Increased Cleaning Protocols Could Cost the Hotel Industry $9B

Businesses in many industries came to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, and hotels were no exception. As the economy reopened and guests started checking in again, hotels quickly realized that sanitization must be held to a higher standard to prevent the coronavirus from spreading. New cleaning protocols to combat COVID-19 are expected to cost the hotel industry up to US$9 billion annually, according to a report from Hotel Asset Value Enhancement Inc., Consulting U.S. reports. These costs are linked to increased cleaning of rooms and public spaces, new supply costs, and reopening expenses.

Housekeepers will be focusing on high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs and light switches. The daily process to change bedsheets will be revamped and require the use of electrostatic equipment. These new standards will lead to the average housekeeper taking an additional 507 minutes each week to clean guest rooms and 50% more time to clean public spaces. With the cleaning time increased per room, housekeepers will be using more cleaning products, driving up supply costs 30%.

One-time reopening costs will add about $30,000 to the budget, with hotels purchasing hand sanitizer stations, plexiglass barriers, new signage, floor markers for social distancing, and other products, according to the report.

Learn best practices for cleaning hotels to help keep guests and staff healthy and safe.