STONEBRIDGE COS. OF Denver, led by Navin Dimond, president and CEO, has joined numerous other hotel companies around the country as part of American Hotel & Lodging Association’s “Safe Stay” initiative. Red Roof is joining the movement, too, with its RediClean program.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dimond said the company would update its operational guidelines according to recommendations from local and national health authorities. AHLA’s Safe Stay offers those guidelines, he said.
“Safe Stay will change hotel industry norms, behaviors and standards across all brands to ensure our hotel guests and team members are confident in the cleanliness and safety of hotels as travel increases,” Dimond said. “This initiative represents a new level of focus and transparency for an industry already built on cleanliness.”
Safe Stay includes guidelines for social interactions and workplace protocols as well.
“Safe Stay was developed specifically to ensure enhanced safety for hotels guests and employees. While hotels have always employed demanding cleaning standards, this new initiative will ensure greater transparency and confidence throughout the entire hotel experience,” said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO. “The industry’s enhanced hotel cleaning practices, social interactions, and workplace protocols will continue to evolve to meet the new health and safety challenges and expectations presented by COVID-19.”
Red Roof’s RediClean program, like Safe Stay, aims to restore the traveling public’s confidence as government restrictions begin to ease.
“Red Roof is ready to welcome guests back, who have been sheltering in place” said Andrew Alexander, Red Roof president. “The Red Roof RediClean program is our commitment to enhanced cleaning, providing guests with the confidence they deserve as they once again begin to road trip throughout the country.”
Some RediClean protocols include a focus on extra cleaning of high-touch points in common areas, such as doorknobs, elevator buttons, front desks, stairwell handrails and gate handles. Red Roof housekeepers will clean and sanitize high-touch areas up to four times a day.
In the guestrooms, special attention will be given to sanitizing TVs, remote controls, tables, doorknobs, light switches, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets and sinks. The frequency of cleanings depends on guest requirements.
In jurisdictions where facemasks are required for anyone in public places where social distancing is not possible, Red Roof guests will be required to wear masks in lobbies, indoor corridors, vending rooms, laundry rooms and other common areas. In places where the masks are not required by law, Red Roof will still encourage their use by guests.
Housekeeping staff members are highly encouraged to wear gloves while working. All Red Roof employees are required to follow safety measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including:
- Cleaning hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Avoiding close contact by putting distance between each other
- Cleaning and disinfecting by continually practicing good hygiene and using hand sanitizer (provided at all properties) that contains at least 60 percent alcohol
- Staying home if demonstrating symptoms of illness
- Well-being checks of all employees, including physical temperature checks, should be carried out when required by law
Radisson Hotel Group and Red Lion Hotels Corp. also recently announced new cleaning protocols connected to Stay Safe.
