How to make our hotels safer? [9 Steps]

Many of the hotels & resorts in Rajasthan cater to the leisure segment of travellers. The best hotels in Ranakpur & Kumbhalgarh cater almost exclusively to the leisure travellers. The leisure segment includes family’s, friends, couples etc. who are coming to destinations like Ranakpur to visit the Jain Temple and relax in the resorts spending some quality time with their loved ones. From the time any of these guests calls the hotel to make the reservation, to the time they check out from the resort, the resorts can take several steps to ensure that the guests stay is enjoyable, relaxing thereby making the hotels safer:

There is a big difference in how hotels in Rajasthan are operating now visavis how they were operating before the virus hit us. Some of these changes will come as a surprise to the guests even though they are for everyone’s health & safety. The  best hotels in Rajasthan are making sure that all such changes are communicated to the guests at the initial stages of discussions. This will ensure that the guests know what to expect when they arrive at the hotel.

The reservations procedures at the resorts in Rajasthan was already paperless to a large extent with the exception of paper vouchers issued by some travel agents. However, I am sure that even these agents will find ways to issue e-vouchers. The uncertainty exists around the other documents which were given to guests in the form of paper, namely; registration cards, bills, feedback cards etc. Although the technology exists to make these documents paperless as well, the Indian legal system makes it very difficult to prove validity of e-documents during legal proceedings. So even though the hotels and the guests might be willing to go 100% paperless, our Judiciary & tax authorities will have to mend their ways as well. Online feedback is already preferred by majority of guests and the Ranakpur resorts and this should not be an any issue going forward.

All the hotels in Rajasthan will have to make sure that any person entering the hotel premises, whether it is a guest or staff member, is healthy and free from any of the symptoms indicative of the virus. Although the hotels can take strict measures with the staff, the guests will have to be open and honest in declaring any symptoms they have. Moreover, in case the guests experience any symptoms such as cold, cough, sore throat, difficulty breathing, fever etc. they should avoid travelling all together. In addition, the resorts in Rajasthan will have to screen the guests at multiple points during their stay along with asking them to sign disclaimer’s etc. The guests cooperation in this regard will help make the stay for all persons at the hotel hassle free.

It may not be possible for us to maintain social distancing in our homes, work places or cities due to the sheer volume of people around us. However, in places like Ranakpur & Kumbhalgarh, you have the luxury of being in very secluded locations with low population of people. Even the resorts in Ranakpur offer large open spaces to the guests allowing them to keep a safe distance from the other guests.

One might wonder how the serving staff is going to maintain a distance of 6 feet from the guests. There are a few possible solutions for this such as:

In addition, due to the current state of business for the best resorts in Rajasthan, only 50% of the rooms are being given out to guests. This means that the guests at the resorts will be able to enjoy a lot more space.

For resorts which are spread out over larger areas, the need to use lifts is also eliminated. If we have to climb only 1 or 2 floors, using the stairs is always a safer option than entering a lift.

Lastly, even the staff has to maintain distance amongst one another. This is being achieved through reduced staff, staggered shifts, re-arranging cafeteria seating, re-arranging staff accommodation etc. by the best resorts in Rajasthan.

The guest rooms in the resorts of Ranakpur will look & feel different to travelers. You will miss the luxurious throw’s and cushions waiting for you on the beds. Gone will be the multiple pillows lined up on your bed inviting you to take a nap. Similarly, the guest service directory’s, room service menu’s, laundry rate cards, promotional tent cards etc. will be removed for the health and safety of the guests. Some of your favorite bathroom amenities may also be missing along with the slippers. However, all is not lost as you can still call for these items on request. A guest might wonder if the hotel has removed these items to save costs. However that would be far from the truth. The sole and simple reason for removing these items is due to the chance of them transmitting the infections from one guest to the other.

Similar to the rooms, the other services at the hotels in Rajasthan will also be affected. Some of these services have been restricted by the state and central governments. For example, swimming pools, massages, common areas such as gyms, game rooms etc. have been ordered shut for the time being due to the higher possibility of transmission of the virus. The best resorts in Rajasthan will surely offer these services once these restrictions are lifted.

Even the areas like the restaurant & the conference rooms will look different as the furniture would have been re-arranged to ensure a gap of  6 feet between any 2 tables. Or, if the furniture is not moved, don’t be surprised to see all the tables in your immediate vicinity to be empty.

The hotel staff will not enter your room for the duration of the stay unless you specifically call them  for the same.

The resorts in Rajasthan often source their food raw material from far off places to offer culinary variety to their guests. However, in the present scenario, fresh produce sourced locally would be the healthiest option.  This farm to table concept will be the norm for the Ranakpur hotels & resorts as they are located in rural areas where farmer’s markets are easily accessible. Food sourced from these markets is safer on account of reduced handling and transportation compared to items sourced from distant locations. The downside of this for the guests is restrictions in the food options at the restaurants.

I think we are all getting used to seeing people’s faces covered in masks. At the resorts in Rajasthan, the use of such protective equipment’s will not be any less. In fact, chances are that you will be politely requested to wear your masks at all times when in the public spaces for the health and safety of all guests and staff members. Similar to the masks, the sanitizer bottle’s will be ubiquitous. In addition to these measures that we follow at our homes as well, there will be a very strict (almost) hospital cleaning like protocol which the best hotels in Rajasthan will follow for the safety of their guests & staff. Such procedure’s & SOP’s run into several hundred pages covering every aspect of the hotel. To name a few unusual practices, all check out rooms will be kept closed for 24 hours after the guest leaves the room, some of the items in the guest rooms will be kept out in the Sun for about 3 to 4 hours after every use, guest luggage will be sanitized before bringing it into the guest rooms etc.

Lastly, all hotels in Rajasthan will have to understand that it will be difficult to make firm plans for travel. After all, none of us can predict what steps the government may have to take from time to time to keep the virus under control. Keeping this in mind, all the best hotels in Rajasthan will offer flexible cancellation & refund policy’s to guests who are looking to travel in this period of uncertainty. Atleast with this, the guests know that they have the option to change their travel plans without being penalized.

Some of the above measures may seem excessive to guests who are taking a holiday to actually get away from the constant chatter about the virus and how to stay safe from it. However, the hotels & resorts in Rajasthan have a responsibility towards their guests and employees to take all necessary steps to ensure their health & well being. Unfortunately, in the current times, it would be hard to fulfill this obligation without following the steps mentioned above and more. When done with the right caring attitude and with the support of the guests themselves, we are sure that the best resorts in Ranakpur & Kumbhalgarh will not just meet guest expectations but also exceed them.