Hotels, Airbnb beef up cleaning standards to calm travellers
Published:Monday | April 27, 2020 | 3:54 PM
Hotels and home-sharing companies are beefing up their cleaning efforts in order to soothe jittery travellers.
Hilton said Monday it’s teaming up with RB — which makes Lysol and Dettol disinfectants — and the Mayo Clinic to develop new cleaning procedures that will be in place by June.
The news follows Marriott’s announcement last week that it’s creating a cleanliness council to develop new standards. Marriott’s council includes infectious disease specialists and an expert from EcoLab, which makes commercial cleaning products.
Airbnb also said Monday that it’s developing cleaning protocols for its hosts with guidance from former US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy and EcoLab.
Airbnb said starting in May, guests will be able to see if a host commits to Airbnb’s new cleaning protocol, which includes requirements for cleaners to wear masks and use certain disinfectants.
As a precaution, hosts will also be required to observe a 24-hour waiting period before booking new guests in a property.
Hospitality companies have been hammered by the new coronavirus.
US hotel occupancy is at a historic low, and many hotels worldwide have closed temporarily and furloughed staff.
Airbnb has promised $250 million in reimbursements for hosts to help make up for lost business.
As restrictions ease, companies know they need to make guests feel safe.
“There’s always been an expectation that it would be clean, but now the clean has a double exclamation point after it,” said Phil Cordell, senior vice president and global head of new brand development at Hilton.
Hilton will require franchisees to adopt its new cleaning program, Cordell said.
The programme will roll out globally to all 6,100 Hilton hotels by the end of May.
Cordell said Hilton expects travellers to slowly start returning to its hotels in mid-summer.
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