OYO on Tuesday announced the launch of ‘Sanitised Stays’ with minimal touch to cater to the drastic changes in customer needs in a post-lockdown world.

This involves revamping guest check-in and check-out to a minimal touch process, ensuring social distancing at all customer-facing touchpoints, minimal contact room service along with trained housekeeping staff. The hotel chain is in the process of acquiring the required approvals for guests to upload their IDs, use a QR code etc. to complete their formalities at the hotel.

All OYO properties listed on the platform will display the level of sanitisation on the booking page. Hotels will go through regular background audit checks for sanitisation, hygiene and protective equipment. Out of these, properties that have cleared the background check will display the ‘Sanitised Stays ’ tag on the booking page. Additionally, guest audits will be conducted on the properties regularly to ensure that feedback, reviews and recommendations are taken into consideration to ensure continuity of the ‘Sanitised Stays’ tag.

Covid-19 related helpline numbers and awareness material will be displayed at the reception and all prominent places along with emergency contact numbers and details of the nearest hospitals.

Top requirements

In a survey of customers across the country, the hotel chain found that higher hygiene standards, minimal contact service and enhanced credibility top the list of customer requirements for travel after the lockdown. To ensure this, several customer, asset partners and employee-centric measures have been implemented to identify challenges and operate in the post-lockdown hospitality sector.

In the first phase, OYO plans to implement these measures in 1,000 hotels within the next 10 days and as the lockdown relaxes, aims to implement the measures in all 18,000 hotels in the country.

A new training module for on-ground teams will incorporate SOPs on the changed operating procedures across functions like: health screening for guests and staff, frequent sanitisation of space, placement of hand sanitisers at the reception and increased need to wear personal safety gear at all times. Encouragement of in-room dining, distance marker signs painted on floors to highlight correct distance people must maintain, guests handling their own luggage (except senior citizens and physically challenged), policies for dealing with outside suppliers and contractors to comply with health advisories and government regulations, property management to oversee housekeeping practices, have been put in place.

“Customer behaviour is seeing changes across the hospitality industry with hygiene, safety standards and minimal-touch SOPs soon to become the norm. We at OYO are working towards welcoming guests, post-lockdown and maintaining health, hygiene and well-being as our topmost priorities for all our stakeholders. At present, 50 OYO Hotels are providing accommodation to doctors, healthcare professionals and supporting self-quarantine for the general public,” said Rohit Kapoor, CEO, OYO India & South Asia.