Post-Covid will push the Hotel guests to decide to select, stay, or return to an establishment based on the perceived cleanliness of the hotel. The hotel-stay stage represents the most interaction-intense stage due to the number of personal encounters between guests and the hotel’s staff in the physical hotel environment.
During the stay, the guests experience various services of the hotel. The hotel stay stage is very crucial as the guests are in contact with high-touch areas:
- The high-touch area; is “frequently touched by hands.”
- The low-touch area; is “not frequently touched by hands“.
Hotel surfaces receiving frequent human contact are more likely to be contaminated through touch and become sources of transmission of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Guest rooms are one of the most high-touch areas, and areas that are out of hotel guests’ reach, such as the central air conditioning system, also facilitate the aerosol transmission of viruses.
Here is a list of high-touch areas for reference every hotel should focus on
| Area | Specific high-touch areas |
| Guest room | Bath area including taps, chairs & lamps, clothes & luggage racks, Door and window handles & locks, dresser drawer & curtain handles, faucets & toilet handles, faucets, hairdryer, iron & ironing boards, light switches, minibar & tableware, pens & collaterals (e.g., menu, advertising), residential amenity dispensers (coffee makers, microwave, refrigerator, etc.), safe deposit box, shower doors including shower lever, sink & taps, tables, telephones, thermostat & AC control, tissue dispenser handles, toilet & dispenser handles, toiletries, trash can flips, TV & remote control, wall tiles, wand or pull chords for sheers & drapes. |
| Public area: Lobbies, entrances, hallways, fitness centres | Bell/valet stand & concierge counter, coffee & beverage stations, collaterals, computer, door cards or keys, door handles/knobs, elevator buttons (inside and out), escalator & stairwell railings, floor mats, gym equipment & machines (mainly handles, touch screens, etc.), hand disinfectant dispenser, light switches, luggage trolleys, paper dispenser, payment/card reader, POS screens & printers, public phones & dial pads, push plates & handrails, reception desk, reception/concierge counters, remote controls, seating, staircase, table & chairs, tables, chairs/armrests & stools, touch screens, trash can flip, vending machines & ice makers, water fountain push plate, weights. |
| Pool and spa | Audio equipment knobs, chair armrests, door knobs, drawer/cabinet handle, end tables, equipment/tool handle, faucet, furniture adjustment levers, push plates, tables & chairs, thresholds& hand railings, trash cans. |
| Foodservice | Buffet area, chairs/armrests & booths, coffee & beverage stations, collaterals & pens, counter/desks (bar, entrance, etc.), cupboards/storage areas, dining tables, door/drawer handles, hand disinfectant dispensers, light switches, faucets, menus & menu holders (with plastic covers), payment/card reader, push plates & handrails, salad bar, thresholds & hand railings, touch screens/POS screens, trash receptacle touchpoints. |
| Restroom | Baby changing station, bathroom stalls (latch) fixtures, countertops, door handles, feminine hygiene receptacles, hand dryers, toilet paper dispenser, toilet, urinal handles, towel & soap dispensers, trash can. |
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