Boosting guest confidence and keeping the hospitality industry safe and secure

The hospitality industry is probably one of the most affected business by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic due to the temporary closure of some hotels and low occupancy rates for those which remained open.

The implementation of precautionary measures aimed at maintaining the safety and security of the community has helped breathe in a new normal of doing business, which in turn, has allowed hotels to open their doors to the public once again.

However, hotel guests have fielded in many questions about the changes and steps being made to ensure that their stay is safe and out of harm’s way.

Hotel professionals today have valued safety as the new luxury. Travelers are now being very particular about certain details of their stay–how the rooms are cleaned, occupancy, how long was the room empty before someone checked in, etc.

In order to ensure this kind of safety to the guests, visible cues should be made. Whereas before, cleaning and sanitizing were customarily done, today, hotel personnel’s cleaning practices should be more visible to guests to help increase their confidence.

Another aspect of operations that is helping the industry regain confidence is the concept of room service. Seen to have been in transition over the last few years, room service became a least preferred service and was replaced by buffet alternatives offered by the hotel’s in-house dining facilities.

Nowadays, room service is making a comeback. This is evident in the returning preference for breakfast meals being ordered as room service by guests. To keep up with this demand, hotels are now offering contactless delivery of food orders and have made the packaging process more appealing yet still within approved health standards.