Hospitality association provides guidance for safe reintegration

Hospitality association provides guidance for safe reintegration
Amway Grand Hotel <strong> Courtesy <a href='https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10153981013833641&set=a.10150648404968641' target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook.com</a> </strong>

The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association published a guide to help hoteliers navigate lodging reintegration.

The 22-page booklet, A Safe Welcome Back, outlines health and safety guidelines, recommended operational and safety protocols for guests and employees, and tips for building consumer confidence.

“As we head into a Pure Michigan summer, our hotels, resorts and convention centers find themselves in the precarious position of potentially sacrificing billions of dollars of previously booked weddings, parties and conventions as a direct result of existing orders limiting gatherings to 10 people in most of the state,” said Justin Winslow, president and CEO of the MRLA. “Through our A Safe Welcome Back guidance, we believe these struggling businesses have the guidance they need to operate their facilities safely and should be immediately afforded the same opportunity as restaurants to provide socially distanced foodservice and safe gatherings at increased and realistic capacities.”

There are six categories in the guide that collectively address all aspects of  house lodging operations:

  • Develop a COVID-19 response team
  • Employee health
  • Personal protection equipment
  • Guest health
  • Housekeeping
  • Attention to the guest
  • Meetings and events
  • Amenities
  • Verifying third parties

A Safe Welcome Back includes suggestions for communicating safety measures to guests, including welcome signs encouraging stays by healthy visitors only and placing a “clean for you” sticker sealing guest room doors for incoming reservations.

The booklet also details recommended procedures such as touchless payment, contactless room drop of linens and placing touchless hand sanitizers at check-in and elevators.

Some of those guidelines are practices that are supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, National Restaurant Association, American Hotel and Lodging Association, as well as insight from Gov. Whitmer’s executive orders and the Michigan Economic Recovery Council.

“A Safe Welcome Back combines guidance for hoteliers with new state and federal regulations, as well as recommendations for ensuring guest and employee safety,” Winslow said. “We are here to deliver the best resources to the lodging industry and are eager for hotels to return as a home-away-from-home for vacation and business travel.”

According to data in late March from the American Hotel and Lodging Association, 37,948 direct hotel-related jobs were lost due to the pandemic. In that same time, 45% of the 193,432 hotel industry employees in Michigan were already furloughed or projected to lose their jobs.

As of June 3, nearly 6 out of 10 hotel rooms were empty across the country.

To view the booklet, visit mrla.org/open.