Health and Cleaning Initiatives Take Off

NATIONAL REPORT—Companies are continuing to roll out their health and safety plans to help guests feel confident in their stays. Here’s a look:

Hilton CleanStay Launches Next Week
Hilton will begin a worldwide rollout of its new program, announced in April, to deliver an industry-defining standard of cleanliness and disinfection to Hilton properties. Hilton CleanStay, created in collaboration with Lysol and Dettol maker RB and Mayo Clinic, includes new procedures to help Hilton guests enjoy an even cleaner and safer stay starting this summer.

Hilton and RB have expanded this partnership to support the global portfolio of hotels and the trusted RB family of products will be used in multiple markets around the world.

Hilton guests can expect to begin seeing changes in some hotels around the world starting next week, with Hilton CleanStay implemented across Hilton’s 18 brands by mid-July.

Since the initial announcement of the partnership, RB has worked with Hilton to deploy plans for global execution of Hilton CleanStay. In the U.S. and Canada, the program will be implemented using Lysol products and the program will be referred to as Hilton CleanStay with Lysol protection. While Lysol and Dettol will be the most prominently used products in countries where Hilton has properties, other RB brands will also be used, including Sagrotan in Germany and Napisan in Italy.

Throughout the development of Hilton CleanStay, Mayo Clinic has offered its medical expertise to advise Hilton on training methods, cleaning protocols and quality assurance. Additionally, Mayo Clinic has advised on new technologies and methods from the healthcare industry that can benefit the cleanliness and disinfection programs at Hilton hotels.

Sage Hospitality Introduces Sage Forward
Sage Hospitality Group has launched Sage Forward, a 360-degree approach to modifying its way of doing business within the company’s portfolio of hotels and restaurants with the purpose of building guest and associate trust while continuing to create places that people go to, not through.

Sage Forward currently encompasses two key initiatives: Sage Clean Focus and Sage Experience Focus.

Sage Clean Focus is a comprehensive, straightforward set of enhanced guest and associate safety, sanitation and operational guidelines that incorporate requirements, recommendations and best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), National Restaurant Association, state/local/federal governments and all major hotel brands. Protocols range from the use of personal protective equipment and the installation of hand-sanitizer stations in all public spaces, to how to properly set meeting facilities to stay within social-distancing guidelines. The thorough sanitation process for guestrooms and public spaces is explained, as is the protocol on how to respond should a guest or associate test positive for COVID-19.

The program also includes training and support for Sage associates as they learn to safely and confidently provide excellent guest service in a rapidly changing environment.

These protocols and guidelines will evolve as the recommendations from brands and other organizations dictate but will always be focused on ensuring that guests and associates are comfortable and safe in Sage’s businesses.

As guests’ needs and expectations evolve, so too will the ways in which Sage delivers experiential hospitality. Under Sage Experience Focus initiative, teams will evaluate guest touchpoints to determine how the company can offer an extended range of services, programming and activations to meet every comfort level while ensuring guest and associate trust and safety. Sage’s intention is to continue to evaluate and evolve these offerings on an ongoing basis throughout the pandemic and beyond.

Highgate Implements Be Well. Stay Well
Highgate has introduced its new safety and cleanliness program to combat the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses.

The program elements include the following:

  • Keeping our Distance. Social-distancing measures have been implemented in all public, event and back-of-house areas of the hotel.
  • Sanitizer Stations Throughout. Touchless hand-sanitizer stations have been placed throughout all public, event and back-of-house areas of the hotel.
  • Enhanced and More Frequent Cleaning. EPA-rated hospital-grade disinfectants will be standard protocol and used in guestrooms and to clean public, event and back-of-house areas.
  • Personal Protection Equipment Required. All hotel associates are required to wear face masks and gloves. Guests are encouraged to do so as well.
  • In-room Safety Kits Provided. Upon arrival, each room will include a sealed safety kit containing a face mask, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.
  • Your Room is Your Room. No hotel personnel will enter a guest’s room during their stay without permission.
  • Training and Education. Regular training is provided to hotel associates highlighting the latest safety and cleanliness guidance.