The next time you stay at a hotel your stay might be a bit different... Okay its going to be a lot more different and not just a little bit. Your next hotel stay will most likely involve digital check-ins, more room service, limited buffets, face masks, gloves, and a lot of sanitizer.
Cleanliness certification
Obviously people would normally be hesitant to stay at a hotel in the next few months and the hospitality industry has to somehow convince you that it's safe to stay in a hotel. You ever stayed at a hotel and have their certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor just be there for you to look at when you check in? We'll most likely see something like that across all hotels (especially when booking) but instead it's going to be a cleaning certification from a governing body of authority.
Singapore has already started this as the Singapore Tourism Board has implemented a new set of cleanliness standards that give a property the "SG Clean" mark according to Skift. These certification programs help ease our minds when booking and staying in a hotel.
Large international hotel chains such as Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt to name a few has taken their own initiatives in upgrading their cleanliness standards to ensure safety and peace of mind for both the guest and their employees.
The lobby and check-in
If you aren't already used to everyone wearing masks, expect hotel employees to be wearing mask and gloves at all times when you see them in the hotel. Thats right, it's gonna be hard noticing that cute front desk agent checking guests in lol. Many hotels might start to really push digital key cards, which aren't too popular here in the Philippines, instead of physical room cards to decrease touch points as well using the credit card on reservation instead of handing over a new credit card.
Check-in lines might have floor stickers as reminder for proper social distancing while waiting for your turn. To add to that, furniture will most likely be rearranged throughout the hotel to promote better social distancing.
A standard temperature check and sanitizers will also be expected upon entering the property and checking in.
Plus points to the hotel if the entrance is an automatic sliding door.
Elevators
If the hotel isn't as empty and is operating at a decent occupancy then you should expect lines to hop on the elevators as the limit per ride will definitely be controlled. Hotel provided sanitary wipes might be provided for you to click the elevator buttons.
Cleaning staff will be constantly cleaning as well throughout their shift but it isn't so reassuring to know that elevator buttons have 737 times more germs than the toilet seat in your home. Oh well.
Photo from Hilton
Guest rooms
Cleaned with state of the art technology in cleaning with UV lights and electrostatic spray disinfectants, well hopefully that is. At least that is what is being done by the large international hotel chains.
IHG, Marriott, and Hyatt in recent years have vowed to slowly phase out single use plastic from the amenities and toiletries across all brands but there is a good chance we could see them comeback to help control the spread of the Coronavirus. Bed runners, decorative pillows, magazines, and pamphlets might be removed from the guest rooms as well.
See why we think people will prefer hotel more compared to vacation rentals in the future in this article here.
Dining
Ah yes one of the most important aspects of a hotel stay, the food & beverage. We'll most likely see a boom in room service orders as its going to feel safer to eat in the room than in a public dining space. It won't be a surprise to also see furniture configuration in the guest rooms change to make it more suitable for in room dining.
Don't expect to see buffets anytime soon either. Hotels will probably offer plated meal sets for breakfast. If the hotel does serve a buffet, expect it to be limited and attended to with a hygiene officer at all times. In the near future at least until the Coronavirus is contained globally.
Pools, gyms, and other public areas
It's always a greater risk to contract the virus in public spaces with high traffic. Gyms will most likely have an attendant continuously cleaning the equipment. Pool/beach chairs will probably be farther apart from each other. Basically social distancing measures will be implied throughout the whole property.
Bottom line
For the foreseeable future, until a vaccine or proven treatment for the Coronavirus is developed, the main focus and the greatest luxury in travel will be cleanliness and safety.
International hotel chains have given us a glimpse of what our near future stay may look like and more changes are currently being discussed for the future of hotel stays. How the hospitality industry communicates these changes and ensure the public that it is safe to stay in hotels again will be key to the slow revival of the industry.
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