Updated Standards for Hygiene and Guest Needs: How to Address Them Both With Confidence

The year 2020 was extraordinary for each of us involved in the hospitality industry. We have learned a lot about the virus and made mask regime and social distancing integral parts of our lives. And now we are living in a “new normal”, where shaking hands with other people is not considered safe.

When the experts suggested that people could pick up viruses by touching surfaces contaminated with COVID-19, mass cleaning campaigns started all over the world. Some studies stated that coronaviruses can survive on glass, metal, and plastic surfaces for 9 days. It was mentioned that proper disinfection is the only thing that kills the virus in this case.

This information pushed to action the hotels of different types and sizes. Such giants as Accor Group, Hilton, Four Seasons, Munich Hotel Alliance, and Holiday Inn reacted with updated cleanliness measures and suggested their own reopening guidelines and recommendations.

Thousands of housekeeping teams spent this year rubbing doorknobs and spraying a fog of disinfectant. And yet, the latest update of the official Cleaning and Disinfecting guidance by CDC shows surprising results. Turns out that the risk of catching a virus by touching a contaminated surface is only 1 in 10,000.

However, this does not make cleaning and disinfection pointless, not at all! In fact, more than 50% of respondents felt satisfied with the way hospitality has handled disinfection and hygiene.

Today, it is not all about the location and amenities – the main priority is safety and trust on the part of your guests. This means that hotels should not give up on cleaning visibility even though the risk of contamination is low.

In this article, we will look into how the expectations of clients have evolved, as well as show the best practices to win the trust of your prospects.

A closer look at your guest’s needs

It seems like the travel demand is going to bounce back soon. According to recent statistics, more than 85% of people are planning to go on a trip in the next 12 months.

Along with that, travelers anticipate an outstanding level of sanitization in every area of their future stay. Almost 79% of respondents are most concerned about whether the room will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected upon their arrival. Public spaces, such as spa areas and restaurants, must be spotless as well.

Another survey shows us that the majority of guests tend to choose a hotel based on its health and safety protocols. Almost 80% of travelers think that a clear outline of provided preventive measures is an important contribution to their protection.

Making expectations a reality

Here is a shortlist of what guests will most likely expect to see in your property:

• Contactless check-in and check-out options to avoid queues in the lobby
• The absence of frequently touched items in the guest rooms
• Sticking to high standards of cleanliness
• Agile housekeeping teams
• Constant sanitization of public areas and hotel rooms
• Commitment to social distancing guidelines
• Mandatory PPE (personal protective equipment) measures

And that is how the question of prioritization and effectiveness comes to the fore. How can hoteliers efficiently adapt to these requirements? What should they do in the first place?

To make things easier, we recommend relying on the updated practices and guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to this brochure, housekeepers should mainly focus on high-touched surfaces and determine how often they should be cleaned.

The guidance suggests doing this at least once a day. If there are any areas constantly occupied by small children or where the guests tend to queue in, they should be wiped even more frequently.

The cleaning itself is quite effective against the virus. However, be mindful when choosing detergents – consider the options suitable for people with asthma. Another thing to keep in mind is the air quality, so investing in ventilation and air filtration should be one of the top priorities.

Your staff may sanitize the surfaces after cleaning, however, now it is optional. If you choose to disinfect, consult List N, created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It contains the names of the disinfectants which are effective against the novel coronavirus.

As we can see, “certified” cleaning is not so crucial when it comes to securing guests from the virus. But they still prefer and expect it, marking the presence of this measure as one of the main factors while choosing a hotel.

Reimaging your strategy in favor of safety

In the post-pandemic world, hotel clients expect a total re-think of a personalized approach. Now, the main question should be how to reduce face-to-face contact between guests and staff. In general, the top-5 markers of a safe hotel environment include:

• Occupancy limits
• The usage of technologies to reduce person-to-person interaction
• Maintaining of social distancing measures both indoors and outdoors
• Signs indicating regulations and cleaning measures taken
• Guests screening and temperature checks before entering

Based on this, we can invent a new type of client-oriented approach. It will not only take into account the special requirements of each guest but will also fit perfectly into the world of a “new normal”.

Becoming a brand that your prospects can trust

Since “certified clean” and tech-friendly hotels seem more trustworthy to the prospects, you may need to change your existing marketing strategy. It should mainly focus on your commitment to disinfection, face-to-face contact reduction, and usage of the latest technology.

We also recommend considering these tips on how to attract more guests and improve your current approach with technology:

1. Use online marketing tools for greater engagement

If you want to reach more potential customers, you need to promote your hotel on the new marketplace. Online platforms, such as a zero-commission HotelFriend eCommerce Marketplace, can help you immensely. Here you will be able to sell your rooms and create special deals and packages to target specific audiences.

2. Improve your hotel website with a Booking Engine

To increase the number of direct bookings, there is nothing more important than a user-friendly website. Get the most out of a site that is thought out to the smallest detail and has an integrated Booking Engine. This is your alternative channel for obtaining reservations, which allows you not only to grow your brand but also to compete with the OTA.

3. Show the proof of safety

Before deciding to stay at your hotel, guests will need to make sure it is safe for them to travel to your area. The COVID-19 Safety badge is perfect to instill confidence in your guests. It displays information about the COVID-19 dynamic in your region as well as the measures taken on your property.

4. Maintain physical distancing on the premises

Technology is great for limiting unnecessary direct contact between staff and guests. A mobile Guest App will help your customers to check-in/out, order meals in their rooms, and pay for any services without any face-to-face interaction.

5. Take cleaning to the new level with a strong team

To create a truly strong team of professionals, you need to distribute tasks in a smart way. Well-known platforms like Jira usually help with this, but they are not adapted to the hotel realities. In its turn, the Housekeeping module will allow you not only to assign tasks but also to see the progress of their execution and cleaning statuses of the rooms.

Everyone in the hotel industry is awaiting the return of their clients. As the percentage of people vaccinated around the world increases, countries are slowly reopening. And as people's desire to travel is also increasing, better times are just around the corner. Therefore, we all should work towards creating a truly safe environment in our hotels.

About HotelFriend

HotelFriend is a global provider of business software with offices across Europe. The company specializes in R&D in the travel and hospitality sectors, cloud computing, e-commerce, CRM, ERP, and the development of mobile and desktop apps.

Philipp Thomas
Business Development Manager
+49 30 46999 5418
HotelFriend AG