As South Africa slowly moves towards Level 2 of the nationwide lockdown, more services will begin to open up to the public, but not without a few vital changes to the way operations are run.
One of the most anticipated business sectors to reopen will be accommodation, especially the hotel industry. As it stands under Level 3 regulations, business offering accommodation such as B&Bs and hotels are allowed to accept customers who are travelling for business purposes only.
Official guidelines have yet to be announced regarding the reopening of hotels and B&Bs for leisure travelers, but based on the rest of the world, holidaying as we know it will change forever.
The most prominent changes to take place in the hospitality industry revolve around hygiene practices. Aside from hotel staff constantly sanitising areas which are frequently visited by guests, hotel chains could install markers on floors to remind people to keep their distance from one another, similar to how social distancing is promoted in airports. Hotels could also be required to offer masks and hand sanitiser to guests when they check in.
The California Hotel and Lodging Association has developed a 34-point checklist to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The checklist includes regulations like using the hottest water possible to wash linen, eliminating valet parking services, and the option to leave rooms vacant for 24-72 hours after a guest has left. Hotel chains that abide by this checklist will receive a window decal assuring customers that the property meets the group’s ‘Clean + Safe’ standards.
Whether the South African hospitality will also make use of such a comprehensive checklist remains to be seen, but it could go along away in assuring guests that the hotel they choose to stay at is indeed well-kept and hygienic.
Guests could also be saying goodbye to amenities like gym facilities and the beloved breakfast buffet. This is because these activities in particular don’t abide by social distancing standards, and therefore would be virtually impossible to govern, especially in a confined spaces like hotels.
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