Hyatt is latest hotel chain to announce new cleaning program amid coronavirus. Here’s what hotels are doing
Hyatt is the latest hotel chain to update its cleanliness measures due to the new coronavirus, relying on 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.
These may include social distancing guidelines, prominent hand sanitizer placement, food safety and hygiene protocol implementation for restaurants and room service and increased cleaning frequency with hospital-grade disinfectants on high-touch surfaces, shared spaces and in guest rooms.
Hyatt is also developing new work procedures and trainings for its employees to address their safety and the safety of guests. This includes daily surveys that will assess colleague comfort, hotel cleanliness and more.
The company also aims to introduce a new accreditation process in May from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council across hundreds of hotels; Hyatt says it is the first to do so. This council, made up of leaders in the microbial-pathogenic threat analysis and mitigation space, is a division of ISSA, the global cleaning industry association.
Hyatt has been working with infectious disease and occupational health experts to develop the program.
As individual hotel chains, including Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott, announce their cleaning initiatives during the coronavirus pandemic, the industry at large is also working to implement to new standards to make guests feel safe.
The American Hotel Lodging Association this week announced “Safe Stay,” a program that seeks to develop hotel cleaning best practices, social interactions and workplace protocol as the pandemic continues.
The trade organization created a Safe Stay council filled with industry leaders (from chains like Hilton, Marriott, Best Western and Hyatt, among others) prepared to work with public health experts, medical leaders and scientists in putting together industry best practices. These include everything from new cleaning standards and strong cleaning products to social distancing guidelines to overall better transparency with guests during their stays.
Hilton’s new cleaning protocols
Hilton also said this week that it is partnering with the company behind Lysol, as well as the Mayo Clinic, to better ensure cleanliness in its hotels. The new program will be called “Hilton CleanStay” and aims to to give guests peace of mind when staying at a Hilton property, whether they are in guest rooms, restaurants, the gym or other public areas.
Full details are being ironed out, but several initiatives in development include:
- An official room seal indicating that a room hasn’t been accessed after a deep cleaning
- The removal of pen, paper and guest directories in favor of a digital option (or available on request)
- 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)
- Electrostatic sprayers and ultraviolet light to be used in the sanitization process
Marriott updates cleaning procedures
Marriott said it will 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. It said the cleaning agents used would be those recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization to kill all known pathogens.
In addition, the company is testing ultraviolet light technology for sanitizing room keys and adding hand sanitizer stations and signs in the lobby to remind anyone who enters to keep their distance from others. Marriott is also taking a look at what to do at properties that offer buffet service.
Airbnb issues cleaning recommendations
Airbnb is establishing a new recommended “cleaning protocol” with the goal of reassuring both rental property hosts and their guests.
For hosts, the guidelines will offer recommendations for personal protective gear, such as masks and gloves, while cleaning. Rentals will be spaced out by 24 hours for hosts who have opted in to the cleaning protocols, and hosts will have the option of an online feature that automatically prevents bookings less than 72 hours apart for an extra measure of safety.
Turnkey introduces coronavirus cleaning tips
The vacation rental service announced updates to its GuestWorks cleaning system and verification technology to best combat coronavirus. Prior to the pandemic, TurnKey was already using a housekeeping scheduler, keyless locks and in-home tablet, among other amenities, and had eliminated the need for in-person communication.
Now the system will be upgraded with updated checklists to help housekeepers disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, handles and light switches. In the cleaning system’s app, housekeepers will have to confirm and verify through a photo the use of COVID-19-eliminating products.
It will require a 24-hour period between guest stays in May and June of this year and will extend this if necessary. Housekeepers and home inspections by TurnKey staff are permissible between stays, however.
Contributing: Chris Woodyard
‘Going to war’:Hotels become barracks for health care workers during coronavirus pandemic
Pay now, book later:Hotels sell credits, offering deep discounts for future stays
