At the start of 2020, the hotel industry’s show growth and rising revenue looked vulnerable. Now the spread of the coronavirus threatens to make it the worst performing year since the recession.
As hospitality industry focused on serving the guest needs i.e. in facilities that see significant daily guest turnover, and as hosts to guests for conferences and events, the risks to hotels from the Coronavirus may be particularly acute. Now the Hospitality industry stands on the front lines of the growing concern over the spread of Coronavirus. The news is filled with daily reports of major conferences being canceled, businesses curtailing employee travel, and individuals reducing personal travel, all of which affects hotel operations and performance.
As reports of confirmed Coronavirus cases increase, travel bans and mass quarantines go into effect, and countries across the globe avoid travel, the hotel industry is being hard hit. Without exaggeration, hotel operation face existential decisions. To aid in addressing the myriad of issues due to Coronavirus outbreak.
Response Plan
Hotel management should discuss creating and implementing a flexible response plan to dealing with the Coronavirus, with focus on guests, employees, and the hotel facilities. The written plan should takes into considerations potential Coronavirus exposure to employees and guests and potential interruptions in supplies, and taking proactive steps aimed at reducing the probability of Covid-19 transmission. The plan should be communicated to all hotel employees, and hotels should consider communicating certain aspects of the plan to guests and visitors.
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Within the plan, hotels should review the internal communications and preparedness plan and ensure that all hotel staff are ready, know their role in keeping the hotel and its guest’s safe, and are aware of all communications protocol
Below is some advice for hotel operation and management team to consider during these circumstances:
1- Hotel management should provide information and brief all employees, on relevant information, training and procedures to prevent the spread of coronavirus to people in the hotel.
2-Housekeeping staff should avoid close contact with guests. They should wear gloves while cleaning, and use alcohol hand rub before and after wearing gloves, means use disposable items in cleaning.
3- Placing hand sanitizer in all public areas; offering hand sanitizer at check-in; with no handshakes with guests.
4- Adding hand sanitizer to all guest rooms; increased cleaning of door handles, elevators buttons, touch screens; designating an employee to focus only on sanitizing.
5- Offer medical materials, in multiple languages, to educate customers in various languages about proper hand hygiene and cough etiquette.
6- Advise all hotel staff to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when cough, sneeze, or use the inside of their elbow, then throw used tissues in the trash.
7- Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, clean your hands with a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
8- Increased cleaning of restrooms and public areas; providing housekeeping service only upon request.
9- Consider closing hotel facilities, which has potential gathering for number of guest at the same time i.e. restaurant, fitness centers, swimming pools.
10- Advise any guests who may feel sick i.e. high fever, cough, and sneeze to limit face-to-face contact with others and to seek immediate medical help.
Be Precautious, Be Proactive. In addition, Stress Regular Hygiene.
