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5 Steps to Prepare Your Hotel Housekeeping Team for 2021 and Beyond

The challenges the hospitality industry has faced in the wake of COVID-19 reminds us how critical the housekeeping department’s role is to a hotel’s overall success. The urgency to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has accelerated change in our industry, including the need for new hygiene and cleaning processes. Even before the virus, 78% of hotel guests believed cleanliness to be the most crucial factor affecting their choice of where to stay, with hotel cleaning protocols moving up to the #1 top-ranked category for travel with COVID-19. As guests expect the highest standards of sanitation to feel at ease in a hotel and once again return to travel, operators worldwide need to work with their housekeeping teams to better prepare for the impacts of these new realities. By using this time to further analyze housekeeping practices, hotel leaders have an opportunity to take advantage of advancing technologies to more accurately plan for operational shifts that, at the end of the day, influence bottom-line results. Here are a few ways hoteliers can prepare their housekeeping team for success in 2021. 1. Create a Structured Cleaning Program Using Industry Best PracticesTo earn guest confidence, hotels will have to demonstrate that they provide a clean and safe environment and are following specific disinfecting protocols. As part of this new dynamic, the ability to develop and implement proven strategies to meet these new cleanliness standards will be critical to staying ahead of the competition. This is a good opportunity to establish clear step-by-step standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the protocols needed to enhance cleaning regimens. Creating a distinct checklist for each area of the property, including the lobby, restrooms, common areas, fitness center, and guest rooms, will help to ensure nothing gets missed. Hotels can look to their brand or management company for guidance on a structured program, or they can leverage one from trusted industry organizations like the AHLA’s Safe Stay program or Amadeus’ disinfecting housekeeping checklist, endorsed by the International Executive Housekeeping Association (IEHA). 2. Alter Schedules for Guest Room Cleaning Based on NeedMany hotels are shifting away from daily cleaning with automatic opt-out cleaning programs, leading to, in some cases, dirtier rooms upon departure. At the same time, the enforcement of new hygiene protocols, including the expansion of high touchpoints and frequency of cleaning, can increase the amount of time needed to spend in a room. Updated practices on the use of disinfectants and surface dwell times can additionally alter the flow in which rooms are serviced. So, what does this mean for housekeeping and operational teams? The rise in guestroom cleaning times can make forecasting labor and servicing pop-up requests a more complex endeavor. Lack of planning for additional time can also cause strain on staff, while last minute modifications to departure room schedules can impact room readiness. By tracking and analyzing the labor and resources needed to execute the tasks these rooms now require, hotels can adjust to new cleaning schedules, while identifying valuable areas for improvement that will ultimately increase both staff and guest satisfaction. 3. Monitor How Many Hours Guest Rooms are VacantAs new guidance is issued for businesses to mitigate the risk of COVID-19, the procedures within hotels also need to adapt. For instance, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) recommends rooms be left vacant for 24-72 hours prior to or after cleaning if possible, while China requires hotels that host international guests to change linens and clean guestrooms and bathrooms daily. Consumers are increasingly calculating risks associated with travel and want to have complete transparency when it comes to COVID-19-specific protocols before even booking a hotel room. The ability to promise, then track and report the number of hours a room is vacant is a must in today’s business environment. 4. Understand Which Rooms are Not Being Serviced and WhyStreamlining productivity may mean having to leave rooms not serviced for the day. Although a part of daily housekeeping, one of the biggest challenges is measuring why a room was not serviced, or “dropped”. Perhaps there is a need to alter opt-out programs. Perhaps there is a need for more staff. Having the ability to identify, record, and flag rooms with a special service status like “dropped rooms” allows teams to truly understand why rooms are not being serviced. This process allows housekeeping managers to schedule staff effectively, as well as audit and reconcile room counts at the end of each day to optimize operations. With today’s lack of time and budget, gaining important insights into dropped rooms is pivotal to every housekeeping team’s success. 5. Leverage Automation to Drive ProductivityAs we evaluate new ways to face the challenges ahead, hotel leaders must consider how innovation can play a critical role in closing the gaps between team capabilities and achieving business goals. The right hotel technology can be a powerful tool in the decision-making process by reaching across the hotel’s ecosystem to orchestrate proactive tasks such as automating room assignments, schedule turnovers, and reprioritizing work. Gaining valuable insights from automation dashboards and reporting tools can also enable better decision making in a world of unknowns. Whether it’s wiping down frequently used areas like elevator buttons, delivering guest requests like soap or chargers, or managing dropped or vacant rooms, modernizing processes with a housekeeping solution can help to maximize operational capabilities while ensuring the highest standards are met. During times of unpredictability, the ability to intelligently automate the prioritization, communication, and dispatching of the entire housekeeping operation is more valuable than ever. This way, limited time and budget is spent where it is needed most. Resetting for 2021 and BeyondMoving forward, there will be no greater focus from a guest’s perspective than a hotel’s commitment to its cleaning initiatives. Resetting for success in 2021 and beyond means understanding how technology can significantly enhance our capabilities as individuals and designing new business procedures that support it. Reflecting this dynamic presents an opportunity to lead the way in delivering the processes needed to support both housekeeping teams and guest confidence in this new era of hospitality.

Create: Feb 9, 2021 Edit: Feb 9, 2021 Housekeeping

Shaner Hotels Opens SpringHill Suites by Marriott Columbus Dublin in Ohio

Officials of Shaner Hotels, an award winning, international hotel owner, operator and developer, today announced the grand opening of the 145-room SpringHill Suites by Marriott Columbus Dublin located in Bridge Park. Shaner will operate the hotel in a partnership with ownership, Crawford Hoying, a large-scale real estate developer headquartered in Central Ohio. The Springhill Suites by Marriott Columbus Dublin provides the freshest hotel choice in Dublin’s Bridge Park, a new development giving an urban feel to this upscale suburb,” said Plato Ghinos, president, Shaner Hotels. “The hotel provides an all-suite option that includes complimentary breakfast – providing a reliable, refreshing and unexpected choice in the Dublin market. Our staff will focus on sales, service and style to bring the best in customer service to our guests.” Situated in the heart of downtown Dublin at 4475 Bridge Park Avenue, SpringHill Suites is conveniently located near local attractions such as the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, the highly anticipated Riverside Crossing Park and only minutes to downtown Columbus. The hotel is surrounded by numerous walkable dining and entertainment options provided by the Bridge Park neighborhood. The hotel also provides multiple amenities for travelers, including a 24/7 fitness center, 840 square feet of meeting space, a complimentary breakfast buffet, a lobby bar, multiple outdoor lounging spaces and suite-style rooms designed to fuse form and function, equipped with separate areas to both work and relax. These stylized guest rooms are furnished with an oversized work area, a phone with voicemail, free Wi-Fi, a mini-refrigerator, a microwave oven, a trundle sofa bed and Smart TV entertainment. “At the rate in which Bridge Park is growing, the demand for another hotel was obvious,” said Brent Crawford, founder and principal, Crawford Hoying. “We couldn’t be more appreciative of our continued partnership with Shaner and the fantastic hospitality provided at each of the hotels within our developments. We’re confident that Springhill Suites will be no exception.” “We continue to seek opportunities in strong primary and secondary markets with new products surrounded by multiple demand generators,” Ghinos noted. “While the pandemic has hit the travel and hospitality industries particularly hard, we believe we see the light at the end of the tunnel with the recent arrival and deployment of the vaccines. Brand new hotels such as this will hold the lead position as travelers begin their return to both business and leisure travel in the weeks and months to come.”

Create: Feb 7, 2021 Edit: Feb 7, 2021 International News

Sistan-Baluchestan loses $34.2 million in tourism earnings as a result of COVID-19

Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchestan province has lost 1,440 billion rials ($34.2 million at the official exchange rate of 42,000 rials per dollar) in earnings from tourism as many potential visitors stay away due to the impact of the coronavirus, according to Alireza Jalalzaei, the provincial tourism chief. “Sistan-Baluchestan is a four-season travel destination and even though the province holds vast tourism capacities, it has taken some 1,440 billion rials hit from the coronavirus outbreak from mid-Esfand 1398 (early March 2020) to the end of the month Dey (January 19),” the official said on Wednesday. The official noted that Sistan-Baluchestan has set sights on [a significant] tourism development, and its travel infrastructure has been drastically extended over the past couple of years. “From the year 1396 (2017) onwards, the number of travel infrastructure in Sistan-Baluchestan has raised from 40 to 200 ones…. Nowadays tourism of this province has come to fame and distinction,” he explained. Elsewhere in his remarks, the official pointed to various tourism campaigns being launched over the past couple of years, adding the campaign ‘Let’s see Sistan, let’s hear Baluchestan’ has taken a noticeable impact on the tourism thrive of the province mainly by the means of on-line programs. “Despite all the bottlenecks, the province’s tourism has not been forced to shut….” “For instance, the occupancy rate of hotels in [the city of Chabahar] is [currently] more than 90 percent….. and currently, some 100 to 110 ecolodge unites are active across the province,” the official said. Last year, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said that the development of the travel industry across Sistan-Baluchestan province is among the top priorities for the ministry. “I am interested in Sistan-Baluchestan, and the development of this province is a priority for this ministry and the government,” the minister stated. “The majority of my travels during my tenure has been to Sistan-Baluchestan, which I consider it as a safe province with significant values in terms of culture, history, handicrafts, and tourism.” The collective province -- Sistan in the north and Baluchestan in the south -- accounts for one of the driest regions of Iran with a slight increase in rainfall from east to west, and an obvious rise in humidity in the coastal regions. In ancient times, the region was a crossword of the Indus Valley and the Babylonian civilizations. The province possesses special significance because of being located in a strategic and transit location, especially Chabahar which is the only ocean port in Iran and the best and easiest access route of the middle Asian countries to free waters. The vast province is home to several distinctive archaeological sites and natural attractions, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites, namely Shahr-e-Soukhteh (Burnt City) and Lut desert.

Create: Feb 6, 2021 Edit: Feb 6, 2021 Regional News

Iran ready to help restore al-Biruni’s mausoleum in Afghanistan

Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts on Sunday said that the Islamic Republic is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan to restore and renovate the mausoleum of Persian scholar and polymath Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, which is located in the city of Ghazni. Furthermore, Mounesan tasked his deputy for cultural heritage affairs to make the necessary arrangements with Afghanistan for the reconstruction of the mausoleum as soon as possible, CHTN reported. “As the mausoleum has been destroyed and is in a bad condition. And Iranian restorers and experts could soon start the reconstruction and restoration of the historical structure,” the minister added. He also noted that Iranian experts have a worthy knowledge in the field of restoration of the historical and aging monuments and structures; therefore they could be a good asset to their Afghan counterparts. Born in the 10th century in Iran’s Khorasan, Al-Biruni was a Muslim astronomer, mathematician, ethnographist, anthropologist, historian, and geographer. He became the most original polymath the Islamic world had ever known. The top scholar wrote tens of books, most of which were on astronomical and mathematical subjects. His book on Indian culture is by far the most important of his encyclopedic works. Listing his works is relatively easy, for he himself produced an index of his works up to when he was about 60 years old. However, he lived well into his seventies, and, since some of his surviving works are not mentioned in this index, the index is a partial list at best. Adding all the titles in the index, as well as those found later, brings his total production to 146 titles, each averaging about 90 folios. Almost half of the titles were on astronomical and mathematical subjects. Only a minuscule number of his output, 22 titles, has survived, and only about half of that has been published.

Create: Feb 3, 2021 Edit: Feb 3, 2021 Regional News

Perspective on tourism advertising needs improving, and a lot of money, Iranian minister says

The strategy of tourism advertising needs to be improved in Iran, tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said on Saturday, adding that the country should spend more amount of money on it like what it does in other sectors such as the industry and agriculture. With the current budget allocated to this sector, not much can be done, especially in the international arena, ISNA quoted Mounesan as saying. While other countries such as Turkey have achieved good results with advertising without any restrictions on tourism, those Iranian officials and people who have resources consider advertising a waste of money, rather than an investment, he added. This view needs to be corrected as the budget allocated by the government to this sector is very limited, and tourism advertising is not the government’s priority yet, he explained. Referring to the measures taken by the tourism ministry such as producing and preparing various contents and brochures in this regard, he noted that the ministry tries to make significant use of cyberspace to introduce the country to the world. To pursue the ministry’s goals, other platforms such as YouTube have taken into account as well, he added. He also noted that familiarization tours between Iran and China, besides the advertisements on cyberspace, have been effective on the number of inbound tourists to the country. Before the coronavirus pandemic puts everything on a halt, similar actions taken by the tourism ministry in Oman led to a 350 percent increase in the number of Omani tourists visiting Iran, Mounesan said. Advertising is one of the most important factors that help the tourism industry to generate tourists from both the local and international marketplace. The tourism sector is responsible for promoting the natural resources, culture, and heritage that help every visitor in experiencing the destination. Tourism advertising helps the visitor to get familiar with the place even before visiting it personally. Iran expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 24 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, it aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025. So it will undeniably try its best to achieve a relatively ambitious goal but when that happens the travel industry is likely to look more altered.

Create: Feb 2, 2021 Edit: Feb 2, 2021 Regional News

Best Western Debuts GLo by Best Western Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood Airport Hotel in Florida

Best Western Hotels & Resorts today announced the latest property to join its energetic and exciting boutique GLō brand – the GLō by Best Western Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood Airport Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. Known for its stylish and bright design concept, GLō aims to make travelers stay in the sunshine state even brighter with its unique use of LED lighting, bold pops of color, sleek furnishings, and cutting-edge architecture. In addition to GLō hotels’ chic and fresh aesthetic, properties are designed to meet the needs of today’s connected travelers by offering modern amenities, tech-centric spaces and features that help guests work smarter, play harder and live healthier on the road. While revolutionary in style, GLō takes a classic approach to customer care – providing warm and personalized service to every guest. GLō is proud to be welcoming guests in key cities throughout North America including Brooklyn, New York; Asheville, North Carolina; Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ottawa, Ontario; DeSoto, Texas; Lexington, Kentucky; and Nashville, Tennessee; and now Hollywood, Florida. “We are excited to introduce GLōto Florida with the opening of the GLō by Best Western Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood Airport Hotel in Hollywood,” said Brad LeBlanc, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “The GLō brand goes hand-in-hand with the unique and expressive personality of this one-of-a-kind beach town, and we’re confident that this property will be an exceptional addition to our growing portfolio.” The 113-room GLō Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood Airport Hotel welcomes travelers with its signature bright and bold design and invites travelers to unwind and recharge with its eye-catching lobby, spacious common areas and tech-centric workspaces. The hotel also offers complimentary breakfast, a state-of-the-art fitness center, sundry shop and a full-service business center. Guestrooms include in-room workstations, gel-topped signature mattresses and space-saving bathrooms featuring stylish amenities. The GLō Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood Airport Hotel is also committed to keeping its guests’ healthy and safe through Best Western’s We Care CleanSM program. The program’s industry-leading cleaning standards address everything from guest room and common area cleanliness, to streamlined processes that minimize contact between guests and associates while maintaining superior customer service. “We are thrilled to bring the illuminating GLō brand to the sunshine state,” said Daisy Shum, general manager of GLō Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood Airport Hotel. “As the world begins to heal and travel once again, we look forward to welcoming visitors to our sunny beach town by delivering a unique and vibrant experience that is sure to bring pent up travel dreams to life.” GLō by Best Western Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood Airport Hotel is conveniently located minutes from the local airport and is nearby to some of the area’s most popular attractions including the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk, Topeekeegee Yugnee Park, the Yellow Green Farmers Market, the Seminole Hard Rock Casino, and the area’s most popular dining and shopping attractions. Additionally, with Hollywood’s central location between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, guests are able to conveniently explore the beautiful and lively attractions of its neighboring cities.

Create: Jan 27, 2021 Edit: Jan 27, 2021 International News

Tourism cannot be stopped until the end of the vaccination process

The World Tourism Organization announced; Tourism cannot be stopped until the end of the vaccination process. Results of the last meeting of the Crisis Committee of the World Tourism Organization (unwto) in Portugal; The tourism sector cannot wait for the vaccination process to be completed in all countries. Responsible and safe travel is the best way to revitalize this important industry.

Create: Dec 20, 2020 Edit: Dec 20, 2020 International News

Possibility of returning European tourism to the pre-Corona era in 2029

New report from the European Travel Commission; Possibility of returning European tourism to the pre-Corona era in 2029 !!! In the first eight months of 2020, the amount of incoming tourism to Europe has decreased by 68% compared to the same period last year. This represents a 60% decrease for the whole of 2020 to date. In the best case scenario, air travel by 2024 will return to pre-Corona pandemics.

Create: Dec 12, 2020 Edit: Dec 12, 2020 International News

Utilizing the capacity of local sports and games to attract foreign tourists

✨ "Massoud Soltanifar", Minister of Sports and Youth, stated in a meeting with the Minister of Tourism; 🔹 Sports tourism is highly regarded in the world as an income-generating industry, and we can also help the country's foreign exchange earnings by using this platform. 🔹 With a lot of effort and in different governments, the right infrastructure has been provided to host important international sporting events. 🔹 Local sports and games are popular with foreign tourists and these opportunities can be used to the best of their ability.

Create: Oct 20, 2020 Edit: Oct 20, 2020 Regional News

Top 12 Things That Should Be In Every Hotel Room

⚜️ As someone who spends well over 100 nights a year in hotels, I thought it was high time to put together a post with my thoughts about what every hotel room should offer (and what they definitely should not) in addition to all the basics like free WiFi, good personalized A/C and heating, and, you know, running water. Some of these are obvious – with the proliferation of lightweight laptops, smartphones, tablets and more, every hotel room should have an abundance of power outlets – while others might be more TPG-specific. However, these are things I’d like to see in every hotel room I book in the future, and feel free to share your own wish list below. 1. Power outlets galore . As I mentioned, we all travel with tons of gadgets these days, from computers and tablets to phones, cameras, music players and more, and the one thing they all have in common is that they must be charged. So it’s astonishing to me how many hotels still lack more than one or two outlets for guest use – you know, where lamps, phones and other odds and ends aren’t already plugged in. Not only that, but every hotel room should have bedside outlets. So many people tote their computers to bed to work while on the road for business, and so many use their Smartphones as alarm clocks (probably because hotel alarm clocks can be so byzantine to operate) that it just makes sense to have outlets near the bed that you can access without ripping the mattress away from the wall. Tons of lamps even come with outlets in their bases to make things easier. Hotels, take note, this should be a standard feature in your rooms. 2. A Nespresso machine . Call me a caffeine fiend, but I believe that every hotel room should have some sort of miniature coffee or espresso machine. Oftentimes, that’s all I want in the morning before grabbing something on the go from a lobby shop or a nearby cafe. I just want to be able to enjoy my first cup of the day in my room as I go through emails and my calendar without having to get dressed, leave the hotel and pick up coffee somewhere else. Or tea. Put in an electric kettle and some tea bags for the tea-drinkers out there. Who knows, maybe I’ll be feeling so productive I’ll order room service and up your revenue with a full-on breakfast if I feel like I’m getting a lot done. 3. A shower that doesn’t take advanced calculus to figure out how to work . Hotel showers can be glorious. Indoor showers, outdoor showers, showers with 12 showerheads, steam showers, rainfall showers…they’re all just wonderful. Except for one thing: so many of them are impossible to operate! Personally, I’m an old-fashioned, one knob for cold water and one for hot and you turn them to adjust the pressure and balance of temperature kind of guy. But so many hotel showers these days have temperature controls, pressure controls, controls to determine which showerhead is operating…I often find myself getting blasted with a rocket of cold water from one direction and volley of scalding drops from another these days. I mean, I love options as much as the next person, but can we please make these things easier to operate so I can get in, clean up and get out? And not to be too American about this, but would it be possible to include both Celsius and Fahrenheit temperatures on the knobs? I can do simple arithmetic on the fly with the best of them, but I don’t want to have to panic and try to figure out why 47 degrees is so hot. 4. Toothbrush and toothpaste . Call it a symptom of always being on the road, but I forget a toothbrush and toothpaste a lot when I travel and it would be such a nice surprise to find a mini travel kit in my hotel room when I arrive. If airlines can do it in amenity kits – and I’m not just talking business and first class ones here, but some airlines offer it in economy as well – then hotels can provide a mini oral hygiene set to guests. 5. Free water bottles . It’s midnight. You’re off a really long flight. You’re parched. All the stores are closed. All you want is a bottle of water, especially if you’re in a place where the water might not be potable for you. Any water will do – it doesn’t have to be Evian – but your only choices are in the minibar and they each cost $10. Why is that? Hotels need to start offering guests two free water bottles per day (that’s the other thing – even if you get a couple free bottles, it’s a one-time thing with a lot of hotels – once you drink them that’s it!). We would all appreciate it, and it’s such a simple provision. 6. A room service menu that doesn’t take 20 clicks on the TV screen to navigate and order from . This is another old-fashioned quirk of mine, but as much as I love new technology, sometimes just having a paper menu and calling down to room service is just so much easier than trying to learn to navigate a hotel’s “state of the art” television ordering system. If you’re going to put such a system in place, put an iPad in my room and let me order from there, which is so much easier. To be continue...

Create: Aug 9, 2020 Edit: Aug 11, 2020 Language Academy

Tourism education in Qom will be virtual

The Deputy Minister of Tourism of Qom Province discussed in a coordination meeting with the managers of the educational institutions of the province; In the current situation, the best and safest solution is to hold virtual training courses.

Create: Jul 14, 2020 Edit: Jul 14, 2020 Regional News

Guesthouses and illegal residence centers in Ardabil province

"Jafar Bazari," the head of the Ardabil Hoteliers Association, told HotelNews; The average occupancy rate of hotels in the province over the past few days has been at best 10%. Unfortunately, guesthouses and unauthorized centers are operating freely and without any supervision or control. The decisions of the Coronavirus Management Headquarter regarding dealing with these centers are valid only on paper.

Create: Jun 8, 2020 Edit: Jun 8, 2020 Regional News