How to stay safe at hotels while traveling during the pandemic?

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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought not only some businesses but several industries to their

knees. One of the industries that took the hardest blow is the hospitality industry. However, with

states relaxing restrictions and cities and borders opening gradually, the industry is regaining life.

Travel is experiencing a sharp peak with people making trips for both work and personal

purposes. People are researching and probing various destinations from the Australian Traveller

Magazine and other sources to find safe and enjoyable places to go.

While the industry is picking up again, the risk of the pandemic is not yet over. The effects are likely to carry over to the next couple of years, and it is imperative to ensure maximum safety for travelers and borders. It’s also made us more aware of other potential illnesses.

People are already adhering to the guidelines for vaccination and masking during their journeys.

However, it is equally important to ensure safety during your stay in a hotel. Here are a few

things you can do to minimize the risk of contracting both COVID-19 and other illnesses and enjoy your work or leisure trip to the fullest.

1.   Be diligent before checking in

Before you book a room, thoroughly check the regulations and guidelines the hotel

follows to prevent COVID contractions. It should be your top criteria to ensure that the

hotel sanitizes the rooms regularly, have the staff vaccinated and get them tested

regularly, and follow all other protocols defined by the government’s COVID-safety

guidelines.

Check the norms and guidelines the hotel follows to avoid COVID contractions before booking a room in California. It should be a major priority for you to guarantee that the hotel sanitizes the rooms on a regular basis, has the employees vaccinated and covid tested on a regular basis, and follows all other COVID-safety practices.

Enquire about the occupancy rate of the hotel to know how crowded it would be. Choose

a less populated hotel and allow cashless transactions and other contactless services.

Also, ask about their medical facilities and try to book a room that has not been allotted

for a few days.

2.  Limit housekeeping and sanitize your room regularly

Although the hotel staff will do the cleaning and sanitization between each guest, there is no harm in double checking  and doing a little cleaning yourself. You can use a travel spray and a regular wipe to sanitize frequently touched surfaces such as remote controls, doorknobs, taps, etc.

While you cannot completely deny housekeeping, try to limit it as much as possible. Ensure that the housekeepers sanitize their hands and clean other stuff before entering your room.

3.  Avoid places like spa, gym, or lift

WHO and governments across the globe are stressing social distancing for a reason. It

reduces your chance of getting the infection considerably. However, it is not possible to

maintain the prescribed distance always, especially in spaces that are tight, crowded, or

used by multiple people.

Areas like gyms, spas, lifts, etc. are prone to virus loads. It is recommended to avoid these places or minimize your time there to stay safe.

4.  Ensure proper ventilation in the room

WHO suggests that poorly ventilated indoor spaces have a greater viral load and increase

your chances of contracting the virus. You should look for hotels that allow opening

the windows and have properly ventilated rooms. This will maintain the fresh air flow,

reducing the risk of airborne transmission and enhancing your breathing.

5.  Skip buffet and other public interactions

Just like gyms and spas, the in-house buffet will also have a lot of people in your vicinity,

increasing your risk of infection. It is better to order food directly to your room to avoid

crowds and limit touching public surfaces. You can also order packaged food from

restaurants, ensuring safe cooking, packaging, and delivery.

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