Amid new cleaning protocols recently announced by Airbnb and other hotel companies, Hilton Worldwide on Monday announced a collaboration with Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of Lysol and Dettol cleaning products, on a new hotel sanitization program for its global properties.
As part of the "Hilton CleanStay with Lysol Protection" program, Hilton is collaborating with RB to incorporate its approach to cleaning practices and products. Hilton also is working with experts from the Mayo Clinic's Infection Prevention and Control team, who will advise and assist in enhancing Hilton's new cleaning and disinfection protocols, expected to launch in June.
The CleanStay program is being developed to meet new customer expectations during the coronavirus pandemic. Though not yet finalized, some hotel brand standards under consideration include the development of a Hilton CleanStay room seal; extra disinfection for 10 high-touch areas, including light switches, door handles and TV remotes; removing pens, paper and the guest directory to be either available upon request or digitally; possibly closing the fitness center for cleaning multiple times per day and limiting the number of guests allowed in at one time; increased cleaning of public areas; providing disinfecting wipes at entrances and key high-traffic areas; contactless check-in via Hilton's digital key technology at participating hotels; and new disinfection technologies such as electrostatic spray and ultraviolet light.
In addition, Hilton is one of 17 hotel companies sitting on the new Safe Stay Advisory Council announced Monday by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. The initiative is to establish new industrywide hotel cleaning standards "to meet the new health and safety challenges and expectations presented by Covid-19." Essentially, AHLA will set best practices and protocols, and hotel companies will aim to meet or exceed those.
Other hotel companies with seats on the AHLA Safe Stay council include Accor, Aimbridge Hospitality, Best Western Hotels & Resorts, Choice Hotels, G6 Hospitality, Hyatt Hotels Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group, Loews Hotels, Marriott International, My Place Hotels, Noble Investment Group, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Red Lion Hotels Corp., Red Roof and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.