World’s Finest Meetings Will Require Hotels To Provide Their Health And Safety Policies As Part Of Our RFP Process.
In 2020 our world changed forever. For the hospitality meeting planner hoteliers will be required to meet and reach new levels of standards, excellence and best practices regarding their guests health and safety.
In the site selection process WFM will insist that all hoteliers in the US and Internationally provide us a copy of their new health and safety guidelines. We will be specifically examining:
New cleaning implementation relating to outside grounds, all property common areas, meeting space, function space, spa, gym, and guest rooms.
Housekeeping:
What new guidelines is the property implementing in its cleaning procedure?
Guest room:
Furniture, bathrooms, mirrors, carpets, remote controls, door knobs, handles, etc must be cleaned using special designated products outlined by the CDC and State and Federal guidelines. Bed sheets, linens, scarfs, drapes will need to be cleaned using these products and bed spreads will need to be washed more frequently than before. All housekeeping staff need to wear gloves. We recommend hotels should provide guests in-room cards that outline a cleaning check list of what specific tasks are done before a room is released into their inventory. With the new cleaning changes hoteliers should plan to add more housekeepers to their staff since to clean rooms with the new requirements will add to cleaning time. We also hope hoteliers provide their housekeeping staff the proper supplies and equipment to keep them safe as well.
Hotel Physical Changes:
Many guidelines have suggested additional signage encouraging staff and guests to wash hands frequently at least 20 seconds be posted throughout properties in common areas and employee behind the house work areas. – Check-In areas should be frequently cleaned including pens, room keys, etc. Hotels should transition to offering guests “Smart” mobile check in options and technology that allows phones to be used for room keys when possible. – All hotels should have “hand stations” throughout common areas and meeting space that guests can use to clean their hands. Spas and gyms should also post check lists for guests to learn how these areas are safe guarded and cleaned.
Spotless Records:
Hotels should keep records of guests and employees for up to 90 days who have been staying at their property should they be asked to “trace” individuals that may become infected.
Food & Beverage:
It will be interesting to see how properties adapt to new health regulations and common sense practices that will assure hotel guests are safe with regards to food and beverage service. How will they handle the popular Sunday Brunches, group eating functions, breaks, room service, etc? Let’s break it down with some common sense thoughts. Sunday Brunch /Group Functions: For the most part the buffet approach may be a thing of the past similar to meeting a plane directly at a gate due to 9/11. Sneeze guards and a stationed server may become the norm. For normal dining every item from butter to rolls may again be provided by request and given to you by your server individually. Shared baskets of items may be a thing of the past. Convention AM/PM breaks that are normally self serve may experience some innovation and tweaking. WFM will ask of our hotel partners these questions.
Room Service:
Properties will be smart to completely revamp how they structure this service. We believe many of their leisure and business clients will want to “dine in” for some of their meals and avoid crowds. Menu’s should be restructured to feature main popular dishes from each of their restaurants. Servers should wear gloves and follow local and State/County health requirements. Hotels that ramp up staffing, menu selection, and equipment will indeed see heightened profits and guest satisfaction for a new revitalized Room Service experience.
Hotel Website:
The Covid 19 information or lack of on a hotel website will give you a clue to how seriously a hotel or resort property is responding to this or other future pandemic’s or other world health concerns now and in the future. A section about this topic should be on a properties “Home” page. Those properties that are transparent and list all the ways it is insuring their guests a clean and safe environment will go a long way to boost their occupancy and guest confidence. Being a Four or Five Star property in itself will not be enough with regards to how World’s Finest Meetings evaluates a perspective hotel for our clients. Lack of transparency or policy will not win our interest or attention. Ahead of all else “Guests Health and Safety” is the number 1 priority in choosing a WFM property for our clients. Luxury, guest rooms, meeting space, location, spa, golf, restaurants, rate, awards points, etc, will take a back seat.
The Wynn Las Vegas has installed Thermal Cameras that can in a non-invasive way monitor their guests temps. That, is thinking out of the box. The Wynn gets our vote in exemplary research and execution in establishing their code of standards to combat Covid19 and other threats. When sourcing Las Vegas for our future clients, The Wynn Las Vegas will be at the top of our list. BRAVO Executive Team. View their standards, https://www.8newsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/2020/04/Wynn-Health-Plan.pdf
Hotel Group Contracts:
World’s Finest Meetings will continue to represent our hotel clients best interest and monitor the hospitality business climate in the United States and Internationally. We will revise and create new policies and demands as circumstances warrant and recommend them to our clients. We will demand assurances that our hotel group contracts protect the safety, health, and well being of our attendees and when needed adopt and revise Force Majeure, attrition and cancellation policies that reflect any health, risk, or travel concerns that may materialize.
We ALL will never be the same due to this pandemic however our common goal is being kinder, wiser, and alert towards each other’s safety and well being.