With the reopening of Sun International’s Table Bay hotel in Cape Town on 30 October, all of the group’s hotel properties are now open and join 1,200 global travel industry operators in 160 international destinations to have received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Safe Stamp of Approval for meeting global COVID-19 health and safety standards.
The hospitality and leisure giant has also received local endorsement for its hotels, casinos and restaurants from the Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA).
The Table Bay Hotel. Credit: Facebook/Sun International
Sheena O’Brien, Sun International’s Health and Safety Specialist said: ‘In some cases our health and safety protocols actually exceed international and local benchmarks, so we are confident that visitors to our properties will be safe. What the WTTC and TBCSA endorsements do, however, is offer visitors the assurance that our protocols have been properly assessed and approved by a globally recognised and respected tourism authority.’
Guests, staff, concessionaires and suppliers are all required to follow the same strict health and safety protocols, ‘There isn’t one set of protocols for guests and another for staff and suppliers. The risk is the same for all whether front of house or back of house, so the same protocols apply,’ said O’Brien.
On arrival, everyone is taken through compulsory access control protocols that include temperature and symptom screening to ensure they do not present any symptoms or have had any known exposure to Covid-19. Guests can opt to do an easy online self-assessment.
The golden rule is no mask, no entry. Masks can be removed when eating and drinking in restaurants, or in the privacy of rooms, but they have to be worn at all other times.
70% alcohol-based hand sanitisers are used across all Sun International properties either in the form of hand activated or foot activated devices. Where appropriate, wet wipes are also provided.
All frequently touched surfaces are disinfected regularly throughout the day although continual research is being done to identify new information and products which might be more resilient and longer-lasting.
The check-in service will be as contactless as possible. Where this is not possible, all touched objects such as pens, card machines and the counter are sanitised between use. Porters only handle luggage if specifically requested to do so and when they do, baggage handles are sanitised before carrying them.
All non-essential items such as scatter cushions, décor objects, magazines and flowers have been removed. In rooms, cushions, additional pillows and blankets have been removed and only necessary items remain (such as glasses, cups, spoons). These will be replaced between each guest’s stay or with clean items for longer-staying guests.
The turndown service has been discontinued in all hotels but can be requested for 5-star hotel properties. All linen will have been laundered – in the optimum temperature – and sealed in plastic beforehand. For long duration stays, the cleaning service will also be delayed by two to three days or will be done on request only.
Table cloths have been replaced with disposable placemats. Cutlery is now sealed and placed in individual envelopes while reusable glass will be used wherever possible. Breakfast and dinner buffets are either served in pre-packed individual portions – think individual pots, individual juices – or plated by an employee from behind a physical barrier and then handed to the customer. Beverage service will also be handled by our friendly staff.
After each guest checks out, rooms are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before being sealed for the next guest.
