Government’s announcement for Unlock 1.0 that permitted businesses to re-open in a phased manner with effect from June 8, 2020, enabled hotels and other commercial establishments to welcome back their guests with a renewed service standards focused on safety and hygiene. ‘The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace’, a part of Chalet Hotels Ltd., being a ‘Wellness’ brand, has always focused and promoted wellness even before Covid-19. As part of the ‘We Care’ programme introduced by Marriott International, enhanced protocols have been incorporated to ensure guests can enjoy the seamless luxury experience with highest order of safety and precautionary measures.
Hygiene has always been a top priority for the hotel even before the Covid-19 outbreak. Under the ‘New Normal’, the hotel commenced sanitisation of all ‘Touch Points’ every 2 hours by their associates, ensuring maximum safety and hygiene for the guests and associates. The hotel has also re-designed and re-defined dining and service experience with digital innovations in food and beverage services with a focus on in-room dinning for corporates and leisure travellers. Food being the integral part of the entire experience, extra measures are taken. At Westin, all food handlers and supervisors are trained on safe food preparation and service practice. The topmost priority for the hotel has shifted from being ‘Aesthetically clean’ to ‘Clinically Clean’. Hygiene manager is allocated to ensure frequency of sanitisation of high touch points and sensitive areas in guest rooms. Enhanced technology has been initiated to counter virus spread, like the use of electrostatic sprayers with hospital-grade disinfectants to sanitise the surfaces throughout the hotel. Each ‘Westin heavenly bed’ is disinfected by Vacuum and Steam-cleaning.
The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace has initiated digitalised menus and is increasing digital touchpoints covering all aspects of the guest journey at the hotel. The hotel was operational even during lockdown, and the first hotel in the city to start with food delivery service maintaining sanitisation as per FSSAI standards. Weddings have already commenced and been hosted, encapsulating every minor details within their safety operation standards. “Unlock 2.0 also marks the arrival of the wedding season in the city, the hotel is prepared to host wedding events with a strong focus on social distancing and adhering to the government guidelines. The hotel has introduced innovations in the food and beverage with the availability of freshly cooked meals for door step delivery. To ensure overall protection, the hotel staff is also considering the deployment of advanced equipment like electrostatic sprayers to disinfect the premises and common public areas like floors, rooms, elevators, swimming pools and is also aiming to minimise human contact through digital door keys moving forward.”
