Having served the industry and travel consumers for over 82 years, the distinguished AAA Diamond Program is taking steps to enhance its housekeeping assessment standards and methods in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To meet the evolving expectations of today's travelers, AAA has just announced the upcoming addition of a new process, called the 'Inspected Clean Enhancement', which will definitively, scientifically evaluate the cleanliness of common surfaces throughout hotel properties.
According to AAA's research, 76 percent of today's consumers would be disappointed if there were no third-party inspection process to validate that high-touch areas in their hotel are properly sanitized.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on travelers' expectations for cleanliness. That's more important than ever as more people get the COVID-19 vaccine and start traveling once again," said Paula Twidale, senior vice president, AAA Travel. "All AAA Diamond-designated hotels must meet our established standards of cleanliness and physical condition. With the new addition of surface cleanliness testing, these properties will now also be recognized as Inspected Clean."
Hotels that meet AAA's standards for condition, cleanliness and surface-sanitization testing will now receive this new recognition as 'Inspected Clean', in addition to earning a Diamond designated (Approved, Three Diamond, Four Diamond or Five Diamond), based upon the caliber of their amenities and services.
The Inspected Clean criteria rely on an entirely objective sanitation evaluation method, which verifies sanitation by detecting adenosine triphosphate (ATP), an energy-carrying molecule found in all living cells, including human skin cells, bacteria, yeast, mold and biological material contained in respiratory droplets.
While it can't directly identify viruses like COVID-19, this method can confirm whether surfaces have been sanitized to the proper standards. ATP monitoring is a process recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and is currently used in healthcare, food service, education and other settings requiring effective sanitation-monitoring programs.
Performed on-site by a AAA Inspector in the course of an unannounced property inspection, the test is conducted by swabbing a surface, adding a sample to a vial containing a special chemical, then inserting the vial into a portable machine that's about the size of a large cell phone for analysis.
Inspectors will test eight surfaces found in guest rooms and bathrooms, a selection which may include guest room door handles, light switches, thermostat controls, desks or writing surfaces, television remotes, refrigerator handles, faucets and toilet handles, hairdryers and vanity surfaces.
"Travelers trust AAA for recommendations that keep their safety and security top-of-mind. The Inspected Clean enhancement to our Diamond Program will help give them extra peace of mind and rebuild their confidence in traveling," Twidale commented.
AAA Inspectors are set to start incorporating ATP-testing into their visits to identify Inspected Clean properties later this month. Until the organization has amassed a list of Inspected Clean hotels for consumers to reference, travelers can look for AAA's Best of Housekeeping badge for peace of mind regarding hotel cleanliness on their upcoming trips.
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