As countries begin to slowly relax their COVID-19 policies and allow businesses to finally reopen, tourism is finally starting to come back. So far a few countries have lifted restrictions, while others require a COVID-19 test to either be presented or taken upon arrival, in order to avoid a 14-day quarantine. This is a sign that there is hope, and we will travel again. While we see an increasing number of businesses opening and many people returning to work, I thought it would be interesting to look at the future of hotels.
On June 1, 2020, I visited one of the hotels in Niagara Falls, Canada, in order to see what the hotel industry has done so far. Some of the hotels are open, while others are closed. The open ones are operating on around 10-20% occupancy. During the lockdown, many hotels have added social distancing measures in order to prevent guests from contracting the virus while staying at the hotels. In the end, we will all travel again.
Here are some changes that I have noticed so far:
Check-in process
Option to check-in online
Many hotels have the option of checking in online ahead of time. Guests can download the hotel app on their mobile device, and obtain a digital guestroom key after choosing their room. Although not as popular as with airlines, this option does exist and works the same way. When you check-in online for your flight, you can select your seat and obtain a mobile boarding pass, which helps save a tree by not printing your boarding pass. Many hotels, especially the higher-class ones, are adding the option of checking in online in order for guests to keep a safe distance and reduce surface contact. I stayed at a Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Toronto in early January 2020, and I used the online check-in process. It was very convenient to select my room ahead of time, and I got a room on a high floor.
For some hotels, especially the lower-class and budget-friendly ones, it is not that easy. In order to offer this service, the hotel would need to change the entire key system, because at the moment, it is a swipe-through system where a card must be swiped in order to open the door. In this case, the travelers would need to be present at the check-in desk and have a physical key card. However, it is said that many hotels will try adapting to the new online check-in system.
At the hotel
Hotels are installing plexiglass shields at the front desk, in order to keep a safe distance between the check-in staff and the guests. Likewise, hand sanitizers are now present at the front desk. It is strongly recommended that travelers use the hand sanitizer upon entering the hotel.
Just like grocery stores have added floor decals to show spacing requirements for social distancing, hotels have done the same.
Team Members
Hotels are now instituting wellness screening protocols for all employees. Prior to the start of their shift, they must undergo a contactless temperature check.
Facilities
Hand sanitizers have been installed in elevators as well. Since guests must touch the buttons to call the elevators, it is recommended for them to sanitize their hands while on the elevator as well.
Prior to the opening of restaurants (in countries that have not allowed it yet), the hotel restaurants remain closed.
For hotels that offer breakfast, a full breakfast buffet may be out of the question. Some will convert to a continental breakfast, serving breakfast sandwiches, coffee and juice, while others will need to offer a breakfast menu to be served by servers.
Check-out
There are quite a few options for check-out, and they vary by hotel. Some hotels offer check-out over the television, where guests can view their bill on the TV, agree to any incidentals to be charged on the credit card they provided upon check-in, and simply click “check-out”. This is a good way of minimizing contact with staff.
For guests who prefer to pay with a different method of payment than the credit card on file, or prefer checking out at the front desk, this option will still be possible. In this case, the front desk will collect the key card, in order to reuse it. Hotels are now adding a key drop box at the front desk. Instead of handing the card to a front desk agent, guests must drop the key in the key drop box. The key card is then sanitized, along with the box, before it is reused for another guest.
This article was written in June 2020, so the more countries open and new procedures are observed, this article will be updated accordingly.