This year has been unlike any other. The normal travel patterns of years past have been thrown out the window, especially when it comes to vacationing. As a hotel owner, knowing what to expect is important to ensure your hotel is appropriately stocked and ready for the changing surges and slow periods.
In the wake of the global pandemic, here is what fall traveling in 2020 may look like.
Is Labor Day the End of the Busy Season?
Typically, Labor Day weekend marks the end of the busy season for travel. Around this time, students are returning to school and the weather is starting to get colder – two factors that usually make travel more difficult. However, the circumstances of this year will hopefully cause more travel than normal to bleed into September and October. Many families postponed trips from earlier in the year, and the virtual nature of workplaces and schools will make it easier for people to travel during these months. As a hotel, you should prepare for a larger influx of guests during these months than years past. This means having an ample stock of COVID-specific supplies and a full supply of your normal hotel items like valet tags, key cards, and luggage tags.
What Travel Restrictions Are Still in Place?
The seasons are starting to change, but that doesn’t mean travel restrictions are. Existing travel restrictions dictate where vacationers can go, which may benefit stateside hotels. Most international travel is still restricted for United States citizens – Mexico and the Caribbean are the only places fully open to travel, and both have strict guidelines in place. Because of this, state-to-state travel and road-tripping have become more frequent. As travelers amend their plans based on what is available, many are choosing to research traveling within the United States. Be aware that guests are likely looking into how “open” your state or city is and will expect your hotel’s safety guidelines to match or exceed the guidelines in place in your local area. Appropriately communicating your plans of action – both on your website and in-person at your hotel – is key to helping guests make informed decisions and will encourage them to choose your hotel as their destination.
Should I Restock my PPE?
Fall is usually a time to restock, and the products that you reorder usually last longer than they did in summer. To a degree, the same is true of personal protective equipment (PPE). Reordering PPE is essential because there is no guarantee that the pandemic or the required safety precautions will ease any time soon. When you place orders to restock your normal hotel equipment, put in orders for PPE as well. Because there is high demand, expect the PPE you reorder to last you approximately the same amount of time it did in the summer months, and plan for the potential of a second reorder around the holidays. There is no telling when the global pandemic will subside, so it is important to be prepared for the long haul.
Running a successful hotel during these times includes thorough preparation to help keep guests protected. Having proper PPE in place is vital to ensure your hotel functions safely and efficiently.
Unsure about how to fully prepare for reopening during these changing times? Download our Free Hotel Checklist. This list provides your hotel with information on how to open up your doors safely and successfully.
Many of the items on our checklist are available for purchase on our new website.
In order to keep our team healthy and safe, we have taken precautions, and all team members that are not needed in producing or warehousing activities are working from home. Further, we have built additional redundancy in our supply network. Although we have not experienced any significant delays in our supply chain, we will continue to monitor changes and will utilize alternate vendors if needed to ensure we can hold to our normal lead times. We are in close contact with our shipping partners and will advise our customers of any widespread issues affecting delivery.
Front Desk Supply is here to support your hotel. We encourage you to reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns about us, our team, or our products.
