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.