Two illustrative examples of measures beyond masks and social distancing employed throughout the hotel industry
Hotels were one of the hardest hit when the coronavirus pandemic broke out and tourism, along with travel, ground to a halt. That being said, hotels have also become some of the best examples of how venues can create and maintain safe spaces where people – guests and staff alike – can work and relax with peace of mind.
Just about any major hotel group has rolled out innovative health and safety protocols, covering everything from face mask usage to seating capacity limitations for dining venues and frequent sterilisation of public spaces. While that’s obviously good news, what’s even better is how there continues to be new developments and innovations being rolled out by hotels and resorts, whether it’s new standards, new mechanics or smart new ways to utilize existing features and know how.
On that note, there are two interesting examples of how hotels have elevated safety and health management at their properties, in this case from Thailand.
A secluded luxury villa estate on the island of Koh Samui, Samujana is among the earliest hospitality businesses to successfully respond to the challenges of traveling during the COVID-19 era. There are, of course, policies for temperature checks, mask and hand sanitizer use, and so on. But where Samujana really elevates things is in terms of social distancing, by utilizing the venue’s Portier Phones for enhanced contactless service.
In essence, the Portier Platform combines all printed materials, all property information, all staff engagement, all destination-related information, all telephony needs and more in a single place. This empowers hotels to remove physical inventory and concentrate everything within one digital platform. And since guests can even carry the Portier Phones off-property, Samujana’s staff can still offer their knowledge and expertise to help guests explore and remain safe.
Surrounded by lush tropical forests, offering spacious exclusive accommodations and boasting direct access to a 900 meters pristine sandy beach, Pimalai Resort and Spa is one of the finest venues in Koh Lanta, Thailand. To be exact, it is nestled in 100 acres of tropical jungle on the quiet southern tip of Koh Lanta, which already guarantees enhanced privacy and social distancing. On top of that, the resort has its own health and safety initiative called Pimalai Care.
Now, what’s interesting is that Pimalai Care includes a number of innovative and decisive steps. For one, Pimalai has initiated 24-hour vacancy periods between bookings to allow for a deep cleaning following hospital standards and ozone sterilization of guest rooms. The same methods are used for all public areas while in the kitchens, equipment is disinfected using electrical heat. There are also three sterilization tunnels – located at key strategic gates – to disinfect people and luggage in total safety through automatic spray nozzles. While this sounds like a lot of extra steps, it certainly goes a long way in assuring guests and staff that their safety are truly cared for.
