Hotel bathroom amenities during Covid: what stays and what goes?

 

We are often asked about how to manage guest expectations for hotel bathroom amenities and how to manage them during COVID-19. There’s little information on the NSW Government COVID Safe website save for the square metre rules and links to fill out your COVID safe plan.

Guests expect a certain range of items to be available but want to know that they are COVID-Safe and untouched by any previous guest. On the other hand, most guests would be horrified if they found out that every item was replaced at every change over – whether used or not.

I recently stayed in a hotel that had 9 single use items in the bathroom (all direct from a factory in China).  If you separated them into lids, tubes, boxes and items, there were over 30 separate single use disposable items.  I moved them out of the way (and in doing so touched them), but did not use any of them as I always take my own toiletries.

When asked about guest expectations we recommend providing a minimum level of good quality bathroom amenities – our 3 bottle hotel soap dispenser in the shower containing shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Our Ecomenities hotel soap dispenser system in lockable and tamper proof and as easy to clean as a tap or a door handle.

And above the basin we recommend our 2 bottle bracket with hand wash and moisturizer OR our single bottle bracket with hand wash (both sizes coming soon!).  Occasionally we come across basins where there is nowhere to install a bracket – usually due to very large mirrors.  In these cases we recommend a 500ml hand wash with pump on the vanity that can easily be washed and dried at each change over.

Other less used items such as sewing kits, vanity kits, and shower caps can be kept in a COVID-safe environment at reception.  A small note card in the bathroom lets your guest know about the environmental and COVID-safe practices you are following:

Dear Guest

In order to reduce plastic waste, we have removed all single use items from our bathrooms.  You will find a supply of luxury Australian made toiletries in the shower and near the basin. If you require any of the following items, please collect from our COVID-safe storage at reception:

Vanity Kit            Sewing Kit                  Shower Cap

There’s a great opportunity to reduce your hotel waste generated by single use items, plus reduce bathroom waste AND keep your guests COVID-safe by storing those less-used items in a clean safe container at reception.