Hotels plan new measures for COVID-19 world
As every step of airline travel undergoes seismic change, hoteliers are jumping in on the act, forecasting a new realm of operations, safety and sanitation measures.
From June 1, one of the world’s largest hoteliers, IHG, will globally roll out extra cleanliness measures under the guidance of medical experts from the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic.
IHG hotel receptions will feature reduced contact, touch-free transactions, front-desk screens, sanitiser stations, sanitised key cards and paperless checkout.
Many high-touch items will be removed from in-room furnishings, with the hotelier also introducing new laundry protocols. Once guests hit their hotel rooms they will note further sanitisation of items such as glassware and remote controls.
MORE| COVID-19 Commercial Property News
In the hotel’s public spaces there will be extra deep cleaning of high-touch surfaces as well as a surplus of “last-cleaned” charts.
IHG has 33 hotels and resorts operating in Australia with 20 of them temporarily closed, such as the newly refurbished luxury Hayman Island in Queensland’s Whitsundays.
IHG says it is working closely with medical experts at the Cleveland Clinic to develop resources for hotel staff returning to work, including guidance on the use of protective equipment as necessary, updated training and certification and hand sanitisers and disinfectant wipes available in guest rooms and at high-touch points throughout the hotels.
“The future of travel may look different, but a safe, secure stay is fundamental to deliver true hospitality — and that will never change,” IHG chief executive Keith Barr says.
Meanwhile, rival hotelier Marriott, which operates more than 7300 hotels around the world, has brought in outside experts in food and water safety, hygiene and infection prevention, and hotel operations, to develop a new generation of global hospitality cleanliness standards.
Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson said it had initiated plans to roll out enhanced technologies at its properties over the next few months, including electrostatic sprayers and disinfectants recommended by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organisation to sanitise hotel surfaces.
Qantas and its budget offshoot Jetstar says the airlines will introduce safety and sanitation measures on aircraft from June 12.
This article originally appeared on www.theaustralian.com.au/property.
