New, stricter cleaning measures are being implemented as COVID-19 cases rise.
Numerous hotel employees are laid-off, hotels are left empty, and cancellations are made left and right. How are hotels coping with this, you may ask? There are multiple factors hotel chains are endorsing and keeping an eye on to uplift their businesses and still provide excellent service even during these troubling times. Let's take a look at the new measures hotels are participating in.
Health Regulations
Hygiene is a concern. Rather than having people to greet and take your baggage, hotels have switched to a different approach. Such as promoting social distancing as much as possible to break any chains of infections for the safety of their visitors. Multiple signs promoting social distancing as well as mandatory face coverings are there to compute with health regulations and guidelines, so everyone can still enjoy their stay. Protocols such as consistent cleaning of lounge areas, outdoor seating and all rooms after each stay are mandatory.
Cleaning staff are wiping and disinfecting surface areas, inside and out of hotels. For instance, major hotel chains such as Marriott and Hilton are utilizing sprayers along with ultraviolet light, and numerous hand sanitizing dispensers for guests' personal use will be a new addition.
Restrictions on hotel spas, pools, buffets, and gyms are temporarily closed, as well as the halting of providing frequently used objects like menus, TV remotes, and paper notepads. All are replaced with an app to cease the spread of COVID-19.
Having the best quality disinfectant materials is crucial for hotels to properly ensure a safe environment for the public. Fogger disinfectant sprayers are a large-scale product as they are excellent for disinfecting wide areas.
Using spray solutions or regular cleaning wipes with manual labor will take forever, while fog spray takes few minutes, saving you time in the long run. Their ability to cover large surfaces with one swoop, reach hard crevices with ease compared to standard methods by 50%, eliminates chances of overuse, making it the most efficient cleaner for businesses.
After spraying the area, fog sprayers take about 5 minutes on average for the disinfectant to completely remove germs, dirt, and various viruses such as HIV and influenza. After spraying the wanted area, it takes time for the disinfectant to do its magic, so it is best to avoid touching the surface straight away.
Fog disinfectant sprayers can cost up to three thousand dollars, such as the ones featured on Amazon and in hardware stores. HYC Design offers a backpack style Fog Sprayer that retails for $599 and takes only 2 minutes to sterilise the area. A 5-year manufacturer's warranty is also included.
Traditional vs Online Business Model
[Marriott has marketed its mobile check-in feature for guests to check in virtually.]
Hotels have adapted to engaging with guests via email and social media as their primary channels. Guest communication is essential for hotels as it touches on any inquiries or cancellations guests may have.
Hotels are encouraging guests to use their devices to check in, rather than check-in from the counter as expected. "Guests in more than 3,200 Marriott hotels can use their phones to check in, access their rooms and order specially packaged room service delivered to their door without contact".
Arriving at a hotel and roaming the premises as expected is also another aspect that is modified. Temperature screening for guests and employees is there to detect possible COVID-19 symptoms such as fever upon arrival. Temperature checks are non-invasive and take a short amount of time to complete, allowing customers and guests to go along with their day swiftly. Hotels do provide safety Disposable Face Masks for all guests.
Being Money-wise
[According to STR, occupancy in Canada has dropped by 50%.]
From the restraint on traveling in public, cost control is essential to ensure a healthy cash flow, so hotel businesses can succeed financially.
With the new low demand, eliminating overstaffing can help reduce costs. Staffing managers determine how many employees each department needs to see which areas are most affected by the current number of guests. Limiting the regular amount of food purchased and goods purchased will prevent any profit losses.
Hotels are taking this time as an opportunity to reevaluate products, train inexperienced staff, review pricing strategies and certain goals for long-term financial success.
Different times call for desperate measures. Hotels are doing all they can to ensure the safety of guests while dealing with the significant impact COVID-19 has had on the travel industry, from booking cancellations to travel restrictions. At HYC Design, we are here to support and provide exceptional quality hospitality products to all hotels to assure them reassurance even during these difficult times.