As the pandemic is receding, people slowly have begun looking at booking hotels again. The present time has now changed the hotels’ regular methods to factor in the wellbeing of its guests as a paramount issue.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, the only top 2 factors were- location and price. While these are still necessary, most travelers have changed their opinions on what takes the priority during such trying times. Curious to know how your hotel stay might be affected? Read on.
1. Greater Reservations Flexibility
While the details vary from hotel to hotel, most hotels have changed their policies to include no cancellation charges and/ or extending cancellation period to up to 24 hours before the scheduled arrival date, for both existing and future bookings.
Some hotels also offer the new option, ‘Book Now, Pay Later’ to encourage bookings.
2. Paperless/ No Contact Check In/ Out
Human interaction is a current complication, so most hotels are expanding their digital amenities. Most large hotel groups are reshaping their mobile apps to function like a digital lobby.
The app would be used for check in/ check out, as a card key, and even to order room service. Online/ contact- less payments were already the norm before pandemic, so they will likely be the most prominent payment option.
3. Hand Sanitizer Stations
To avoid clusters of people in the lobby, advance check ins are arranged for each guest and clear signs would be displayed for the guests to keep their distance from each other.
You may find hand sanitizer stations and lobbies, masked front desk agents and new elevator capacity rules.
4. Sanitized Rooms
The rooms will now be sanitized as regularly as possible and after every guest checks out. The rooms will likely have a cleaning chart on a daily basis.
The housekeeping would become more thorough and high contact items such as mini bars, throw pillows etc. will be inaccessible and/ or removed.
Unnecessary indoor furnishings would be removed. Sanitizer solutions will be sprayed on all surfaces necessary after a guest checks out and before a guest checks in.
The bathrooms would now have a sanitizer, face mask and disinfectant wipes along with the regular shampoo and conditioner.
5. Shared & Room Services
For in- room dining services, food and drink services would be done through the designated hotel app. Mini- bars likely won’t be available in the near future.
Since many guests are also opting for in room exercise and spas, bigger hotel chains are taking that into consideration as they arrange for in- room exercise equipment and private spas for the guests in the comfort and safety of their own rooms.
6. Gym, Pool & Spa Facilities
Although many hotels have opted to close down their gym, swimming pool and spa facilities, there are others who are still opting to keep it open for their guests.
However, as a necessary precaution, the gym equipment and pool lounge chairs will be placed a distance apart. It will be cleaned after every use and there will be a strict cap on the number of people using the facility at a time.
The sessions will also need to be booked well in advance. The facilities are also going to be sanitized and clean at regular intervals to ensure safety and hygiene.
7. In- Hotel Dining
Since most people would now prefer outdoor dining to be safe, the hotels are coming up with adequate measures to provide the security outdoor dining requires.
Breakfast buffets would be a thing of the past; the seating arrangements would also differ vastly when compared to pre- pandemic services.
The tables would be placed further apart from each other and the rest would be removed to avoid overcrowding. Partitions may also be installed to increase safety of guests and sprayed with sanitizer solutions after every use.
With the reduced seating capacity, the guests would need to book a reservation well in advance. Contact less ordering and online payment, all through the designated hotel mobile app would be implemented as well.
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Source: Hotel Stays Have Changed During COVID19
