Ireland: Staycity is set to reopen properties with a comprehensive set of health and safety protocols designed to minimise the risk of Covid-19 and deliver high standards of hygiene to both staff and guests.
“We have systematically worked through every aspect of our business with our own health and safety team as well as outside consultants. The result is a Safeguard Promise to protect and reassure our returning guests as well as our team members,” said Staycity COO Keith Freeman. “Alongside these extensive cleaning and hygiene protocols, as aparthotels we can offer guests the confidence that comes with having their own kitchen with dishwashers and microwaves so they can cook or reheat food for themselves without having to use public areas, restaurants or lounges. Our properties have the added benefit of modern, newly fitted interiors throughout with hard wood flooring and wipeable surfaces, which are easy to keep clean and sanitised.”
Operating under WHO and local authority guidelines the ‘Guest Safeguard Promise’ involves a deep clean to each apartment prior to guest arrival including all touch points with loose items such as irons, hairdryers and remote controls marked with a ‘Just Sanitised’ label. Throws and cushions will be removed and rooms will be sealed with a door sticker once they’ve been cleaned. No staff will enter the apartments after cleaning or during the guests’ stay, with anything required by the guest to be left outside the door.
Public areas will be sanitised regularly with an electrostatic disinfection system and markings will be in place to indicate social distancing requirements. Protective screens have been erected at reception and disinfectant spray, disposable roll and hand sanitisers will be freely available. Breakfast buffets will be replaced by takeaway food and drink and seating areas will be closed off. Gyms will also remain shut.
Guests will be encouraged to contact staff via email or phone, use card payments instead of cash and make use of the express checkout key box at the end of their stay. The front of house teams will receive on-going safety training, will be temperature checked at the beginning of their shifts, and will observe strict social distancing, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. Each property team has an appointed ‘Hygiene Champion’ to ensure rigorous implementation of all measures and checks.
“The Covid-19 crisis has been devastating to the global hospitality sector, but we are certain we will be able to return to some sort of normality in time. For now, as we re-open our properties and business and leisure travellers start to return, it’s important that we can reassure guests that their safety is our prime concern and that we’ve done everything we can to minimise risk,” said Staycity CEO and co-founder Tom Walsh.
Staycity operates 3,000 units across 12 European locations. Staycity’s properties in France and Italy have already reopened, the latter currently with a 50km travel limit. The company’s property in Berlin reopened at the end of May, while those in England are due to reopen on 4th July, Ireland on 20th July and Scotland on 15th August.
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