SINGAPORE – When travellers begin calling hotels again to make bookings, it’s likely they will have checked out the property’s hygiene credentials before asking about the room rate.
This will be just one of the ways in which hotel stays will change post-corona as major hotel chains seek to reassure jittery travellers that they are going to be looked after with hospital-grade care.
Check-in will become contactless. Rooms will be unlocked by digital keys. Room amenities such as pens, notepads and hotel directories will be removed, and rooms will be tagged with a seal to show that no one has accessed after deep cleaning.
Hotel corridors will likely be roamed by robotic cleaners and lifts will have the smell of strong cleaning agents.
There will be hand-sanitizer stations, fitness equipment placed farther apart, and guests will be encouraged to use stairs more often than elevators.
There will be changes in the restaurants where tables will be placed further apart and the hotel buffet might disappear altogether.
So, no platters piled high with fresh prawns and oysters, no carvery, no bowls of tiramisu.
How will people cope without their weekend brunch?
Both Hyatt and Marriott are re-thinking the buffet at their hotels
Marriott spokeswoman Connie Kim told The Times newspaper that “we will be serving individual grab-and-go food for some time”.
Ms Kim said once business is booming again, the company “will likely be exploring partitions, making sure social distancing is practiced in lines and likely using individual servers”.
Phil Cordell, Hilton's global head of new brand development said of buffet,: 'I think how it's presented and prepared will likely change in a very long-term way”.
How hotels are reacting to coronavirus
HILTON
Hilton is teaming up with the company which makes Lysol and Dettol disinfectants and the Mayo Clinic to develop new cleaning procedures that will be in place by June.
Contactless check-in, where guests can complete check-in and check-out processes via a mobile app and receive a digital room key (Hilton Honors members already have access to digital keys) “There's always been an expectation that [a hotel] would be clean, but now the clean has a double exclamation point after it,” said Mr Cordell.
HYATT
Hyatt is relying on the advice of medical experts, industry professionals and others to ensure guests feel safe.
"We must critically examine the hotel experience from every vantage point – from our rooms and our lobbies to our spas and dining – bringing in the latest research, technology and innovation to make that happen," Mark Hoplamazian, Hyatt president and CEO, said in a statement.
By September, every Hyatt hotel is expected to have someone trained as a "hygiene manager," who will make sure their hotel adheres to new guidelines.
MARRIOTT
Marriott has launched its Global Cleanliness Council which aims to develop the next level of global hospitality cleanliness standards designed to minimise risk and enhance safety for hotel guests and Marriott employees alike.
Marriott plans to use electrostatic sprayers with hospital-grade disinfectants to sanitize throughout its hotels. In addition to guest rooms, the sprayers will be used in lobbies, gyms and other public areas.
The cleaning agents used will be those recommended by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation to kill all known pathogens.
Marriott is also taking a look at what to do at properties that offer buffet service.
RED DOORZ
In Singapore, all RedDoorz hotels have attained the SG Clean quality mark which encourages businesses and the public to uphold good sanitation standards and hygiene practices.
RedDoorz has also launched “HygienePass”, an industry-wide cleanliness and sanitation certification programme for the hospitality industry.
The certification is launched first in Indonesia in collaboration with the Indonesian Public Health Association (IAKMI), an industry association which provides public health policies and expertise.
RedDoorz will also launch “HygienePass” certification in The Philippines and Vietnam by partnering with relevant authorities.
ACCOR
Accor and Bureau Veritas have launched a label based on hygienic measures to cover both accommodation and catering. It will set the hygienic standards applicable to all the group’s hotels as well as to other chains and independent hotels.
The project was carried out in partnership with doctors and epidemiologists and has been developed in collaboration with Accor owners and trade associations.
Franck Gervais, CEO Europe Accor, said, "Today, more than ever, our employees, customers and partners need to be reassured of our ability to offer them the best welcome possible and respond to health and safety requirements by adhering to the highest standards.”
AIRBNB
Airbnb is starting a certification programme with protocols for cleaning and use of the rental. Scheduled to go live in May, the programme calls for a 24-hour wait period before anyone enters a unit after a guest has checked out, which Airbnb said is intended to address the possibility of particles that may remain airborne for a few hours.
Guests will be able to identify and book listings that have opted to enrol in the certification programme.