#Eventprof Tips

Current Programs for Hosting Safe Meetings at 6 Hotel Brands

Here’s what each hotel brand has in place for safe meetings and events.

We’ve tracked down the hotel COVID safety protocols and programs that are currently in place (as of April 5, 2021) across six of our favorite hotel brands for meetings – Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Intercontinental, Accor, and Melia.

You’ll see two sections for each hotel brand:

1. General Programs – these apply to all guests at the hotel
2. Meetings Specific Programs – for groups, special events, conferences, etc

While these protocols will inevitably change in the coming months, our love of (and trust in) partnering with hotel venues for meetings has only grown as these brands have put so much energy into creating these programs and training their staff to welcome groups back safely. And with some great incentives, too!

Marriott

Image: Marriott International

General – Marriott’s Commitment to Clean Program

1. Face coverings required for guests and associates in all indoor public areas in North America, the Caribbean and Latin America
2. Surface Areas and Public Spaces are treated with hospital-grade disinfectants, air purification systems that are effective against viruses in the air and on surfaces as well as electrostatic sprayers to sanitize surfaces
3. Disinfectant wipes are in each room for guests’ personal use
4. Increase in hand sanitizing stations
5. Food handlers are trained on safe food preparation and service practices
6. New modifications for in-room dining
7. (exclusively for Marriott Bonvoy members) Mobile Check-in as well as an app that can act as your room key allowing you to go straight to your room without stopping at the desk. You can also use the app to order dinner to your room, LIVE chat with an associate and get amenities brought to your door

Meetings Specific – Marriott’s Connect with Confidence Program

1. Hybrid meeting solutions
2. Social Distanced Meeting set-up
3. Virtual Inspection Option
4. Staggered Group Check-in
5. Virtual Registration and/or Multiple Registration desks upon arrival
6. Sanitizing stations in meeting space
7. Food and Beverage set-ups include individual items and proper distancing with multiple set-ups
8. Between session high-touch point sanitization by Marriott team

Hilton

Image: Skift.com

General – Hilton CleanStay Program

1. Partnered with RB, makers of Lysol, Dettol, Sagrotan, Napisan, Muse and more.
2. Face coverings are required in all indoor public areas
3. Enhanced cleaning of guest rooms with an additional disinfecting step with RB products focusing on touch points within the room
4. Contactless Arrival – check-in & out, choose your room & skip the front desk with Digital Key. An app on your phone that is your room key. (Join Hilton Honors for experience)
5. Increased disinfecting stations located throughout the property. Public and Team Member areas are cleaned at scheduled intervals, including hourly maintenance of high-touch areas.
6. Proper social distancing space with tables and chairs within the hotel and restaurants.
7. Biodegradable, disposable dishware and flatware available upon request
8. Grab & go, pre-plated and individually wrapped options are also offered as alternatives to open breakfast and buffet service.

Meetings Specific – Hilton EventReady with CleanStay Program

1. Hilton CleanStay (mentioned above in General info) will apply to all meeting/conference venues.
2. Hilton will work hand-in-hand to align on shared event objectives providing flexibility with space options and contract terms keeping both health and environmental concerns in mind.
3. Dedicated Team members to ensure compliance with disinfecting high touch points, etc. during meeting, events.

Hyatt

Image: Hyatt Hotels

General – Hyatt’s Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment

1. Face masks or coverings are required in hotel indoor public areas and when moving around in outdoor areas at all Hyatt hotels
2. Complimentary On-Property COVID-19 Testing at 19 Hyatt resorts in Latin America for guests traveling to the U.S. Valid for up to two registered guests per guest room per stay. List of resorts here.
3. Enhanced Cancellation Policy- Existing reservations booked PRIOR to July 1, 2020 can be cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before scheduled arrival. New reservations booked July 1, 2020 or beyond can be cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before scheduled arrival w/exclusions
4. Additional training for team members to adhere to new operational guidelines per GBAC STAR
5. Sanitizer stations throughout the property
6. More frequent cleaning of public spaces and guest rooms surfaces
7. Enhanced food safety and hygiene protocols –
8. Removal of certain high-touch items from guestrooms
9. Revised capacity guidelines for public areas
10. World of Hyatt app provides mobile check-in and out. Mobile Entry, in-room Chromecast, grab and go meal ordering and hotel stay bill
11. Workout in-room with Exhale on Demand
12. Curated meditations from Headspace

Meetings Specific – Hyatt’s Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment

1. All Meeting rooms will be sanitized and disinfected before and after each use
2. Social distancing requirements will be utilized in set-up
3. Linen free tables
4. Proper signage reminding attendees to social distance
5. Care Stations with PPE will be available
6. Hand sanitizer stations within meeting space
7. Registration tables will have Plexiglass shields
8. Meeting partners will ensure all items are sanitized before use (such as microphones between speakers, etc.)
9. Reduced numbers at dining tables
10. Modified menus that allows personal choice
11. Prepackaged food and individual portions covered
12. Virtual Hotel tours
13. Meetings On Demand
14. Online driven and interactive planning and payment features for spaces

Intercontinental

Image: prnewswire.com

General – IHG Clean Promise

1. Face masks required in all public areas
2. Deep cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants
3. Touchless transactions
4. Add’l cleaning of high touch areas
5. Reduction of in-room furnishings/high touch items
6. Use of electrostatic technology
7. Sanitizer stations

Meetings Specific – Meet with Confidence

1. Hybrid Meeting with tech enabled tools and software
2. Deep and more frequent cleaning of meeting and event spaces
3. Access to ample hand sanitizer stations
4. Socially distanced seating and meeting room layout
5. Guidance on management of guest flow
6. Single-serve and prepackaged meal options
7. Designated attendee guest room floors
8. Contactless Checkin/out
9. Partnered with Wellness 4 Humanity to provide onsite Covid-19 testing (select locations)
10. 10-50 rooms on peak, offering flexibility with no cancellation fees, no attrition fees for rooms that are not booked
11. Streamlined contracting and planning

AccorHotels

Image: c-mw.net

General – Accor ALLSAFE (Accor Live Limitless)

1. Reinforced cleaning program in all public and common areas of hotel including high-touch points
2. Sanitizer stations in public areas
3. Face masks required in all public areas
4. Frequent monitoring of air renewal system
5. Fever screening will be mandatory upon arrival at the hotel. Customers with fever (or who refuse to measure it) and/or Covid-19 symptoms will NOT have access to hotel services. Refund offered.
6. Contactless check in, checkout and payment completion
7. Elevator capacity reduction
8. Valet service and courier services
9. 24-hour room isolation period
10. Room service at no additional cost, limited menu, new hygiene and food handling protocols

Meetings Specific

1. Reinforced cleaning program with frequent disinfection of all high touch areas
2. Social distanced room layouts
3. Dedicated guest hotline to answer questions
4. Sanitizing stations in meeting areas
5. Reinforced food safety standards and new protocols

Melia

Image: Melia Hotels

General – Stay safe with Melia

1. Digital Concierge
2. Take-Away Meal Service
3. The buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner will be adapted to serve a wide range of cold dishes and products in individual portions and a choice of hot dishes made to order or à la carte. In some hotels a traditional buffet format will be available requiring gloves, hydroalcoholic gel and mask with the maximum safety guarantees
4. A space management tool has been implemented to reduce capacity in restaurants, meeting rooms and swimming pools and manage bookings to guarantee social distancing and personal space
5. Installation of protective screens in reception and in the dining room services.
6. Before customers arrive, they will be contacted and told about all the measures being taken and what their stay will be like. This information will be available and updated on melia.com
7. Until December 31, 2021, all the rates that we currently have on sale can be cancelled at no cost. Cancellations can be made between 1 and 7 days before the scheduled arrival date. Some exclusions may apply. May exclude periods with special event restrictions or peak demand weeks. Please refer to the property’s Rate Details for applicable terms or exceptions, if any, when booking or changing reservations.

Meetings Specific – Melia MICE program

1. Flexible set-ups
2. Signage systems to guarantee appropriate flow of groups
3. Web check-in/out
4. Hospitality desk with screens and sanitizing stations
5. New capacity limits and redistribution of furniture
6. Distribution to group with detailed information on disinfection, hygiene and food safety
7. Virtual site inspections and set-up using 3D diagramming tools
8. Viricidal protocols and products: Disinfecting mats for shoes and suitcases and sealing of rooms after cleaning and disinfection
9. Glass bottle of water per person, sealed cutlery
10. Reduction of decorative items and elimination of textiles
11. Sanitizing stations
12. HACCP system
13. Catering services in a private dining room or reserved area of restaurant
14. Take-away options
15. Self-service minimized (single use, covered or pre-served dishes)