In May last year, ibis’ India team decided to start working with state governments and local healthcare teams to make its accommodation services available to those most in need. As the world came together to fight the pandemic, the brand began sheltering front-line healthcare professionals as well as travellers required to go into quarantine in addition to providing food and medical supplies to policemen on duty and feeding the needy.
Sylvain Laroche, Director of Operations, ibis and ibis Styles, India explained that this was a natural reaction to unprecedented times impacting the entire country. As a hospitality brand that prioritises the safety and wellbeing of its guests and employees, it wanted to do everything it could to support those who needed it. What was even more encouraging was that many local team members volunteered for these initiatives while maintaining strict safety and hygiene standards.
How did the suspension of international flights and imposition of lockdowns impact your business?
Since most of our hotels are located centrally, they had a large section of international guests coming in. The restriction on international travel severely impacted this segment. Nevertheless, India has a strong domestic base that was a key demand generator last year.
We hope this trend continues after the state-based lockdown restrictions are lifted. Like most businesses, hospitality was also recovering from the effects of the first wave when the second wave adversely hit us. There has been a significant drop in business and it will take some time to recover.
Before the second wave, ibis hotels had witnessed significant footfalls. With the pandemic leading to lockdowns in many states, we are servicing few long-staying guests in our hotels. We are optimistic that the nationwide vaccination drive would result in growth in booking soon.
What prompted your brand’s decision to accommodate repatriating travellers as well as frontline workers?
At Accor, welcoming, safeguarding, and caring for others is at the heart of what we do and who we are. This includes all aspects of guest well-being, health, safety and security. It has been heartwarming to our employees come together to support and display true hospitality during this time.
ibis was amongst the first hotel brands to support government authorities for accommodation services. We could manage this since all ibis hotels were awarded the ALLSAFE label, assuring stringent safety and sanitisation standards. Moreover, the Vande Bharat repatriation mission served as business continuity for our hotels during this time.
What kind of standard operating protocols (SOPs) did you implement in collaboration with local authorities?
All our hotels are working with state governments and medical teams to meet the stay requirements of guests. All necessary precautionary measures, from sanitisation to isolation, was undertaken for everyone’s safety. The hotel staff were given medical training and protective gear to ensure their safety and also that of the guests.
The ALLSAFE label awarded by Accor represents some of the most stringent cleaning standards and operational protocols. In order to receive the ALLSAFE label, all active team members had to attend specific training modules and implement the same in their daily shifts. This allowed us to verify and translate the requisite action, monitor the responses, assess the effectiveness, and highlight any discrepancy and inconsistency from the SOPs suggested by the state and central government.
How did you motivate your team for this initiative, given that there was a lot of fear about the infectious nature of the disease?
We ensured that our employees were well cared for and had a sense of belonging. We conducted regular town halls and kept various communication channels open so they could share their perspective, and also had the confidence that they were being heard. Moreover, we focused on training our employees and staff members to handle any kind of situation.
What were some of the major challenges that your hotels faced while operating as a quarantine centre?
Transforming a hotel into a quarantine centre is not simple. The people at the property need to adhere to various protocols with respect to hygiene measures and most importantly, stringent staff training. In this very challenging time, our hotels in different cities responded effectively to respective state governments, which gave us several opportunities of developing expertise with safety guidelines.
We also built great relations with medical institutions and district authorities gaining strong insights about safety and hygiene. Our hotel teams worked in tandem with government bodies to adhere to guidelines set by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as well as the WHO. Separate entry and exit routes were identified and dedicated floors were created for the safety of quarantine guests and hotel staff. Guests were instructed not to step out of their rooms; instead, they were asked to inform the management or on-premise doctors if they felt unwell.
Disposable plates and cutlery was used to serve food to guests.
Services like laundry and F&B were taken care of as per directives. Disposable plates and cutlery was used to serve food, which was delivered outside guest rooms. A separate room was allocated on these floors for disposal of protective equipment, eatables, and disposable plates – all treated as biomedical wastes.
The hotel staff was given medical training and protective gear to ensure their safety and also that of guests.
The staff, along with the help of the doctors and nurses present at the hotel premises, ensured all necessary measures were undertaken, from sanitisation to isolation. All waste materials from these rooms was disposed off as bio-medical waste ensuring due protocol.
A big issue was ensuring the comfort of our quarantine guests, since they were confined to their rooms. Our staff emerged as the biggest hero in helping us overcome this challenge and in continuing coming to work daily with a smile on their faces and eagerness to help more people.
How did you provide peace of mind to guests and healthcare workers staying across various properties?
Along with a sanitised and hygienic environment, our hotels provided guests a wide choice of in-room entertainment options. The teams also accommodated any requests that guests had. One of the most important things that add to a comfortable stay is a wholesome meal. At ibis, we provide customised meals to meet our guests’ needs and let them enjoy the warmth and richness of ibis’s delightful culinary expertise.
What are some top hospitality trends that will emerge in 2021?
Safety and sanitisation will be critical factors when people plan their travel. Understanding local trends, offering personalised services and experiences will become very important for hotels. The tourism and hospitality sector will see the pent-up demand boost growth as normalcy returns. People have put weddings and celebrations on hold, so we foresee that business segment bouncing back sooner.
Trends like slow travel, which allows one to experience a destination at a leisurely pace while appreciating the local heritage, are becoming the new norm. We are also witnessing the rise of the sensitive traveler, who respects his eco-system and seeks sustainable travel experiences.
How will your brands leverage these trends for business revival?
By offering alternate office space solutions for professionals to delivering food, ibis has worked to provide the best to guests. While Work@ibis provides efficient and functional solutions to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, most of our hotels have launched food delivery.’
Our aim is to cater to guest needs while ensuring their well-being and convenience. Along with this, we are also establishing cloud kitchen facilities in a few cities. Our hotels are now pet-friendly, giving guests an additional reason for pet parents to visit our hotels with their furry friends.
