by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:22 AM ET, Fri July 17, 2020
To help reassure travelers during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released the "Safe Stay Guest Checklist" to standardize the safety experience nationwide.
The new checklist is part of the AHLA's larger set of health and safety protocols designed to provide a safe and clean environment for all hotel guests and employees.
The updated guidelines include requiring face coverings in indoor public spaces, social distancing practices in common areas, an emphasis on contactless options where available, intensified room cleanings and more.
"The top priority for the hotel industry is the health and safety of guests and employees," AHLA President Chip Rogers said. "Utilizing these best practices, including requiring face coverings and practicing social distancing in public spaces, will create an even safer environment for all our guests and employees."
"As an industry, we want every guest to experience a clean and safe hotel no matter where they stay," Rogers continued. "We applaud governors who have standardized the use of face coverings in all indoor public spaces and we urge all lawmakers to help make this a national standard by implementing this requirement in their states. These preventative measures make it safer and easier for Americans to travel while also supporting hotel and tourism employees."
To further expand the hotel industry's Safe Stay initiative, the AHLA also recently launched COVID-19 Precautions for Hotels. The online course was developed in partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) and designed to help hotels train their staffs on the enhanced safety and cleanliness protocols.
"We all must play a role in slowing the spread of COVID-19, and encouraging the adoption of these guidelines is an important and meaningful step for us to take together," Wyndham Hotels CEO Geoff Ballotti said. "This easy-to-follow checklist can help protect our guests, team members, and franchisees, as well as the countless communities in which we operate."
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