CHANGING WITH TIMES

There was a time when housekeeping associates would work unobtrusively in the background. However, given the key role they play in ensuring customer satisfaction, hotels are now investing heavily in their training and career development

What safety measures are being adopted by the property for both staff and guests?

Ajay Gupta (AG): Hilton has been a very proactive brand, even pre-covid, when it comes to workplace safety. MSDS, staff training and all other workplace safety standards have always been followed and emphasised upon.

Post-covid, Hilton had launched its signature program called 'Hilton CleanStay' to deliver the same level of reliable and friendly service a guest would expect from Hilton with the added confidence of industry-leading hygiene practices created to keep them safe be it in rooms, public areas, restaurants or meetings and events area.

The safety of our team members is equally important for us, especially the housekeepers who are constantly exposed to various types of hazards. We equip them with proper training and adequate safety tools/harness to identify hazards/risks associated with daily tasks to prevent on-shift injury. We also believe that reducing physical stress may decrease the chances of accidents, which is where Hilton's initiative of 'Thrive@ Hilton' comes into the picture to focus on its team members' well-being.

Iftekhar Ahmad (IA): The first and most important aspect is to ensure the safety of everyone on the property both staff and guests. To do this, prevention is essential. This includes: frequent antiviral cleaning of public high-touch areas, offering masks to guests upon arrival and enforcing their usage, clear and consistent policies around sick leave for employees, etc.

As an hotelier, you may know how -clean your hotel is, but that doesn't mean that your guests do. Guests look for visual indicators, but COVID requires sanitisation, which is invisible to the naked eye.