Staying in a Hotel Amid Coronavirus

Daren Barone
2 min readAug 4, 2020

As summer approached, more and more people were finally going to get back to traveling, even amid the coronavirus pandemic. Some may simply travel to visit family that they haven’t seen since perhaps the Christmas holidays or for business. Regardless of the reason, many are going to be returning to hotels over the course of the next few months. Understandably, peoples are wary about staying in such a populated location. Therefore, the following list includes some helpful tips that you need to keep in mind when staying in a hotel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Know Your Chosen Hotel

The unfortunate reality is that not all hotels are going to follow strict guidelines. There is simply not enough manpower to check every single hotel in America. Therefore, you should take the time to research your chosen hotel to see if they’re following guidelines set forth by The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). Check recent reviews on search websites to read about what other people have said regarding their recent sanitation efforts.

Observe Cleaning Crew

No, you should never follow around cleaning crews, but you can keep an eye out. See if they’re wearing masks or wearing gloves as they enter rooms to clean them. Improper use of PPE during room cleanings should be seen as a red flag. Inform hotel management about this issue to not only help you receive a properly cleaned room but help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

State of Your Room

Perhaps the most important thing you should do is not remove your face mask until you’ve made sure that your room is clean thoroughly. First, check the bathroom as that is the most obvious place where you can see the type of cleaning that was done. Look for any grime and dirt around the toilet seat as well as the shower/tub, which can hold hair from the previous guests. Next, you should look around objects and areas that tend to be touched, such as the remote control and the door handle. Look for smudges and fingerprints. If you find that all these have failed your test, it is highly recommended to either get your money back or ask for the room to be cleaned again.

--

--

Daren Barone

Daren Barone lives in San Diego where — in his entrepreneurial career — he’s the Founder of The Barone Group. www.Thebaronegroup.com