Well, it may come as a surprise but the idea of hotels isn’t really new. Records show even in ancient history, people were accommodating other people for a price. While we usually equate payment with money, in the ancient world, it could mean in return for food or whatnot in the absence of minted money. History shows the hospitality industry started in the Lascaux caves of France in 15,000 BC when a tribe used the place to accommodate other tribes. Indeed, that’s a long, long time ago.
Today, we’ve come a long way since the first time people stayed at someone else’s place for a fee. Credit it to England for erecting the first modern hotel in the 1800s. These days, top hotel brands include the names of America’s hotelier families, the Hiltons, the Pritzkers, and the Marriotts.
If you’re managing a hotel, what may be of concern to you right now is to find ways to keep your hotel guests as safe as possible with the virus scaring everyone away. And that can be a tall order. Already, cases of the Delta virus are rising in 42 states in America. Worse, thousands of Americans succumb to the more dangerous virus strain weekly.
Lucky for you, you need not compromise your hotel guests with their stay. So long as you have the welfare of your customers at heart, taking care of them should be a cinch. It’s but natural. Listed below are proven strategies to keep your hotel as safe as possible, even from the spirited advance of the Delta variant.
Keep People in the Loop
How you take care of your customers during these trying times will play a central role in your hotel’s success in attracting people in. In such an “emotionally charged” scenario where people’s fears are at their highest, being able to calm and address those fears is vital.
And that emotional attachment starts with communications which should strengthen your brand in the process. Research shows it is vital you take seriously your communication methodology to make such attachment happen.
While you may want to banner your hotel’s well-laid-out plans in your premises on how to contain the virus for your guests, take note that guest experiences are made long before checking in. Hotel guests, for one, research hotels and get in touch online before they actually book a reservation.
Thus, it’s paramount you deploy technology to spell out your hotel’s protocols against the virus and corner your fair share of the market in the process. Take note that customers now prefer using an app over sending an email.
Make sure then that when guests research your hotel online, they hear the message of being taken care of. A good example here is room2, the hometel brand. The brand made sure its website and social media platforms offer a wealth of data showing key health protocols.
Introduce Tech-savvy Accommodation
Right from the get-go, keeping up with technology can go a long way in people choosing your hotel over the competition. That’s because you need to inform hotel guests of the latest updates. So, ensuring you maintain your social media presence in this regard is vital.
Moreover, guests would prefer a more flexible booking policy that allows them to cancel a booking even at short notice should local mandates on the virus change, or should any health concern comes up. Plus, they want to be able to do things with as little contact as possible. Certainly, a contact-less check-in, room service, room entry would be most appreciated.
This is where IoT can lend you a hand. Google Home and Alexa, for instance, can offer you better ways to control the temperatures and other smart devices (TV, charger). Also, sensors should be able to replace handles, buttons and other traditional means to operate devices and enter rooms.
Keep a Clean Slate
Despite all the to and fro in the local scene, you should factor in CDC guidelines in your hotel protocols. At the very least, that means wearing masks.
Regular deep-cleaning is not only good branding, it’s a must. So ensure you take care of the upholstery and the carpets. That should also include public washrooms, elevator buttons, and other high-touch surfaces.
Plus, make sure you put on display clean linens everywhere you need them (dining, bedroom). They should be spotless. If you’re short on manpower, getting fresh linen from reliable linen rental companies should be wise. With superior cleaning tools, these services can provide you with what you need in a jiffy.
Free the Air
Also, it’s important that you look into your HVAC. There’s a host of negative publicity about air-conditioned rooms and the spread of the virus. Make sure you counter that by having your room-temperature controls thoroughly checked. Air filtration levels should be top of mind.
It’s paramount you take things a step further to give your hotel brand a head start. Mobile air purifiers can do the trick in this regard. You can have them positioned to ensure air purity at local levels.
It’s a tall order. But it just shows you’re taking care of your customers more than the competition. You should reap the rewards in time.