of COVID-19 to be applied both in Spain and abroad.

• The disinfection of facilities and the most important operational processes, the Plan also has an important section on training for employees and the emotional aspects of customer relationships in the situation created by COVID. To achieve this while also prioritising a positive customer experience as far as possible, the "Stay Safe with Meliá" program also foresees the appointment in each hotel of a person responsible for the "emotional well-being" of guests and the verification of appropriate compliance with the processes designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

RIU Hotels and Resorts:

• The limitation to hotel occupancy of 50 or 60 percent (or the local restrictions, if lower), checking guests’ temperature on arrival, the gradual implementation of web check-in to reduce handling physical documents as much as possible, the installation of safety screens at reception desks, respecting safe distances and using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) among employees, disinfecting work stations and equipment at the end of every day, as well as encouraging guests to use the hotel app to search for information and opening hours, again as a way of avoiding handling documents.

• In the rooms, all non-essential items will be removed, such as coffee machines, magazines, leaflets and laundry bags. Amenities are also reduced to only the essential, and a hand sanitizer gel will be included in every room.

• Employees will follow the protocol to prevent cross-contamination when cleaning rooms. This includes using three cloths of different colours, which are changed for each room and are used to clean the terrace, room and bathroom separately, in that order. The use of tried and tested virucidal products will be introduced, and the use of PPE will be compulsory for all staff.

• A “disinfection team” will also be created in each hotel, which will specialize in cleaning rooms occupied by people with confirmed or suspected cases of coronavirus. 

• RIU is firmly committed to maintaining its buffets, because they are a characteristic part of its package, and one that is highly valued by customers. To do this, safety measures will be implemented that both guests and employees must follow. Lunch and dinner sittings will be arranged, the restaurants’ seating capacity will be reduced and it will be compulsory to disinfect your hands on entry. All guests must wear gloves and mask to go to the buffet, which will now contain more individual portions, more packaged products and more live cooking.

• Pools will have capacity limits, there will be safe distances between lounge chairs and umbrellas, and cards will no longer be needed to exchange wet towels after bathing. The frequency of cleaning the pool and jacuzzi areas will be increased, and water disinfectant products that are appropriate to the current situation will be used. Personal protection measures will also be respected, as staff will wear masks and gloves.

Palladium

• Reinforcing the cleaning and disinfection work of every one of the hotel spaces; such as bedrooms, communal areas, meeting and event spaces, and staff work areas; as well as our transport vehicles, the objects of common use and those items that arrive from outside, such as luggage.

• Hand sanitizer dispensers throughout all the different areas of the hotel, and within the rooms themselves, so that the guests can make use of them individually.

• Temperature checks with infrared thermometers will be carried out on employees, suppliers, and guests, especially in the entrance areas and closed spaces such as the restaurants, gymnasium, spa, children's area, etc.

• The use of masks, gloves, and disposable paper items will be mandatory for staff from different departments and will also be available in the rooms.

• Ensure that a safe social distance of both guests and partners within the entire hotel complex is respected and maintained.

• This distance will be of at least 2 m (6.5 ft.) between family units and it will be recommended a maximum density of one person for each 2.5 m2 (26.9 sq. ft.).

• The distance between hammocks, restaurant chairs, and tables will be increased, and marks will be placed indicating the distance to be kept.

• A maximum number of people in bars and restaurants will be established, as well as an appointment system to control access to these areas. Guests will also be escorted to their tables that will be previously set up with fully disinfected tableware, cutlery, glassware, and napkins.

• They will implement an ‘ozone and mist disinfection system’ that allows us to purify the air.