Making Room For Hygiene

Adequate training, strict supervision and ensuring safe and healthy working conditions of the cleaning staff are key to maintaining room hygiene in a hotel

- Jyotismita Sharma

There is not just one thing that a person considers while recommending a hotel to another. It could be the price, quality of service, cleanliness or other such factors or a combination of these factors that one would consider before mapping out a rank for a hotel in one’s mind and recommending it to others. But there is little chance that one would talk positively of a hotel that ranks low on cleanliness and hygiene standards. In fact, this criterion often emerges as a benchmark for judging the quality of stay in a property.

The challenges for meeting the high hygiene standards are, however, many. Implementing the highest hygiene standards are easier said than done. This is because just by keeping the lobby or the restroom spic and span, one cannot meet the cleanliness standards expected of luxury properties. Hygiene in hotels has to be a way of life.

The dangers of not implementing high hygiene standards are also many. For example, lack of hygiene in the restaurants could mean unsafe food for the valuable guests. Similarly, a slippery floor could increase chances of falls. In other words, lack of cleanliness and hygiene in any area of the hotel could mean dissatisfied guests and loss of revenue. Cleanliness on both fronts – visible & invisible – needs to be attended with utmost priority at same level.