Best Western Hotels & Resorts previously rolled out enhanced cleaning protocols and breakfast standards in response to the coronavirus pandemic, but on Thursday announced a new, more stringent program based on guidance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and Health Canada. The program, dubbed We Care Clean, joins other cleanliness programs announced by hotels within the past week, including those by Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide and Hyatt Hotels Corp.
The program, which expands upon the I Care Clean program Best Western launched in 2012, "ensures an even higher level of cleaning standards and operational best practices." In addition to upgraded sanitization measures in public areas and guest rooms—including waiting between 24 to 72 hours for staff to enter guest rooms after check-out—the new protocols include minimizing guest and employee contact through streamlined check-in and check-out processes. Social distancing measure swill be implemented at hotels, signs concerning wellness best practices will be posted, and all hotel lobby brochures, magazines and papers will be removed. Sanitizing stations or wipes will be available throughout hotels. Unnecessary items will be removed from guest rooms, including decorative pillows, bed scarves, paper notepads and pens.
The company also has temporarily changed its breakfast offerings with enhanced pre-packaged "Grab & Go" food and beverage options, and it will allow hotels to provide a served or pre-plated breakfast to minimize guest contact with food, beverages and surfaces, and cross-contamination. Public amenities, including fitness centers, swimming pools and meeting rooms, will be cleaned on a monitored scheduled and during the evenings, sanitized with the use of electrostatic fogging, ozone generators or ultraviolet devices.
In addition, hotel employees will follow strict guidelines, such as using personal protective equipment, following frequent and stringent hand-washing protocols. Housekeeping and laundry staff will wear both gloves and masks.
Best Western said it will update the program regularly based on the latest standards and recommendations by governmental agencies and industry groups.