Most hotels have introduced hygiene and cleanliness processes and policies. However, it is pertinent to ensure thorough adoption and consistent follow-through of these measures, be it disinfection of the back of house, regular handwashing by team members and use of hand sanitiser by guests.
Preetaya Guha, Executive Housekeeper JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu shared that Marriott International’s extensive Commitment to Clean program outlines a detailed set of processes to ensure safety and hygiene within all functions of the hotel. Its housekeeping team in charge of the hotel’s public areas carries out a thorough disinfection of all spaces including back offices on a daily basis, using HB Quat disinfectant in an electrostatic sprayer.
Guha stated that furthermore, all cleaning and disinfecting of areas is carried out using solutions recommended by Ecolab. JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu has also installed hand sanitizer stations at multiple touch-points for guests. She added that the hotel has a dedicated Cleanliness Champion to monitor the intricacies and ensure the thorough adoption of the Commitment to Clean program, which is something that other hotels need to embrace.
How do you also ensure that these hygiene measures are effective for staffers too, and enforce they follow it strictly since they are in a high-contact industry?
We tell our associates that they are on stage each day, and emphasize on the importance of the safety and hygiene protocols for their own well-being as well as that of our guests. We ensure that during the daily departmental meetings we inspect their personal protective equipment (masks, gloves and pocket sanitizer). During the course of the day, each one of us is vigilant on the floors as we believe everyone plays an imperative role in ensuring the safety and hygiene of our associates, guests and the hotel overall.
How can hoteliers assess whether the cleaning procedures they’ve adopted at the onset of the pandemic still serve their needs and their stakeholders’ needs?
Our guests share their experience with us via a digital feedback form which has a dedicated section for cleanliness, or even during personal interactions in the hotel. This helps us gain a better understanding of the effectiveness of our daily practices and make improvements wherever necessary.
How can hoteliers develop a cleaning plan based on the types of surfaces and high-touch areas within the property and educate cleaning teams on when, what and how to clean and disinfect them properly?
The cleaning plan is devised after studying the level of traffic of a space and usage of a surface in question. High touch-points like elevator buttons, door handles and house phones need to be disinfected every hour, whereas areas like lobby seating and restaurants are disinfected periodically through the day. Our cleaning team is trained and well-equipped with the resources to execute the thorough disinfection of these surfaces and spaces. An extensive hygiene checklist maintained by the representatives in charge of each area in the hotel helps us ensure an effective system overall.
