Essay Sample on Pandemic Hotel

During the peak of the covid-19 pandemic, it was understandable for one to question how sanitized a hotel can be. The specific location of this hotel will be 1800 South 6th Street, McAllen, Tx 78503. Furthermore, the first coronavirus was reported in December 2019 given the nature of the pandemic, it was not a surprise that guests are making safety and hygiene a priority. The Guests expect the hotel to be taking all the perceptions the CDC (Center for Disease Control) had advised. How safe is it to stay at the Holiday Inn hotel, and what precautions may they be taking to keep all guests safe during this pandemic?   

Many people postponed their vacations due to the pandemic cases rising, since it was a new virus everyone was afraid of. After the quarantine had gone down people started going back to their hometowns to visit family and one of the few hotels available was holiday inn. Booking for a room was all done online and the receptionist advised guests to read the covid- 19 policy which mentioned that they would be practicing social distancing in all their communal areas and lobbies, there was a low contact check-in and checking out, masks were always required for all guests and staffs, staff were required a weekly screening to ensure guests safety. Guests were provided with four covid tests in their rooms, so they could get tested if needed. 

The hotel had a sign outside their doors requiring all guests to call before entering the building and to have masks on. There were employees monitoring the hallways and reminding people to cover their faces and to add hand sanitizer on their way in and out of the building. They also had indicators on the floor, so guests could keep social distance. In front of the reception desk, they had placed a large transparent glass to keep them from exchanging any type of bodily fluid, no physical contact was needed besides handing over the room keys. In the hotel before getting on the elevator, it was recommended to only have one family at a time and to apply Hand sanitizer after getting off.  

The hotel had placed a seal on the door of every room, so when the guests arrived they were the only ones who could break it. The seal was for the guests to acknowledge that the room had been cleaned and sanitized. The guests were allowed to explore the hotel to see what areas are open but there are some areas which have a limit to how many people can go in at a time. The pool area is available, all the chairs and tables were six feet apart to keep everyone practicing social distancing and once the guests were ready to leave they had to sanitize their chair and table before leaving. If a guest failed to sanitize their area an employee would have to go and sanitize before other guests would go and sit. The fitness center was another area which was available. In the fitness center the limit was four people at a time. Those who used the fitness equipment were required to wear their masks and to sanitize the equipment before using another. Because the CDC advised to not have people in closed areas, the hotel had closed the lounge area and the cafeteria. This hotel had all employees cleaning rails, windows, doorknobs, elevator buttons, chairs, and tables.  

Since the cafeteria was closed the guests could only have their meals in their rooms, due to that inconvenience the hotel allowed the guests to be able to call room service at the time they desire. Room service were required to wear masks, apron, face shields, hair net, and gloves while they deliver the guests' meals. When the guests were done with their meal they had to take the cart outside their room and just leave it there and the employees would go and pick them up. When it got to getting the room cleaned the housekeepers would ask their guests if they wanted their room to be cleaned or if they didn't it was fine. If they didn't, they just had to just leave all towels and trash outside the door, the housekeepers would later provide cleaned towels and cleaning supplies for example, Clorox wipes, disinfecting spray, and trash bags. That would ensure the guests of fewer people entering the room and less exposure to the virus. 

Traveling during a pandemic is difficult for everyone from the hotel, staff, and guests. This hotel worked with all the CDC guidelines to help and prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. This doesn't mean that the hotel is safe to stay at during a pandemic, but they had all the resources available for staff and guests to keep everyone safe. Everyone is reasonable to do their part to try and minimize the cases.