Tourists and health tourists will be on watch for evidence of ever-higher standards of cleanliness. They can also expect to see more technology, from mobile check-ins and room keys, to chatbot customer service and smart hotel rooms. Five of the biggest hotel groups each now have new global programmes promoting safety and cleanliness to reassure customers.
In addition to ubiquitous hand sanitiser dispensers, hotels and resorts could also be welcoming guests with a personal bottle of hand sanitiser, disinfectant wipes and customised hygiene and cleaning products.
Five big hotel groups all now have their own extra programmes to help guests feel safe.
Hyatt Hotels has a global care and cleanliness commitment to improve guest safety and peace of mind. The commitment includes an accreditation process by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) at all 900 hotels around the world.
Hyatt introduced the GBAC STARTM accreditation through a performance based cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention programme that focuses on establishing hotel environments that are sanitary, safe and healthy. The accreditation includes training and third party auditing.
By September 2020, every Hyatt hotel will have at least one person trained as hygiene manager, who will be responsible for their hotel adhering to new operational guidance and protocols.
While full details for the programme are still in development, hotel brand standards under consideration include several new cleaning ideas and electrostatically charged disinfecting mist sprayers.
Marriott International is planning changes in cleanliness, hygiene and social distancing so that when guests walk through the doors of one of its 7,300 hotels, they know a commitment to their health and safety is apriority.
The Marriott Global Cleanliness Council is focused on developing the next level of global hospitality cleanliness standards, norms and behaviours that are designed to minimise risk and enhance safety, from cleanliness to food safety.
NH Hotel Group has partnered with SGS, a leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, to develop a protocol of measures and assessments, which will allow 500 hotels to be reactivated with maximum health and safety guarantees.
The new processes will include the revision and adaptation of all hygiene and disinfection protocols at the facilities, specific training for employees and control and monitoring of the measures, will be implemented in the hotels so that they are ready to receive their assessment seal as they recover their activity.
The protocols will also include the recommendations of global and local health authorities and take into account the health regulations in force in each country.
Accor has partnered with Bureau Veritas, a provider in testing, inspection and certification; to develop a label designed to certify that the appropriate safety standards and cleaning protocols have been achieved to allow businesses to reopen.
The label will cover both accommodation and catering, and will set the sanitary standards applicable to all 5,000 hotels as well as to other chains and independent hotels. The project has had advice from doctors and epidemiologists, and there will be an operational guide made available to all, enabling them to rigorously apply the health and safety recommendation of authorities and the group.
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