Covid-19

Being able to demonstrate to guests and corporate buyers that your hotel meets best practice guidance on hygiene and health protection in the post-Covid-19 period will be very important once travel resumes. As the concern about recurring infectious diseases continues to increase, the demand for new standards will have long term implications for the hospitality industry going forward. Staff will be apprehensive to work in hotels, guests apprehensive to stay in hotels, and all will need reassurance regarding hygiene and health security standards.

The overall strategy of the COVID-19 Risk Management Audit is to provide confidence to guests that the hotel is following widely accepted best practice in taking all practicable steps to stop the virus entering the hotel, to limit any ability for a virus to spread within the hotel and has an Action Plan in the event of any suspicious health event, whilst delivering the best possible experience for guests.

Key to this strategy will be comprehensive plans for compliance with local government advice and regulation as well as internationally recognised best practice e.g. social distancing. Additionally, it will require enhanced hygiene procedures across all operations to reduce the risk of illness and prevent the spread of infection should an active COVID-19 case be identified. Robust control measures, monitoring systems and comprehensive staff training will be required, as will clear guidance for guests, suppliers, and all hotel visitors to ensure more stringent hygiene requirements are understood and complied with.

In the absence of consistent guidance, hotels are actively reviewing their existing hygiene and health protection processes to ensure effective standards at every point from arrival to departure, taking into account local circumstances. A standards framework against which any plans or protocols can be assessed and independently assured is required to give guests, corporates, and employees confidence that the plans are robust and externally assessed.

GSA and the UK regulated Awarding Organisation, are working to provide that additional assurance through independent certification which has international reach. 

Prevent

• Prevent COVID-19 entering the hotel by establishing a ‘health security perimeter’ around the hotel boundary
• Advance information for guests and staff about health entry requirements for the hotel
• Ensure staff are trained and monitored to a high standard

Respond

• Maintain a strict and proactive hygiene regime in all areas of the hotel which recognises that no prevention mechanism is infallible and that a continuous effort is required to ensure a hygienic environment within the ‘health security perimeter’
• Ensure effective implementation of local guidance/regulation (i.e. social distancing protocols etc.)
• Implement an effective incident management response to a suspected case within the ‘health security perimeter’

Assure

• Establish and maintain the policies, processes, and procedures to demonstrate to prospective users of the hotel (including guests, visitors, staff, and suppliers) that the environment is and remains safe
• Create communication and engagement processes which gain the co-operation of users of the hotel relating to any suspected event