Edgbaston Park Hotel at the University of Birmingham is leading the way with a 10-point plan putting measures in place to ensure consumer confidence. Not only do they welcome leisure guests, but a high proportion of their business comes from conferences, events and delegates from the University of Birmingham.
Beyond that, they have pledged a “Safe stay, your way guarantee” so that customers and clients can conduct business again with trust. They have introduced a comprehensive training programme on safety and hygiene to ensure all their teams have the skills required to protect guests.
General Manager Richard Metcalfe said, “protecting our clients and our team is our highest priority. We know that the safety of our guests and our team is of the utmost importance. The hotel team has always taken great pride in maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene but we need to take it to the next level.”
Rooms have been adapted for two-metre social distancing guidelines – with amended capacities for all meetings and events spaces. But Edgbaston Park Hotel has gone beyond that.
Richard continues, “Certainly we have had to rise to the challenge and pivot and rethink some of our services. We’ve adapted virtual technology for virtual show rounds, created more outdoor spaces for bespoke events, introduced grab and go lunches and introduced flexible booking just in case pandemic guidelines are re-enforced.”
As the hotel re-opens, here are some of the procedures that are being implemented to ensure safety:
• increasing the frequency of sanitising public areas - including reception, meeting rooms, elevators, door handles, and public bathrooms.
• increasing the number of hand sanitisers throughout the hotel - in all public toilets, reception areas, and in the food and beverage service areas.
• regular deep cleaning of carpets and upholstery using hospital grade solutions.
• Personal protective equipment such as facemasks, gloves, and aprons will be used where necessary. They have also added screens at reception desks to minimise cross-contamination.
• Clear displays of social distancing signage throughout the hotel and conference centre and regular temperature checks will be in operation.
• Adjusting the food and beverage service in accordance with current food safety recommendations, in order to minimise interaction.
These measures will also be extended to staff entrances and staff areas such as locker rooms, laundry rooms, and office space. As well as this, the team are providing clear instructions for all suppliers delivering to the hotel and how such deliveries should be handled.
Richard Metcalfe continues, “With our Stay Safe Your Way Guarantee, we are keeping our customers at the heart of what we do. Now more than ever, operators must ensure high levels of health and safety to ensure guests feel confident at all times. Their safety needs to take precedent over revenue.”
With the hospitality and leisure sector hardest hit by pandemic guidelines, it’s only by ensuring safety first that the sector can indeed recover.