
Reopening safety checklist for hotels, motels and hospitality businesses
Protecting the safety of employees, customers and facilities is a priority for companies as they move to reopen, recalibrate operations and drive growth after a crisis. UL Solutions offers the following suggested guidelines for safely resuming operations of hotels and other hospitality businesses.
General operations
- Post signage of proper personal protective equipment (PPE) use and cleaning protocols, and mark floors to guide proper social distancing.
- Prop doors open to minimize touching handles. Remember to consider additional requirements for fire-rated doors.
- Limit capacity in heavy traffic areas, implement strict disinfecting practices for high-touch surfaces, including elevator controls, and ensure proper stocking of cleaning products.
- Mark floors to guide proper social distancing and traffic flows.
Reception and visitors
- Install clear plastic barriers where social distancing cannot be maintained.
- Provide touch-free visitor sign-in and disinfect reception equipment between each use.
- Provide additional portable hand sanitizing stations where needed.
- Establish transmission mitigation protocols for visitors, including truck drivers, contractors and delivery drivers.
Laundry and housekeeping
- Establish pre- and post-stay guest room cleaning and disinfecting protocols and offer housekeeping by request only.
- Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved cleaning supplies and vacuums with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters.
- Leave rooms vacant for 24-72 hours after guest departure and isolate them after they are cleaned and disinfected.
- Wash linens at the hottest temperature per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.
- Increase cleaning frequency for the back of house areas and clean and disinfect shared equipment during and after each shift or when transferred to a new employee.

Transportation
- Reduce seating capacity for company-provided transportation and require face coverings for drivers and passengers.
- Implement cleaning procedures after each trip.
Changerooms and washrooms
- Identify separate washrooms for guests and employees and limit the number of staff in changerooms at one time.
- Deactivate hand dryers and replace with disposable paper towels and use hands-free soap and water dispensing fixtures where possible.
- Provide additional portable hand sanitizing stations where needed.
- Place signage for proper handwashing.
Foodservice
- Increase space between tables where possible, while avoiding obstruction hazards, and place cleaning products on each table.
- Consider grab-and-go alternatives and eliminate the use of coffee dispensers, counters and reusable kitchenware.
- Evaluate communal kitchen compliance to health and safety practices and establish cleaning protocols for frequently touched areas, e.g., microwaves and vending machines.
Conference and meeting rooms
- Limit access to conference and meeting rooms by requiring advance scheduling, locking doors and removing chairs.
- Encourage cleaning before and after the use of common areas.
Swimming and recreation
- Schedule Legionella testing for swimming pools, hot tubs and indoor fountains per ASHRAE 188 guidance.
- Suspend the use of all workout/fitness rooms unless a designated use and cleaning policy is determined.
Additional resources for foodservice safety:
Always review and follow local health guidelines, building codes and regulations when resuming operations in your facility.