Sometimes the simplest policies are the best. Marriott and Hyatt have come out with one that couldn’t be any clearer: wear a face covering at any of our hotels. If you’re indoors at a Marriott or Hyatt property in the USA or Canada, you should be wearing a mask or face covering. The hotel giants are the latest travel brands to remove any grey areas or regional advice on the current best practices for curbing covid-19.
Effective July 27th, 2020, anyone entering a shared indoor area of a Marriott or Hyatt Hotel is expected to wear a mask. Obviously, what happens in your room is up to you. The new safety advice comes as the American Hotel Lodging Association released its findings for a “Safe Stay Guest Checklist”.
“Given the recent spikes across the US, and with guidance from health officials, we are now extending the requirement to wear facemasks in all indoor public spaces and hotels to all our guests, no matter what the jurisdiction”…
– Arne Sorenson, CEO Marriott International
Marriott and Hyatt, like all hotels is struggling with a crisis in guest confidence. People are eager to travel again, but until enough practical safety measures are in place, many are simply unwilling to risk it. This is particularly true for corporate travel, which is managed by risk, and is a bread and butter element of the hotel business. Without it, there arguably wouldn’t be many city hotels.
Face coverings will be required of all Marriott and Hyatt associates, and now also for all guests. The hotel behemoths are also pushing through tech projects to bring mobile room keys and contactless check in to more properties around the globe. Making the policy of face coverings as international as the chain itself removes any guesswork for guests unsure of local rules or customs at the time, and adds an element of confidence to any stay.
For now, as “un-fun” as it may be, it’s clearly the right thing to do, based on internationally recognized and mostly accepted best practices. Hotel pools and outdoor spaces are expected to remain covering free, which means your tan shouldn’t be impacted.
Maybe a policy that restricts non-essential travel stays at these hotels would be more effective. Risking your life to go tan at a hotel pool doesn’t make sense during a Pandemic.
Might want to re-read the Hyatt presser – it clearly states it only applies at their US/Canada properties.
Yes- the Hyatt mask requirement for the US and Canada is clearly stated in the first part of the article.
He updated the article since I posted my comment – unlike most reputable media outlets, many bloggers just stealth edit rather than actually post when they make an update.