Before booking a room, it is important for you to know the guidelines and safety protocols that hotel follows (Photo: Reuters)Travelling during a pandemic may not be the best decision you could make at this time. And we are not even suggesting you one. The pandemic is anything but over, so maximum safety precautions need to be taken by anyone who is planning to travel. Cities have started opening up gradually– but with precautions owing to the daily losses (business and livelihood) due to the pandemic. While the hospitality sector industry is striving its best to offer maximum safety, the risks of the contracting virus still remain at peak. So, it is imperative for travellers to keep in mind the new normal and take additional precautions, if need be, to minimise the risk of catching infection while on travel. An online travel company has come up with a few suggestions for travelers to keep in mind before booking or while staying at a hotel. Check out in detail.
Things to keep in mind before check-ins
Before booking a room, it is important for you to know the guidelines and safety protocols that hotel follows. Check whether the safety guidelines/ protocols of the hotel (proper sanitisation, cleanliness) is as per the government’s guidelines or not. Checking whether the hotel accepts cashless payments and provides other contactless services should also be the top priority in order to ensure safety precautions taken by the hotel. You can also check with the hotel’s occupancy rate as fewer guests would mean less chances of catching COVID.
Sanitise, sanitise, sanitise!
There is no doubt that hotels are efficiently sanitising and cleaning rooms between guests, it would still not be a bad idea to do a quick cleaning session yourself especially on high-touch points such as doorknobs, light switches, TV remotes and other surfaces. Use disinfectant wipes or carry a travel spray to ensure maximum safety. When it comes to housekeeping, it would be better to avoid excess housekeeping needs especially at this time.
Use stairs!
Try to use stairs and not elevators since many people use it in the hotel to ensure maximum safety. Such compacted space could heighten your chance of catching infection (COVID). So if your health permits, go with the stairs.
Also, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go for ground floor rooms to minimise contact with elevators. It is also advisable to not use shared hotel facilities (spa, gym and others) as the chances of virus spreading are very high in these activities. Better would be to take a walk, or request for a spacious room where you could hit workout. That way, you won’t miss a workout and will be safe as well.
Keep the windows open
WHO (World Health Organization) suggests that the windows should be kept open to allow for the fresh air and that proper ventilation must be ensured as the risk of airborne transmission is relatively higher in indoor spaces with packed spaces. Guests must look for hotels that allow them to open windows or check if they have a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in their rooms. One can also use a table fan as it brings in more outdoor air and proves effective if used near a window.
Avoiding food buffets/ public places
Avoiding food buffets during travel could be the hardest decision one has to make; afterall who wants to miss meals in great hotels? But going by the current situation, it is advisable to avoid food buffets at in-house restaurants. The risk of physical contact with other guests is very high during buffets. So a better way is to order food directly in your room to ensure safety and avoid the risk of contracting viruses.
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