Three health and hygiene measures to help your guests feel safe

Prepare your property and let guests know their safety matters. Add your Health and Hygiene policies to your listing today. 

When the coronavirus restrictions lift, people will travel again, but with new expectations. Travelers will be concerned about staying healthy during every step of their journey. Now is the time to update your policies and cleaning practices to let guests know what you’re doing to protect them. Give travelers confidence to book with you. We’ve created this guide with three health and hygiene measures you can take to make sure your guests feel safe during their stay.

1. Update cleaning procedures and policies

Cleanliness has always been important to travelers when booking a room. Now more than ever, guests will be sensitive to hotel hygiene. Since COVID-19, major airline and lodging brands quickly adopted new cleaning policies that earn travelers’ trust. Airlines are keeping the middle seat free. Hotels chains boosted sanitation standards for housekeeping routines. Now’s the time to write up your health and safety plan of action to share with your staff.

The recommendations below are from the World Health Organization (WHO) and local agencies, such as the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Use these resources and follow your local government guidelines and restrictions as you update your policies and procedures. 

Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces in rooms and public spaces 

  • Use hot water and soap, followed by a disinfectant, to clean frequently touched areas. 
  • High-touch surfaces include doorknobs, handrails, light switches, remotes, wardrobe and cabinet handles, tables, chairs, desks, toilets, sinks, bedside tables, and kitchen and bathroom counters.

 

Wipe down low-touch surfaces with hot water and soap 

  • Clean all surfaces with hot water and soap. Use a mop or disposable wipes to clean thoroughly.
  • Low-touch surfaces include floors, walls, blinds, etc.  

 

Wash all soft-surfaces and materials after each stay  

  • Wash items using the warmest setting and dry items completely. If you use a laundry service, request that they use the hottest setting.
  • Don’t shake out dirty laundry. 
  • Spot clean fabric surfaces that can’t go in the laundry, such as the sofa. 
  • Soft surfaces and materials include towels, bedsheets, linens, soft or fabric curtains, sofa fabric, etc. 

 

Use common disinfectants to prevent the spread of viruses 

Most common EPA-registered disinfectants work for cleaning. Please refer to the EPA’s website for a list of products approved to clean and prevent the spread of viruses. 

 

Practice social distancing  

  • Continue to promote social distancing as long as your local government recommends it.
  • Social distancing means keeping at least six feet (two meters) or more between people. Encourage your staff and guests to refrain from hand shacking and being in close contact.  
  • Social distancing measures also include hand washing and respiratory etiquette. 

 

Practice hand hygiene 

  • Regularly wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.  
  • Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.  
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth until you can clean your hands.

 

Practice respiratory etiquette 

  • Wear a mask in public to protect others, even if there are no symptoms.  
  • Offer masks to your guests. 
  • When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a bent elbow or tissue. 

2. Keep staff safe and informed

After you’ve trained staff on new cleaning procedures and policies, make sure employees can access this information. Consider launching an internal communications platform or a daily email. Include the latest news and updates to health and hygiene measures during COVID-19. Also, let your staff know how to communicate policies and procedures to guests. 

From reception to housecleaning, your employees are the face of your property. When guests see your staff wearing disposable gloves, face masks, and aprons—and following social distancing measures—they’ll feel reassured you’re taking every step to keep them safe. 

Following these recommendations will protect your staff and put guests at ease during their stay. You may also want to consider additional measures and third-party certification to protect your staff and reassure your guests. 

How staff can protect themselves while cleaning

  • Wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including disposable gloves, aprons/gowns, masks or full-face shields.
  • Wash hands for at least 20 seconds before and after cleaning.
  • Avoid touching your face until after throwing away dirty gloves and washing your hands.
  • Air and ventilate rooms and public spaces during and after cleaning.
  • Throw away disposable masks, gloves and aprons after one use

 

3. Put signs in guest rooms and public places

Let your guests know you’re taking every precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Make them feel more comfortable with educational signs posted in their rooms and public spaces. Remind your staff with similar signs in the back of the house. Post key messages with specific health, safety, and hygiene instructions for guests, staff, suppliers, and visitors.

Guest rooms

  • Post signs that include items disinfected after each stay.
  • Post scheduled cleanings of the room and corridors.
  • Post handwashing instructions in the bathroom and kitchen areas.
  • Suggest guests allow housekeeping to clean daily and don’t use the “Do Not Disturb” sign.
  • Keep disinfected wipes, hand sanitizer and soap stocked in each room.

 

Public spaces

  • Promote social distancing between staff to staff, staff to guests and guests to guests.
  • Post signs of areas and items cleaned and disinfected and how often it happens. 
  • Post handwashing instructions in the bathroom and kitchen areas.
  • Include hand sanitizer in high-traffic areas, such as the elevator and reception. 
  • Give reception a hygiene kit with disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer and disposable masks, gloves, aprons, and trash bags for staff to hand to guests as needed.
  • Use hand sanitizer after exchanging objects, such as room keys, money, credit cards, etc. with guests.

 

Food services

  • Take extra precautions in self-service food areas.
  • Post signs of areas and items cleaned and disinfected, and how often it happens. 
  • Post signs to encourage guests to wash their hands before eating.
  • Replace serving utensils, such as spoons or tongs, every half-hour.
  • Remove shared items, such as cereal containers or snack jars.
  • Include hand sanitizer at self-service food areas, restaurants and bars.
  • Encourage guests to dine in their rooms.

 

Back of house

  • Post signs that include cleaning schedules in shared areas, such as locker rooms, associate entrances, offices, etc. 
  • Post handwashing instructions in bathrooms and kitchen areas.
  • Keep disinfected wipes, hand sanitizer and soap stocked in each room.

In addition to the above guidelines, if staff or guests report symptoms, use the CDC, WHO, and your government’s advice on the next steps. You can also refer to WHO’s operational considerations for COVID-19 management document. These health and hygiene guidelines are here to help you make your guests feel safe. 

Get started on these health and hygiene measures

Like you, we consider the wellbeing of your guests and staff to be of utmost importance. Use these recommendations and those from your local governments and agencies to guide you in updating your policies. 

To help, we’ve compiled a checklist below of health and hygiene measures you may consider including.

Resources you can use:

 Health and hygiene checklist for your property

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