The pandemic has changed many facets of our life over the past few months. As places look to start reopening, hotels and other travel providers are making some big changes in order to keep travelers safe and less stressed about our sleeping arrangements. We found a few important hotel secrets, both near and far away from you.
Social Distancing
Social distancing will not be going anywhere in the near future. Staying six feet apart has become a way of life now. It’s no surprise that hotels are looking to implement these new norms as well., For example, they’re looking into removing long lines in the lobby, and so some hotels are implementing mobile check-in and mobile keyless entry.
Cleanliness
Hotels have a lot of people come and go every day. Hotels, and businesses in general, need to focus on keeping everything and disinfected, not just for their customers, but their employees as well.
There are many ways that hotels are keeping everyone safe. In restaurants, for example, chairs and tables will now get cleaned periodically and not just after customers have used them. In some hotels, utensils will now be safely wrapped to avoid cross-contamination. Guests might even be setting their own tables soon. Setting up our own place settings might finally remind us which fork to use first.
Future of Buffets
Many hotels fear that with the cleanliness changes, the ever-popular buffet may be on its way out. After all, lots of people being in close proximity and using the same utensils goes against everything we’ve learned over the last few months. Other hotels and buffet providers may be staffed by people who will do the serving for you.
Health Checks
Hotels are bringing in technology that allows guests to be checked for sickness while on site. While this might sound invasive, these hotels are thinking of everyone’s safety. For example, guests might have their temperature checked when they arrive at the hotel. Hand sanitation stations have already been added all over hotel lobbies and even the hallways leading to guest rooms. And some airlines have begun using UVC lights to help with disinfecting, will we see hotels adopt this measure as well?
Changes in Rooms
Perhaps the change you are most likely to notice is how hotels are changing guest rooms. Extra pillows and miscellaneous surfaces that might get contaminated are being eliminated. The way rooms are even set up might drastically change in the future. The industry is taking a hard look at current systems and how they can be changed for the sake of their travelers’ health.
What changes have you noticed when you visited a hotel? Did we miss any hotel secrets or perhaps some noticeable alteration when you enjoyed your most recent stay? Share your findings with us on our Facebook page, or on our Twitter stream. You can also find us on our Instagram page at @TravelproIntl.
Photo credit: William Warby (Wikimedia Commons/Flickr, Creative Commons 2.0)