It looks like this whole coronavirus situation has travelers keeping their distance. Our friends at the American Hotel & Lodging Association sent us a copy of a travel survey. It shows something we have said for years. Improvements to health and sanitation protocols would have considerable impact on guests’ comfort levels staying at various lodgings.

The top three include face coverings both for for employees and guests, suspending daily housekeeping of rooms and reduction of direct contact.

These priorities align with AHLA’s Safe Stay Guest Checklist and CDC recommendations distributed on behalf of the industry. However, we have been doing things to make certain that the rooms we stay in have been treated.

What We Do

Those who follow us, know that we have a diffuser and use essential oils to deodorize and purify the room. We also carry our own water for drinking purposes. However, we have not been overly concerned about face coverings or direct contact.

Our diffuser loaded with essential oils and ready.

In fact, the combination of face coverings and plastic shields have made it difficult to communicate on several occasions.

The Survey Says

Among the key concerns of the 2200 travelers polled for the survey about the coronavirus situation:

  • Cleanliness was the Top Priority: Out of a list of nine options, frequent travelers most often chose cleanliness as the most important factor when determining their next hotel stay, It showed 81% were more comfortable staying at hotels now. It cited enhanced protocols and standards. 
  • Guests Prefer Housekeeping by Request Only: The poll indicated that 88% of the respondents frequent travelers wanted housekeeping to be “by request only.” In fact, 58% of the  guests didn’t want daily housekeeping. They indicated they would not be comfortable with housekeeping staff entering their room without advance permission.
  • The Use of Face Coverings is a Priority: The survey said 62% of those questioned said they would be more comfortable if hotels require face coverings, And 66% of guests said they would be more comfortable if hotels require employees to wear face coverings and gloves.

What’s Next?

Officials of the AHLA told us that the coronavirus situation has decimated the hotel industry. We already knew that travel has slowed significantly throughout the last few months. We know ours has.

They say that the fall looks to be equally challenging. Their survey shows that only a third of frequent travelers expected their next hotel stay to be within the next three months. There also were 18 percent planning to travel within three to six months, and 25 percent in 6-12 months.

Our Plans

Our plans have been a bit different. We are aching to travel again. That being said, we are looking for places without mask mandates. In the recent past, we have traveled to Vero Beach and Venice. Both trips were wonderful events.

We are ready to roll out.

We have taken a few day trips like our recent forays into Lake, Okechobee and Polk counties. Stay tuned, we’ll be blogging those soon. And remember to like our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts.