Hotels has seen minimal to no footfalls during the lockdown and several converted into medical facilities. This shift in business model made it imperative for them to maintain and monitor their indoor air quality (IAQ).
Guests now seek an assurance from hotels that their health is a top priority in addition to a superlative stay. This is why hoteliers need to invest in improving IAQ indoor quality, because this could also result in for the wellbeing of their guests and their staff. After all, odour from kitchens, toilets, pollutants released by paints and surface coatings, pollens, and dust from linen in a hotel could affect the hotel staff as well as directly affecting customer experience.
Exposure to poor IAQ can cause people to experience a range of adverse health issues. These can manifest as skin and eye irritation, hypersensitivity to smells, allergies, nausea, headaches, and respiratory issues. It can also affect the quality of their sleep.
These factors can impact overall guest experience and employee productivity, leading to revenue loss. Hence, it is imperative that hoteliers to fix the root cause of the problem by taking proper measures to improve IAQ. Here are some dos and dont’s they can follow, especially in the post-COVID era, when health has gained lots of significance:
THE DOS
• Getting proper ventilation systems
Hotels should use sensors for continuous air quality monitoring since it helps reduce air pollution. High levels of pollution in indoor air can be better dealt with by ramping up the ventilation rate. Besides filters, natural ventilation can eliminate pollutants in the air. Moreover, it can replace stale air with fresh outdoor air, which has tremendous passive benefit.
• Installing air filters
In addition to improving their ventilation systems, hotels can use high-efficiency air filters and Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) systems to destroy the DNA and RNA of viruses. The high density activated carbon filters of these machines not only improves the IAQ but are is also effective against strong and pungent smells, which can ruin a visitor’s experience.
• Regular sanitisation
Using upgraded technologies for IAQ management is mandatory for hotels. They can install thermal screening and maintain proper hygiene at the entrance by admitting only asymptomatic guests and staff into the premises. Moreover, they should ensure that everyone wears masks all the time and follow essential COVID-19 guidelines diligently.
• Social distancing
Currentlyly, most hotels have low occupancy, either to adhere to state government guidelines or because customers are hesitant to travel and stay in properties. While this might not be an optimal business situation, during the pandemic it gives them the opportunity to maintain appropriate social distancing and also improve IAQ. They should uphold proper crowd management in common area like hotel lobbies, restaurants and recreational areas.
• Air purifying plants
In addition to extending an aesthetic beauty to hotel rooms, lobbies, recreational areas, and restaurants, plants can also help with improving IAQ. They help in eliminating harmful chemicals from the air like benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde. Some varieties like dragon tree, lady palm, English ivy, and spider plant are known to improve oxygen circulation indoors.
THE DON’TS
• Ignoring humidity levelsÂ
While humidity in indoor air is not a pollutant, it has a negative impact on the quality of the air one inhales. High moisture levels in the air serves as transporters for dust particles, mold, bacteria and viruses. Thus, it is crucial to ensure optimal humidity levels in indoor air alongside maintaining a proper vent for air circulation and cleaning.Â
According to the guidelines issued by the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE), released on April 2020, a relative humidity level of 40%~70% is considered to be suitable environment. This also decreases the problems of pathogens.
• Centralised air conditioning systems
Allowing stale indoor air to recirculate through every hotel room poses a significant risk of spreading viruses and bacteria. Airconditioning in hotel rooms must either be switched off or installed with proper disinfectant mechanisms. The large HVAC systems in hotels should be augmented with localised air filters to prevent the spread of virus, COVID-19 and otherwise.
• Allowing large gatherings
Once the economy reopens, restrictions on large gatherings will still have to be imposed in terms of room occupancy and patrons in F&B outlets. This will help in proper air exchange without spreading viruses and bacteria. Hotels could rearrange their setups to ensure social distancing and reduce the frequency of touching common points to limit the infection.
• Use of cigarettes and toxic cleaning products
A major don’t, post the pandemic, is permitting smoking in guestrooms. To enhance IAQ, hotels must also avoid using toxic cleaning products that release harmful chemicals into the air. Toxins from cigarette smoke and chemicals deteriorate the air quality, causing problems in breathing and affecting the respiratory tracts of guests and staff.
Of course, these are indicative suggestions. A building-specific assessment is warranted to identify and prioritise which recommendations to implement.
Even in the post-COVID era, guests will be concerned about their wellbeing,e especially while travelling or staying at hotels. Hoteliers need to be more responsible about maintaining hygiene and embedding stringent cleanliness standards to prevent their properties from being a hotspot for the virus.
A proactive approach rather than a reactive one is a better solution to ensure an upward wellness graph and boost their revenue. A ‘little too late’ approach, on the other hand, can prove to be costly for hotel owners, and they could very well lose their reputation, employee loyalty, and also end up dealing in legal liability.
