Safety and Hygiene Standards

Lebanese Hotel Association continues to work for its members and colleagues in the hotel industry, committed to providing a safe environment with high hygiene and safety standards.

In the course of the slow resumption of business operations, we need to work together on guidelines and measures to protect your and our employees and guests, as well to raise the awareness for a joint approach to the spread of the COVID pandemic.

We have included some important hygiene and safety aspects, which should be implemented and respected in order to ensure a regulated business operation. We hereby give you an overview about the measures to follow.

Our aim is to work out a coordinated approach to the safety and hygiene of all your employees and guests and to maintain our cooperation with our LHA members and colleagues, despite the special situation of the COVID pandemic. Together we can ensure that our fellow citizens are protected and informed in these difficult times.

Public Area | Lobby | Reception

Public areas, such as the hotel lobby, corridors, restaurants, toilets and reception are naturally the most frequented areas of our hotels. With our concept, we have succeeded in preserving the inviting character as much as possible.

For this purpose, we have divided the measures into different parts:

• Disinfectant dispensers are placed in neuralgic positions, such as at the entrance, at the reception, at the lift, at the toilets, in the corridors and front of the meeting areas
• We refer to the applicable distance regulations through markings and corresponding signs
• Employees wear mouth-nose masks in public areas or work behind a protection
• A sign at the lifts informs to use them only individually
• Permanent checks of all public used areas, with simultaneous disinfection of touchpoints such as handles, knobs, switches, etc.

Hotel Rooms

It is important to us that all your guests feel safe and secure in your rooms. Adequate cleanliness and hygiene are the basic requirements for this.

To guarantee this, we advise you to implement double protections:

• The first step is to clean the hotel room according to the house standard
• In the second step, extend your room check by further disinfection of surfaces, switches, handles, WC, remote controls. The respective employee approves it by leaving a door tag
• Remove printed matter such as magazines, hotel A-Z, periodicals, room service cards, etc.
• Make sure that Hotel information would be printed in easy-to-sanitize materials
• Minibars should be emptied in all rooms for safety reasons and only fill them up on request or offer a selection of drinks and snacks at the reception
• Change the toothbrush cups into disposable items
• Make sure that Bed linen and towels are treated with a special hygiene treatment
• Turn off the air conditioning, open windows regularly to ventilate air
• Self-sufficiency possible by using cooled, but not filled, minibar

Restaurants / Bars

Your restaurants and bars stand for trend, style and conviviality and needs now to be aligned with social distancing and all regulations. Nevertheless, with the measures, let your guests feel at ease.

• The distances between the tables – this results in an adjusted restaurant capacity
• The barstools in front of the bar to be removed
• Disinfection dispensers at the entrances and near buffets to be installed
• All employees should wear masks in the restaurant and the kitchen
• Guests must wear masks while walking around. While sitting at tables, the masks need not be used
• In addition to your hygiene measures in the kitchen, identify important control points
• Disinfect dishes, cutlery and glasses by the dishwasher
• Food, wine and bar menus can be viewed Digitally, and only keep printed and disinfected versions available on request
• Markings on the floor indicate the distance rules. A display at the entrance to the restaurant refers to the current regulations
• Guest Registration needed, to identify person to contact by infection incident
• Opening Hours can be vary depending on the local authority’s COVID-19 regulations.

Room Service

• For food and drinks, the same settlements apply as for Restaurant & Bar
• As well for the employees and the food offer
• The complete order is covered with cloche or foil
• Deliver room service only to the room door

Breakfast

Due to current situation, that we cannot offer our well-known extensive breakfast buffet.

• Implementing a one-way street system and minimum distances, grouping must be avoided
• The minimum distances are indicated by markings on the floor, if possible
• A greater distance between meals and an adapted offer will avoid standing in line
• Smaller bowls and plates guarantee a higher exchange frequency
• All guests must wear disposable gloves and mouth-nose protection
• Employees wear mouth and nose protection and disposable gloves
• At the entrance, displays explain the regulations

For the personal wellbeing of your guests, do have the option to choose as well a continental breakfast in the form of a breakfast box or as room service – depending on the hotel and the options on-site.

Meetings, Events & Conventions

Social distancing

Considering the respective current possible arrangements, meeting capacities are aligned

• Use extended area for coffee breaks, such as Bar |Restaurant| Lobby, to ensure the most possible distance
• Time schedules for breaks etc. need to be defined with the various groups in advance, to ensure that grouping is avoided (larger groups have the right to choose their preferred times)
• Let your employees ensure that only a certain number of guests using toilets at the same time. Virus protection is installed between the hand basins.

For your safety:

• All employees are best trained on all your safety and hygiene standards
• Hygiene authorized representatives are on site
• Disposable gloves, mouth-nose protection as well disinfection wipes should be available on request
• Cashless payment when possible
   

Food & Beverage

• Offer a lunch buffet in the same way as the breakfast buffet. If lunch buffets are not permitted from the authorities, lunch will be offered with a choice of the main course, needs to be chosen by starting the meeting
• Disposable gloves are available for operating the coffee machines. In front of the coffee machines, floor markings indicate the distance regulations
• On request, provide coffee in cans in the meeting room

Protection Equipment

• All employees wear masks
• Reduced number of employees are deployed for guest service, to keep the number of contact low
• Outside the meeting rooms, guests must wear masks, this also applies during coffee breaks, walking around, using the toilet, etc.
• Disinfection dispensers are available in the coffee break area and front of the meeting rooms
• Cleaning of conference rooms and frequented areas with increased intensity and between group changes at meetings/events
• Cleaning of equipment, utensils, moderator equipment