Guide to be followed for opening our hotels post COVID 19 lockdown and precautions to be taken while handling guests and staff in the current situation:

COVID-19 virus is transmitted between people through respiratory droplets (particularly when coughing). Direct contact with an infected person or indirect contact, (touching a surface or object that has been contaminated with respiratory secretions) and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes is another route of transmission. Although most infected people develop mild symptoms, severe disease may result in older people and/or people with other medical conditions and they may require rapid hospitalization.

Prevention measures include regular and thorough hand hygiene, social distancing, avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and good respiratory hygiene. In public areas, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces can help reduce the risk of infection.

Safety team:

• Identify and set-up a Safety Team with hotel General Manager as the team Leader, who will be responsible to ensure that all measures are being implemented and recorded.
• Team should have 4 HOD’s as team members, who will report to the General Manager directly and responsible in implementing all the safety precautions and training the staff as instructed in the manual. 5 staff should also be part of the safety team who will be responsible in monitoring and guiding the team in all the safety measures at the shop floor.
• Safety team will ensure that they conduct a detailed workshop for Associates, maintaining Social Distancing.

All hotels should mandatorily have a safety kit, one at the Reception and another one at Time office, with the below mentioned items:

• Face masks
• Disposable surgical gloves
• Face shield
• Disposable aprons
• Diversy hand sanitizers with above 70% alcohol
• Cotton wool jar
• Tissue papers
• Infrared thermometer
• Disposable bag to collect all bio waste materials

Wear the mask in the right way:

• Make sure it covers your nose and mouth at all times while conducting the cleaning activity
• Do not remove and let the mask hanging on your neck
• Do not remove your mask by touching the outside surface of the mask
• Discard it appropriately in the covered bin, no other waste to be clubbed along with this bin.
• Bin should be mentioned as “Bio-Medical waste”, end of every day, trash cover to be tied and kept in the garbage room for removal, suggested to buy a separate colour garbage bag for this purpose.
• After you remove the mask clean hands with alcohol based hand rub or soap and water

Social distancing measures, hand cleaning, and respiratory hygiene

Social distancing measures, together with frequent hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, are the main measures to prevent transmission of COVID-19. Although it is probable that guests are already familiar with these measures, they should be reminded as a form of hospitality.

• Social distancing includes refraining from hugging, kissing, or shaking hands with guests as well as among staff. It involves maintaining a distance of at least 1 m (3 ft) and avoiding anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
• Hand hygiene means regularly and thoroughly cleaning hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and water. Also avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth. Hand disinfection is indicated after exchanging objects (money, credit cards) with guests.
• Respiratory etiquette means covering mouth and nose with bent elbow or tissue when coughing or sneezing. The used tissue should be disposed of immediately in a bin with a lid.

Uniforms for staff:

Chauffer – Regular uniform, transparent face cover, disposable apron, hand gloves and masks
All front line team members (Front Office, F & B Service, Housekeeping, Engineering and Spa) – Regular uniforms, transparent face cover, disposable apron, hand gloves and masks.
Food production – Regular uniforms, safety shoes, apron and masks
All other associates – Regular uniforms and masks
Action plan for departments:

Pre-Arrival –

• Guest communication to be sent out mentioning the limited facilities operational in the hotel.
• List of Do’s/Don’ts and safety measures for the guest to be followed in the hotel to be sent as part of the Pre-Arrival communication.
• Guest ID proofs to be requested on mail as part of pre arrival communication.
• In room immunity booster guest amenities with a Welcome back letter from the GM to be placed in the room. Rooms also to have a letter of Do’s and Don’ts and safety measures.

Guest transport:

• Ensure, Chauffer is wearing all protective gears such as masks, gloves, aprons and goggles.
• Car to be disinfected with every arrival.
• Guest should be made seated in the back seat, diagonally opposite to the Chauffer.
• Guest should be told to take care of their baggage, if the guest needs help, Chauffer to sanitize the guest luggage and then keep the luggage in the boot of the car.
• Chauffer should be instructed to limit conversations to minimal with guests.
• Guest instructions to be placed at the back seat, information booklet must cover all steps being taken by the hotel for safety and sanitization along with the operational norms for restaurants, IRD, housekeeping and Laundry procedures.

Arrival

• Temperature check at the entrance is mandatory for guest, (desk to be set up at the porch).
• Dedicated staff to record all the guest temperature on arrival. Staff should wear their regular uniforms along with the Front staff’s PPE’s as per the new SOP.
• Guests running a temperature of more than 98.6*F or 37.5*C, to b guided politely to nearbyhospital / medical facility.
• Sanitization desk to be set up at the entrance.
• Lobby door to be opened by the staff only.
• Disinfect and clean guest luggage after informing the guests. Cordon a separate area for disinfecting the luggage in the porch.
• If the guests is carrying any hand luggage, disinfect the luggage after getting approvals from the guest.
• Provide a mask if the guest is not wearing one. Masks should be given complimentary to the Resident guest and a nominal rate to be charged for other guest.
• Record to be made separately whenever we issue masks to guests.

Check in process

• Ensure marking on the floor (3 meter away from each guests) to maintain social distancing at the Front desk. All staff to wear uniforms and PPE as per the new SOP.
• If the Guest is arriving from restricted countries or regions ensure that you have detailed information from the Guest upfront before arrival or at time of making the reservation, they should be given priority check-in so that they don’t spend much time at the Front desk.
• Guest ID Proofs to be received on mail, if not received on mail, take a picture through the phone and then mail to the system separately (Do not touch the id proof).
• Rooms to be pre-blocked before the guest arrive at the hotel.
• Online payment options to be given to the guest on arrival.
• Inform guests that newspapers will be delivered only on request. If guests needs, take their request and update in the software.
• Keep sanitizers for guest use at the front desk counter.
• Keep paper, envelops and all equipments sanitized at all times.
• Keep cotton balls jar, which guests can use with sanitizer to clean their phone or credit cards.
• No escorting and room orientation to be done.
• Staff to also sanitize their hands and the pen (if guest has used it). Staff to maintain minimum of 1 meter distance while interacting with guest.

Luggage delivery

• Luggage to be scanned (wherever applicable) and sanitized.
• No luggage assistance to be offered, until guests requests for it.

`Elevators:

• Ensure that safety instructions, including the number of Guests allowed at onetime, is placed inside the elevator and is easily visible; apologize for the delay andinconvenience caused to the Guests due to the new safety norms
• Elevator floor must have markings with directions (minimum 3 meter away from each other), so that guest does not face each other and maintain the appropriate social distance
• Ensure elevator floor buttons are regularly sanitized by the Housekeeping associates.
• Keep floor & other area of the elevators that can be touched sanitized.
• Keep sanitizers in all the lift landing areas for guest use

Guest rooms:

• Information on sanitization norms should be placed.
• Due to social distancing norms, allocate alternate rooms, based on the occupancy levels.
• A post need to be pasted in the room to say the room and other touch points have been sanitized.
• Ensure all housekeeping associates wear the uniforms as per the new SOP.
• Keep sanitizers at regular intervals in the floor along with the cotton wool jar for guests use.
• Room linen to be changed once in two days or on request, no turn down service to facilitate minimal contact. This should be informed to guest via a tent card.
• In case if the guests wants a linen change every day, cloth bag with required linen and terry to be handed over to guest to help themselves. Guest should be informed to keep the soiled linen outside their room in the same bag.
• Bed runners and show pillows need to be removed till further notice; Plain bed with Pillows will be the new standard.
• Mini bar and Tea/Coffee amenities to be removed from the room except the hot water kettle, Mini bar menu card can be kept for guest to order. Tea/Coffee can be served complimentary to guest whenever they ask for.
• Complimentary Fruits are not to be placed in the room, instead, a tent card offering complimentary seasonal cut fruits to be placed in the room.

All Day Dinning restaurant:

• Tables to be separated minimum 3 meter away from each other in the ADD restaurant.
• If the restaurant getting over crowded, resident guests should be offered IRD as an option, explaining the social distancing principal which hotel is following for their guest safety.
• All guest to be allowed inside dining area after using hand sanitizer kept at entrance.
• We will operate the restaurant with TDH menu for breakfast, a’la carte menu for Lunch and Dinner. General Manager to decide on the buffet depending on the demand and the occupancy.
• As far as possible digital menu card to be offered to the guest, if not sufficient paper menu card can be given; both should be dis-infected after every use.
• Associates to maintain 2 feet distance while taking order and ensure they wear PPE’s as per the new SOP.
• All dining tables to be sanitized after every usage. Except Salt and Pepper cruet sets, nothing to be kept on the table. Cruet set to be sanitized after each guest’s departure.
• Disposable paper napkins only to be used.
• Buffet to be laid only after getting approval from the General manager, If buffet is laid manage guest queue at entrance to ensure no waiting at buffet.
• Staff to follow personal hygiene standard of washing hand after every 30 minutes properly with soap.
• Floor supervisor to do to check the breakfast satisfaction levels.
• Keep cotton balls, so that guest can use with sanitizer to clean their phones and credit cards.

BAR

• Bar lay out – Tables to be separated minimum 3 meter away from each other
• Menu to be kept on the table.
• Staff to maintain minimum two feet distance while taking order.
• All CCG to be cleaned and sanitized through machine after guest use.

In-room dinning:

• Ensure all IRD staff wears their regular uniforms along with PPE’s as mentioned in the new SOP.
• Whenever guest order’s food, staff with full uniform should carry the tray to the guest room.
• Ring the bell, as soon as the guest comes out, take the signature from the guest and hand over the food tray to the guest. Only if the guest needs assistance, then staff to go inside the room and place the tray.
• Inform the guest to leave the tray outside the room after they complete their meal

Spa/Fitness center:

• All spa staff to wear all PPE during therapy.
• Linen to be disposed immediately to the Laundry.
• Ensure all touch points are dis infected once every hour.
• All gym equipment’s handle and seat cover to be dis infected every one hour and after every usage.
• All gym staff PPE’s as per the new SOP at all times.

Swimming pool:

• Ensure pool staff wears their uniforms along with all the PPE’s as mentioned in the new SOP.
• Ensure correct Chlorine (1.5 to 3PPM) and PH (7.2 to 7.8) levels are maintained at all times.
• Guests with symptoms of Cold, Running nose, Cough, Fever and Sneezing to be never allowed to use any of the facility and Manager to be informed immediately.
• Pool loungers should be sanitized after every guest use.

Departure

• Ensure marking on the floor (3 meter away from each guests) to maintain social distancing at the Front desk. All staff to wear uniforms and PPE as per the new SOP.
• Create a separate check-out area if hotel think it’s getting over-crowded and wherever possible use e-check out by emailing the bill & accepting online payments.
• Guest folios to be mailed to the guest a night before the checkout
• Room keys to be sanitized once surrendered by the guests during checkout

Laundry Service

• Guest to be intimated on limited operation hours of laundry services (9am to 6pm).
• Guest to fill the complete laundry sheet and keep the laundry outside the room and call the One touch/Call One service for laundry to pick up.
• Laundry bags to be sanitized before processing.
• Laundry once ready to be kept outside the room and guest to be called and informed.

Room Cleaning:

Room cleaning to be done once in every two days or on guest request

• Wash hands with soap and water after completing every room (follow SOP).
• Ensure associates wear all PPE’s as per the new SOP’s.
• Once your regular cleaning is done, disinfect the room with the diversey approved chemicals completely.
• Ensure we change Pillow cover and pillow protector every time we clean the room.
• Disinfect the touch points in the rooms like – Door handle, minibar handle, TV remotes, chair handles, telephone, bathroom handle, shower handle, toilet seat covers, health faucet, wash basin tap etc.
• In room mini bar items to be removed from the room, if the guests want to order they can order through One Touch/Call one by seeing the Mini bar menu.
• All bathroom amenities to be removed from the room except a soap in the wash basin counter, sanitary bag (only for lady guests) and toilet rolls, all the remaining amenities to be placed in a Zip lock pouch, kept ready with the Housekeeping department. If the guest asks for extra amenities, pouch can be given to guest. The same to be communicate to guest on arrival.
• Once every two hours disinfect the complete public areas which are commonly touched by guests, using the approved chemicals.
• All soiled linen must be disposed immediately to the Laundry.
• Always focus on the key touch points in public areas – Taps, toilet flush handles, Telephones, Table tops, Door handles, Lift buttons, Light switches, Gym equipment’s etc
• If any guests have any symptoms, please inform the Manager immediately.

Human Resources:

• Monitor staff sickness closely and ensure all staff wears face masks while on duty.
• A self-declaration form which is approved by the corporate should be filled and signed by the employees on arrival after the lock down period is over, this form to be filled by all employees even they are staying in the same city.
• Show card attendance is recommended. If finger print attendance is used, advice associates to sanitize their hands before punching, keep a sanitization station near the Bio metric attendance reader.
• If any staff shows symptoms of cold, cough & fever, quarantine the staff at the accommodation and send them to doctor immediately.
• A separate room to be given to that particular staff, frequent checking by the HR team and doctor’s advice to be sought.
• Food to be delivered to the staff at the accommodation through disposable containers only.
• Staff from the hotel to take the food and keep it outside their room. Staffs who delivers food should PPE’s compulsory.
• Ensure hand washing station and soap available at all staff areas.
• Monitor locker rooms frequently to ensure staff are not spending more time in 15 minutes in lockers.
• Ensure all staff areas are dis infected by using approved Diversey productsminimum thrice daily.
• Awareness sessions to be taken to staff once every week and in all their daily briefings.
• No associates are allowed to take their uniforms outside the hotel at any cost, which includes their shoes.

Employee accommodation:

• A dedicated HK associate to be deployed to HR who will maintain all staff accommodation on a daily basis.
• Staff to wear all PPE’s as per the new SOP whenever they go to staff accommodation for cleaning.
• Staff’s bed linen to be washed once every week by the hotel laundry.
• HR to coordinate and monitor the same.

Employee Uniform exchange:

• Exchanging Uniforms daily should be the norm and it should be strictly monitored by the HOD’s.
• Ensure marking on the floor (minimum 3 meter away) to maintain social distancing by the staff while collecting laundry.
• Ensure all uniforms are dried using a stem pressing machine before they are given to staff.
• All associates to be given cloth masks, gloves and disposable aprons as part of the uniforms
• An empty tub needs to be kept for collecting soiled uniforms in the linen room and it should be accessible for staff to drop their uniforms for washing.
• Staff who segregates these uniforms should wear PPE’s and they should wash and sanitize their hands after segregation.

Employee lockers:

• The shifts will have to be staggered in various 15 minutes slot to ensure there is no overcrowding in the lockers and the number of employees are regulated with proper Social Distancing norms are being followed.
• HR to coordinate the shift timings with all the departments and ensure there is no crowding on arrival or at the locker room.
• Extensive hand wash and sanitizing must be made with signages in all employee area.

Employee cafeteria:

• Cafeteria tables to be separated minimum 3 meters away from each other.
• Cafeteria timings to be extended to allow smaller groups over a long period of time, the usage should be restricted to 33% of its capacity at any given time.
• HR to monitor this closely.
• HR to ensure volunteers stand behind the staff buffet and serve, so that staff will not touch the buffet counter or the ladles.
• Staff who serve should wear all PPE’s

Purchase/Stores:

• Ensure all suppliers and vendors fill a corporate approved self-declaration every 15 days, Purchase head to ensure and monitor the same closely.
• All materials should be received at right temperatures (cold food between 0*C and 5*C & frozen food between -15*C and -18*C), if not, do not receive it.
• Ensure that all vegetables are sanitized using Diversey approved chemicals before they are brought inside the hotel.
• All secondary parcel containers to be removed from all received items before they are taken inside our hotel.
• All items received must be date tagged before taken into stores.
• No suppliers should enter the hotel, if necessary, Temperature to be checked for Suppliers/Vendors when they enter the hotels. They should wear masks whenever they enter.
• If they carry any bags they should be sanitized at the entrance
• Ensure the availability of all chemicals at all times.
• Ensure receiving area is sanitized using AVERT Plus regularly.

Food Production:

• Always ensure all hot foods are cooked above 65* C for more than 5 minutes.
• All cold foods should be maintained between 0* to 5*C.
• All cutting boards and knives to be sanitized as per the SOP at all times.
• Ensure the cold temperatures are as per the standard, if any deviation, inform engineering immediately.
• Use gloves when working with food, change gloves frequently.
• Operational kitchens must be sanitized at regular intervals
• Limit the number of staff to the minimum required; staff can be organized into teams to reduce interactions between teams
• All staff should wear uniforms with PPE’s as per the new SOP.
• Workstations should be placed in such a way that the staff is not facing each other and can maintain appropriate Social Distance
• Run limited menus and ramp-up in a phased manner
• Ensure proper cleaning of vegetables, meats and all other materials that are required in the kitchens; use approved sanitizing agents to disinfect
• Ensure all tools get sanitized after each use

Employee elevators:

• Ensure that safety instructions, including the number of employees allowed at one time, are placed inside the elevator and is easily visible.
• Ensure elevator floor buttons are regularly sanitized.
• Keep floor and other area of the elevators that can be touched sanitized regularly.
• Elevator floor must have markings with directions, so that employees do not face each other and maintain social distancing.
• Install sanitizing station in all lift landing areas.

Engineering:
Air-conditioning:

Although COVID-19 is not transmitted by air but from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth when an infected person coughs or exhales, attention should be given, as in normal circumstances, to monitoring the condition of filters and maintaining the proper replacement rate of indoor air.
The proper functioning of ventilation, air exchange, and dehumidification equipment of covered pools should be checked.
• All staff needs to wear masks when entering guests’ rooms.
• Wash hands after completing any job orders.
• Ensure that all equipment’s are in correct working condition.

Security:

• All guests movements and staff movements to be watched more closely, if anyone with symptoms, General Manager to be notified immediately.
• Any staff in any of the area is not following the manual; Security Manager should remove the staff from the area and report the same to the General Manager immediately.
• Ensure there is no waste dumped any were in the vicinity of the hotel (outside and inside).
• Temperature of all staff to be monitored and recorded.