Recovery

In This Section

As states move toward reopening or creating a plan to do so, we have curated a list of internal and external resources to help guide and inform our members through the process.

AAHOA Resource: Reopening or Transitioning Your Hotel Post-COVID-19

AAHOA released a new resource to provide members with a list of helpful guidelines for reopening or transitioning their businesses post-COVID-19. The five-page document includes a comprehensive suggestive checklist for signs and notices, human resources, employee and guest health, check-in and checkout processes, cleaning products and protocol, and more. While all information provided is accurate, we also strongly encourage members to comply with all federal, state, and local guidelines, as well as any applicable brand standards.

AAHOA Resource: Disabled Guest Considerations During COVID-19

As many states begin reopening their economies, hotel owners will need to implement policies to accommodate guests with disabilities that comply with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) but also maintain social distancing and other safety measures. As the Department of Justice has not yet issued any guidance on this, AAHOA has compiled a list of some suggestions to help hotel owners get started. We recommend implementing procedures, vetting them through legal counsel, and training all staff regardless of job duties to ensure compliance with the new procedures. If you need a referral to counsel, please contact us at info@aahoa.com.

RESOURCES, TOOLS & TIPS

AAHOA COVID-19 Webcast Series: “Conquering COVID-19”

Since the beginning, AAHOA has been committed to bringing America’s hotel owners – and the entire industry – the information they need to weather the storm. As the industry prepares for recovery and getting back to business, AAHOA is focusing its programming on these efforts. Our highly popular series, “The Impact of COVID-19” also is transforming to “Conquering COVID-19.” To view AAHOA’s entire library of webcasts, click here.

Expand all

Conquering COVID-19 Webcast Series

Additional Resources on Recovery

COVID-19: 5 Priorities to Help Reopen and Reinvent Your Business

Accenture, a multinational Fortune Global 500 professional services company, released 5 Priorities to Help Reopen and Reinvent Your Business, a 33-page document that outlines five key steps that can help you navigate a range of scenarios as businesses begin to reopen and recover. Noting that the immediate response to COVID-19 is almost over, Accenture says periods of uncertainty call for operations to be restructured and designed in such a way as to be able to respond immediately and effectively to unpredictable disruptions.

Getting Back to Business: Video Resource to Showcase Your Hotel’s Cleanliness Standards

Amid COVID-19, health standards have become just as important a decision-making factor as “price” or “star rating” when booking a hotel. As several states emerge from lockdown restrictions and guests tentatively begin to travel again, hygiene is going to be on the agenda like never before. Communication will be key when reassuring guests they’ve made the right decision to book with your property. In light of this, Triptease has put together a hotel cleanliness promotional video, based on WHO's interim guidance. You can download it to use on your own website here, but before doing so, please ensure it accurately reflects the measures in place at your property. You can also download a text-free version here if you would like to add your own message.

LodgingStream Conference Recordings Now Available

The Long Live Lodging/Lodging Leaders podcast team has made its entire digital conference, “LodgingStream: A Brave New World,” available to the public. The conference featured more than 50 well-known industry panelists, many of whom are AAHOA Lifetime Members, Annual Members, and Industry Partners, and was designed to give an update on how the hospitality industry is preparing to once again do business in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. Click here to access the recorded version and see each panel discussion in full.

Podcast: Considerations for Returning Employees to Work During COVID-19

As state and local governments begin to lift restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are preparing for the various permutations of returning employees to work. In a podcast released today from Ogletree Deakins, John Merrell, an attorney in Ogletree’s Greenville, SC office, discusses the legal implications of returning employees to pre-COVID-19 work conditions and provide employers with steps to minimize risk in the process.

Listen Now

EMPLOYER RESOURCES FROM FISHER PHILLIPS

covid94.23

Beyond the Curve: Post-Pandemic Back-to-Business FAQ for Employers

Fisher Phillips LLP recently published an extensive list of FAQ for employers as it relates to helping businesses get back to full strength. As we look toward life after the worst of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has passed, business recovery will be paramount. This includes assessing business operations, bringing employees back to work, and ensuring a safe workplace. Even if these steps are further in the future for some employers than others, the time to begin thinking about these issues is now, because with these next steps comes a whole new set of labor and employment challenges.

Access the Extensive FAQ

Hotel Owners & COVID-19: Post-Pandemic Back-to-Business FAQ

As we look toward life after the worst of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has passed, business recovery will be paramount. This includes assessing business operations, bringing employees back to work, and ensuring a safe workplace. Fisher Phillips has prepared an FAQ document applicable to hoteliers as they navigate the post-pandemic rehiring process.

Download the FAQ

Other Back-to-Business Legal Resources

INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR CLEANING

SafeStayLogo_Color_0

Safe Stay: Industry-Wide Hotel Cleaning Standards

AAHOA represented America's hotel owners on the advisory council that developed Safe Stay, an industry initiative focused on hotel cleaning standards. Safe Stay, led by AHLA and in partnership with AAHOA and other members of the advisory council, is an industry-wide enhanced standard of health and safety protocols designed to prepare America’s hotels to safely welcome back guests and employees as the economy reopens. As brands developed their own sets of standards and independent hotels will be seeking resources, these guidelines provide a framework for consistency and confidence for all guests and employees.

Read more here.

New IFA Franchise Blueprint

As the voice of America’s hotel owners, AAHOA is a contributor to the new Franchise Reopening Blueprint created by the International Franchise Association in conjunction with other industry participants. The recommended guidelines are designed to provide contextual practices for how franchise owners can mitigate risks through education and training to protect themselves, their employees, their guests, and the community upon reopening or getting back to business.

USTA

Travel Industry Guidance for "Travel in the New Normal"

In May, the U.S. travel industry released Travel in the New Normal, new health-focused travel guidance for the broader travel industry. As a contributing organization, AAHOA is proud to represent America's hotel owners in this detailed guidance, which describes vigorous measures the travel industry will follow to reduce the risk of COVID-19 and help to communicate across each and every step of a traveler's journey. Created for travel-related businesses to help keep their customers and employees safe as the country emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the guidance was also submitted to the White House and governors.

Read more here.

health-safety_0605

International WELL Building Institute Announces WELL Health-Safety Rating for Hotels and Resorts

The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the world’s leading certification body for healthy buildings, established the WELL Advisory for Hotels and Resorts to provide insights on the application of the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facilities Operations and Management for hotels and resorts. AAHOA served on the WELL Advisory Board that helped to establish the program. Hoteliers who are interested in the WELL Health-Safety Rating can register here.

HEALTH AND SANITATION RESOURCES

New! Hospitality Reopening Resources from Ecolab for a Well-Prepared Return

Ecolab released new reopening resources exclusively for the hospitality industry.

Reopening Checklists: Recommendations to help you make plans for resuming operations after a partial or full closure.
Updated Cleaning Procedures: Expert procedures to ensure your locations are using the most up-to-date cleaning procedures for COVID-19.
Top Considerations Post-COVID: Guidance to help identify gaps and provide direction as you navigate reopening and returning to fully operational.

Visit Ecolab’s Hospitality Library

P&G Professional Releases Hospitality Reopening Guidance

P&G recently released a 17-page document for the hospitality industry, targeted at cleaning and disinfecting information, guidelines, and hygienic practices that may be necessary to operate a hospitality establishment during this novel coronavirus time. The guide includes instructions on appointing a cleaning team, how to keep employees and guests safe, and eight checklists for areas around your property.