Wondering how hotels will pad up to face the customer after they are ready to travel again? Hotels are already putting in protocols and setting up new standards to ensure that they are prepared. Hence, customers are confident to come back to them in the post lockdown era whenever travel starts again.

Hilton Hotels’ CleanStay Initiative

Hilton has announced a new programme to deliver a new standard of cleanliness and disinfection in Hilton properties around the world, which it expects to roll out by June 2020 globally. For this, Hilton will collaborate with RB, maker of Lysol and Dettol to develop elevated processes and team member training to help Hilton guests enjoy a cleaner and safer stay from check-in to check-out.

Hilton CleanStay was developed to meet evolving consumer expectations during the CoVid-19 pandemic. Research indicated that consumers had heightened concerns regarding hygiene, and trust in cleanliness standards will be critical to restarting travel. RB will bring in experts to this multi-year partnership. Both of them are exploring the ability to expand this partnership globally. For now, at least in North America, Hilton will cobrand these new safety standards with RB, calling the programme, Hilton CleanStay with Lysol protection.

What’s changing at Hilton Hotels?

While full details for the program are still in development and expected to be announced soon, here is how the various touchpoints inside a room may be covered.

 

The complete hotel brand standards under consideration include:

• Hilton CleanStay Room Seal: Add an extra measure of assurance by placing a room seal on doors to indicate to guests that their room has not been accessed since being thoroughly cleaned.
• 10 High-Touch, Deep Clean Areas: Extra disinfection of the most frequently touched guests room areas – light switches, door handles, TV remotes, thermostats and more.
• De-clutter Paper Amenities: Remove pen, paper and guest directory; supplement with digital or available upon request.
• Focus on Fitness Centers: Improved guidelines for disinfecting the hotel Fitness Center, possibly closing for cleaning multiple times daily and limiting the number of guests allowed in at one time.
• Clean and Clean Again: Increase the frequency of cleaning public areas.
• Guest-Accessible Disinfecting Wipes: Provide stations at primary entrances and critical high traffic areas, for instance, a station to allow guests to wipe the elevator button before pressing.
• Contactless Check-In: Hilton will double-down on its Digital Key technology for guests who desire to have a contactless arrival experience. Guests can check-in, choose their room, access their room with a digital room key and check-out using their mobile devices through the Hilton Honors mobile app at participating hotels. Hilton will continue to expand its Digital Key capabilities to common doors and access points throughout the hotels.
• Innovative Disinfection Technologies: Hilton is exploring the addition of new technologies, like electrostatic sprayers – which use an electrostatically charged disinfecting mist – and ultraviolet light to sanitize surfaces and objects.

Bottomline

I don’t know how long will the effect of CoVid-19 overshadow our travel, but one thing is for sure, travel companies will change and adapt to a post-CoVid-19 era to ensure they continue to stay in business. To this effect, Hilton looks like it is working in the right direction. Although, one must remind them that such standards should also be enforced rigorously to ensure that no one gets too complacent in the coming days with hotel cleaning. Otherwise, it is just a talking point on a slide or a marketing effort.

What do you make of Hilton’s efforts and what do you think should change for hotels to stay relevant in the future times?

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