Marriott has launched the Global Cleanliness Council. The council will focus on developing the next level of global hospitality cleanliness standards, norms and behaviours that are designed to minimise risk and enhance safety for hotel guests and Marriott employees alike.
The council is chaired by Ray Bennett, Chief Global Officer, Global Operations, Marriott International, and will benefit from knowledge and input from both in-house and outside experts including senior leaders from across Marriott disciplines like housekeeping, engineering, food safety, occupational health and associate wellbeing.
The council also includes advisory members Dr. Ruth L. Petran, Senior Corporate Scientist, Food Safety & Public Health for Ecolab, a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services; Dr. Michael A. Sauri, Infectious Disease Specialist at Adventist Healthcare; Dr. Richard Ghiselli, Head of the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Purdue University; and Dr. Randy Worobo, Professor of Food Microbiology in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University.
Bennett said, “Through the council and scientific advice of experts, we are taking a thoughtful approach to set an even higher bar of cleanliness and develop new guest interaction protocols. The Marriott Global Cleanliness Council is focused on more than just disinfection across the hotel, we are providing a holistic approach designed to take care of our guests and associates.”
Marriott is rolling out enhanced technologies over the next few months, including electrostatic sprayers with hospital-grade disinfectant to sanitize surfaces throughout the hotel.
Electrostatic spraying technology uses the highest classification of disinfectants recommended by the CDC and WHO to treat known pathogens. The sprayers rapidly clean and disinfect entire areas and can be used in a hotel setting to clean and disinfect guest rooms, lobbies, gyms and other public areas.
In addition, the company is testing ultraviolet light technology for sanitizing keys for guests and devices shared by associates.
Marriott will also install more hand sanitizing stations at the entrances to its hotels, near the front desk, elevator banks, fitness and meeting spaces, and placing disinfecting wipes in each room for guests’ personal use.
Signs will be added to hotel lobbies to remind guests to maintain social distancing protocols and the company plans to remove or re-arrange furniture to allow more space for distancing.
Marriott is also evaluating adding partitions to front desks to provide an extra level of precaution for guests and employees and is working with supply chain partners to make masks and gloves available for staff.
In addition, in over 3,200 of Marriott’s hotels, guests can now choose to use their phones to check in, access their rooms, make special requests and order room service that will be specially packaged and delivered right to the door without contact.
Bennett said, “Safety for our guests and associates has always been a top priority for Marriott and today that discussion of safety is in the context of COVID19. We want our guests to know that we are doing everything we can to welcome them back to a safe and clean hotel environment when they start traveling again.”
