In preparation for welcoming guests back to the Caribbean, Sandals Resorts is enhancing its industry-leading health and safety measures with the introduction of “Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness.” These pre-emptive protocols will guarantee guests can enjoy their vacation with utmost confidence, from arrival to departure, at all Sandals and Beaches Resorts.
The new and enhanced protocols – from required temperature checks for team members before starting a shift to new online check-in that allows guests to go straight to their rooms upon arrival – that will take effect across all 15 Sandals Resorts and 3 Beaches Resorts.
As you daydream aboout your first post-Covid vacation, here are some of the innovative and pro-active steps taken by Sandals Resorts with the goal of exceeding a guest’s expectations.
- All-Encompassing Eighteen Touch Point Practice: Sandals Resorts has completed a thorough research assessment of all points of guest contact, resulting in the integration of advanced hygiene practices across eighteen key touch points – starting from the moment guests arrive at airport lounges through the entirety of the resort experience.
These touch points include the airport lounge; guest transfers to and from resort; guest rooms, food and beverage experiences; housekeeping and laundry; elite services including butler service and Club Sandals Concierge; maintenance; resort activities such as water sports; elevators; swimming pools, jacuzzis and spas; team members access points; fitness centers and the Red Lane Spa; public bathrooms; suppliers and receiving; all public areas including lobbies and beaches; back of house facilities such as store rooms and offices; Kids Camps and waterparks at Beaches Resorts; and HVAC systems.
- Enhanced Triple-Check System for Cleaning and Sanitation: All resorts are diligently cleaned and sanitized on an ongoing basis, with a Triple-Check system and a minimum of three inspections daily. These inspections include all hard surfaces – from door handles and interiors of vehicles used for airport transfers; public restrooms, which are inspected, cleaned and sanitized in 20-minute intervals; kitchens, bars and restaurants, including menus, tables, cutlery, glassware, chairs and more; and swimming pools and hot tubs.
Additional hand sanitizing stations will be provided for guests and team members throughout the resorts, at all dining locations and within each individual guest room. Any items that guests will come in contact with – from room cards to welcome cocktails glassware – are sanitized before distribution.
- New Certified Sandals Sanitized Guest Rooms: Sandals will introduce even more robust housekeeping measures as part of Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness, to include: the introduction of additional hospital-grade disinfectants; electrical aerosol sprayers for advanced cleaning; the use of UV-LED lighting equipment to inspect cleanliness; air duct sanitization for each arrival and upon each departure; weekly steam-cleaning and sanitization of carpeting; placement of anti-bacterial gels and soaps in each guest room; and strict adherence to the Triple-Check System.
- At-Home to In-Room Check-in, beginning in June: Guests will have the ability to check-in online, allowing them to skip the front desk and go directly to their room. A refreshing welcome cocktail, a personal anti-bacterial hand towel and individual in-room hand sanitizer will always await arriving guests.
- Social Distancing Practices: Sandals is introducing new ways to encourage guests to maintain a safe social distance while sustaining the relaxed experience the brand is known for, including: adding more airport transfers with fewer guests per vehicle; extending check-in times between visitors; setting up a safe social distance across restaurants, bars and beaches; replacing handshakes with a nod and a smile; and restricting elevator trips to one couple per trip at Sandals Resorts and one family per trip at Beaches Resorts, with staff members taking alternate routes.
- Team Member Trainings and Precautionary Temperature Checks: Sandals is ensuring all team members stay healthy both inside and outside the workplace with ongoing specialized training on precautionary measures geared toward preventative protocols and added sanitation practices.
All staff will be required to know where the nearest hand sanitizer stations are located at all times, wear protective face gear and gloves at all times when on resort, and ensure uniforms are not worn during travel to and from work. All team members across resort locations will also undergo required temperature checks before the start of each shift in addition to stringent medical clearance.
- Supplier-held Standards: All vendors, suppliers and partners will be held to the new Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness standards by restricting delivery windows to one party at a time, while limiting physical contact; sanitizing all touch points, including equipment, storage spaces and access areas; and removing all outer packing upon arrival.
- Quality Inspection Team and Environmental Health and Safety Managers: Under the guidance of medical professionals and with constant monitoring of advice and instruction provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and local Ministries of Health in each country Sandals Resorts calls home, a dedicated Quality Inspection Team, alongside Environmental Health and Safety Managers, continues to ensure strict adherence and seamless implementation of a sophisticated approach to prevent the spread of all illnesses. All resorts are equipped with medical stations staffed daily with a registered nurse and 24/7 on-call medical personnel.
For more information on Sandals cleanliness and safety protocols check out: https://www.sandals.com/cleanliness-protocols/
