Hotel Experiences in the Near Future

Monday 11th of May 2020

Hotel Experiences in the Near Future

The next time you check into a hotel, you are very likely to see big changes. In the near future, until a vaccine, widely effective treatment or instantaneous testing for coronavirus is available, hotel stays are likely to be a ‘stripped-down affair, particularly in higher-end hotels where personalized service and amenities have long been part of the draw,’ writes CNN travel.

Eliminate socializing activities

Christopher Anderson, professor of business at Cornell University's Hotel School in Ithaca, New York, predicts that there will be less communal access in hotels, which means no buffet and mini bars, and many of the "high-touch elements of luxury" such as spa treatments and bellhop and valet service may be suspended.

Few personalized interaction

Guests will want keyless and contactless check-in and checkout and few personalized interactions. "We're going to want to strip those away and basically walk into the hotel, go up the elevator by myself, enter my room without having to touch anything with some comfort that the service provider has completely disinfected that space prior to my arrival," he says.

Cleaner than ever

Many major hotel groups have outlined new policies for hygiene. Marriott has already announced that it will use electrostatic sprayers to clean guest rooms and public areas and is testing ultraviolet light technology. Marriott and other brands will also be removing furniture and reconfiguring many areas to facilitate the six-foot social distancing space prescribed by health officials. The brand is considering plexiglass barriers at front desks to separate guests and hotel staff.