COVID19 is a serious pandemic that has gripped the entire world. Due to this extended lockdown, many businesses are shut. The hotel industry is one of the top industry which has suffered a huge setback during this pandemic. Due to travel restrictions and government regulations, many hotels are shut and many are trying to find some precautionary measures to adopt when the lockdown will be over. Hotel chains are enforcing many standardized precautionary measures for guests and issuing hygiene and safety advisories regarding COVID19. Many hourly hotels in Delhi have started to conduct daily temperature checks for all colleagues and contractors when they enter and exit the building. Many couple-friendly hotels are formulating plans and strategies to incorporate WHO guidelines in maintaining proper precautionary hygiene measures during COVID19. There are some guidelines and measures that you can add to your hotels.
1-Standard cleaning measures
Maintaining proper hygiene is one of the most important aspects of avoiding COVID19. When it comes to maintaining hygiene in hotel rooms near by, there should be a new norm or standardization for the same. These should be international standards that are provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or WHO. Right from the hard surfaces like floors, desks to linens and towels of the hotel rooms and restaurants, everything has to be cleaned properly. At least 70% of an alcohol-containing sanitizing solution should be used in cleaning the floors, desks, and tables. Regularly wiping of high touch areas such as door tables, light switches, coffee machines, and TV remotes, etc. The printed menus, cards, pamphlets, and hotel information guides should be covered in plastic and then regularly changed and cleaned to avoid any infection. Whether the guests book the hotel rooms for an hourly basis or 24 hourly check in hotel rooms, the linens, bedcovers, and towels should be changed regularly and with every guest. After each guest vacates the room, any new guests should not be allowed to that room for a couple of days.
2-Social distancing in sitting position at restaurants
Social distancing is the new norm that the entire world has to follow until any vaccine for the coronavirus comes to the market. Keeping a minimum distance of 1 meter has to be followed between individuals to minimize the spread of infection. Social distance markers have to be created in the public areas to control check-in lines and general crowding. The seating arrangement at the restaurant, lobby, and lounge have to be altered to maintain adequate space between the seated guests. A signboard has to be posted at every area recommending the guests to obey certain public guidelines like social distancing, hand washing, coughing, sneezing, and handshaking. Any person who books a room in the particular hotel should abide by the rules mentioned by the hotel staff.
3-Checking prior travel history of guests
A minimum of 1 month of travel history should be checked during guest check-in. this will give the hotel staff as a fair idea about their contamination and their travel history.
4-Body temperature checks
Body temperature checks should be implemented for every employee as well as guests of the hotel. If any of the guests are booking a hotel room on hourly basis and coming for check-in, he/she needs to go through a complete procedure of body temperature check. If someone is found with a high temperature, then he/she should be taken for additional screening or a consultation with a doctor.
5-Disclosure of cough and cold symptoms
While there are temperature checks, some people are asymptomatic and don’t show any temperature changes. Hence ask the employees and guests for any cough and cold issues. Observe them regarding this. If you find any issue, then they need to get further screening done and consult with a doctor.
6- Pool, spa and fitness area management
The pool water has to be regularly tested as per the WHO standards and cleaned by the hotel staff. Appropriate chlorine levels have to be maintained. The treated water should be able to provide adequate disinfection to neutralize the virus. The gym area should be cleaned at regular intervals with sanitizers containing 70% alcohol. It is one of the high touch areas with all the gym equipment and yoga mats in use. Hence, extra attention should be provided to these things. Adequate hygiene practice methods should be mentioned to the guests about taking a shower before entering these areas and proper usage of sanitizers and masks etc. Anybody having cough, cold, or increase in body temperature should not be allowed to enter these areas.
7-Procedures for managing suspect COVID19 cases
If you find any hotel staff or any of the guests are suspected of COVID19, then special guidelines have to be followed to manage such persons. A special quarantine area has to be maintained for these suspected cases. These areas should be in designated isolated areas where none of the normal persons are allowed, even the travel routes should be isolated. These areas should be in no contact with the normal areas. The entire hotel should be fumigated if any confirmed COVID19 cases arise including evacuating of the other guests and employees.
8-The attire of the hotel staff
The hotel staff especially the ones keeping in close contact with the cleaning services and with the guests should wear special attire. It has been estimated that Viruses can survive in the form of droplets for several hours in the air. Hence, wearing protective gear, gloves, and face masks is a mandatory thing to do by the hotel staff. Make sure to change the attire at regular intervals as well.
9-Food and Beverage hygiene maintenance
It has been noticed that there is no evidence of food or food packaging is a source of getting COVID19 but that doesn’t mean food and beverage programs are to be left like that. The buffet-style dining program should be changed into “grab and go” meals. The guests can ask food to be delivered to their room instead of coming to the restaurant. This will minimize any contact. The food should be neatly and individually wrapped and should be delivered with adequate hygiene measures. The minibar items and snacks should be delivered to the room on request rather than keeping in the hotel room beforehand.
10-A separate hotel management team for COVID19
A separate expert hotel management team has to be formed including employees from every vertical. They should be professionally trained to tackle COVID19. Further, they should be able to train the entire hotel staff. This management team should be vigilant all the time regarding following the set guidelines by WHO during COVID19. Also, as a guest, there are ways by which you can check proper sanitization of hotel room after you have checked in into your room.
In these unprecedented times, we have to catch hold of the new normal and start living a lifestyle that is acceptable to everyone. Yes, COVID19 has come with tremendous damage to the Hotel Industry but with the above precautionary measures, the hotel operations can be resumed, and slowly the lifestyle will be normal.