Experts say if you’re going to pay to stay somewhere, make sure your host is taking the pandemic seriously. The first step is to check websites for what steps hotels and other facilities are taking to protect guests. Different states have different opening procedures. If you are traveling between or among states, do check the guidelines.
The CDC recommendations on how to safely travel include a lengthy list of tips. They include wearing masks in the lobby or other common areas, taking the stairs instead of riding elevators with strangers, and minimizing your time in areas where you might be closer than 6 feet to other people. These include dining rooms, fitness centers, or lounging areas.
Cleanliness needs to be followed. Particularly whether or not they are regularly disinfecting high-touch surfaces, whether public spaces and private rooms are being cleaned and disinfected frequently, whether the staff are wearing appropriate protective equipment and following the rules of social distancing, and acknowledge that they’ve put these measures in place and are adhering to them.
Anytime you stay in a hotel, or somewhere where there’s public space and crowds of people, there is an increased risk for getting COVID-19. So for me, the smaller the hotel, the less contact with others.
In hospitality, there typically was a mantra before the pandemic where you don’t need to see the cleaning, but cleaning happens magically.
Now it is turning into, ‘We are going to make it visible so that people know that we are actually doing it.’ So, I’m thinking that we are going to start seeing more and more of these visible cleaning people around, cleaning public spaces. This is reassuring in the time of covid.
AlwaysHarriet 