Your guide to managing hotel stays during COVID-19 - FCM INSIGHT - FCM ...
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FCM INSIGHT Your guide to managing hotel stays during COVID-19
As lockdowns are lifted and the world starts to reopen, the recovery plans
for business travel are starting to take shape. However, the way we all
travel has changed on several levels and it’s no surprise that COVID-19 has
brought a whole new world of precautions, protocols and procedures to
ensure traveler safety. To help businesses make informed choices when
it comes to accommodation, we’re providing the facts - from what hotels
are doing to keep their properties clean, through to hotel sourcing and
ways that companies can support travelers in this new world to safeguard
their health and wellbeing.
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WHAT OUR PREFERRED PARTNERS ARE
DOING WHEN IT COMES TO CLEANLINESS
At FCM, our preferred partners include global hotel For example, Hilton partnered with RB, the makers
chains such as Accor, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, and Marriot. of Lysol, and consulted with the Mayo clinic to create
During COVID-19 we’ve been working closely with a standard of cleanliness and disinfection in Hilton
these chains and others to ensure they are keeping the properties worldwide. Another program is Marriot’s
health and safety of their guests at the forefront. All ‘Commitment to Clean’, which consists of in-house
hotels in our program are implementing cleaning and and outside experts in food and water safety, hygiene
safety protocols and working with organizations to infection prevention and hotel operations though their
certify that all properties meet the requirements. Marriot Cleanliness Council.
Accor Choice Hotels Hilton Hyatt IHG Marriott NH Radisson Wyndham
Initiative/ Program name Care & IHG Marriott Global Feel Radisson
All Commitment Clean Count on
Cleanliness Clean Cleanliness safe at Hotels Safety
Safe To Clean Stay Us
Commitment Promise Council NH Protocol
Applicable to all hotels
Partner AXA/ RB/Lysol
GBAC STAR
Bureau Ecolab and Mayo Ecolab SGS SGS Ecolab
accreditation
Veritas Clinic
Cleaning Increased frequency and cleaning
Products & protocols for high-traffic areas
Protocols
Use of hospital-grade disinfectant
or equivalent Government approved
Housekeeping “on-demand” option
Reinforced cleaning of high-touch
points in rooms
Hand sanitizing stations/disinfecting
wipes in high-traffic areas
Staff training
Hygiene Manager on property
Physical Contactless check-in/check-out
distancing
Protocols encouraging
appropriate social distancing
Limited Common Area Gathering
Pre-packaged breakfast items
vs. buffet
Room seal on cleaned doors
Guest rooms not be entered for
24 to 72 hours after check-out
De-clutter Paper Amenities
Personal protective equipment
for hotel staff
Communications On-property signage reiterating
guidelines
Communications from front desk
staff to guests
Technology Mobile check-in
Keyless room entry
Others (electrostatic sprayers,
ultraviolet light instruments, air
purifiers, ozone generators)
Source: Hotel Chain Guest Health Strategies review conducted by 4th Dimension Business Travel Consulting, June 2020
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FCM INSIGHT
HELPING TRAVELERS NAVIGATE
THE NEW LANDSCAPE
Hotel stays in the second half of 2020 may not be what you’re accustomed to,
therefore, we’ve pulled together some commonly asked questions your travelers
might have before their next trip.
How will my travelers know which hotels are open? Our preferred hotel is closed, when will hotels start to
reopen once travel restrictions are lifted?
Your TMC should be able to support you by providing
this information at time of booking, either directly or via Like many businesses, hotels have gone into
your online booking tool. “hibernation” during this period of no demand allowing
the few that remain open to service the decreased
Will travelers have access to food at their hotel?
reservations. Once demand is expected to return, most
Many hotels have had to change their Food & Beverage will be able to quickly reopen although potentially at a
process to meet quarantine rules around dining. If they decreased capacity. Some hotels are in a better position
are unable to provide room service, they should be able than others based on location, brand, cash reserves and
to provide a grab and go option. When booking with staffing decisions made during COVID-19.
FCM, we can call the hotel prior to arrival to determine
What sanitation measures are in place?
exactly what is available or to set up specific meals
There is a massive endeavor to create a new standard of
What interruptions could they anticipate?
sanitization for the hotel industry. All major hotel chains
There are quite a few cities with tighter restrictions on are implementing new processes and safety precautions
travelers entering and they may require a quarantine to ensure the safety of their employees, your travelers
period. We highly recommend that travelers call ahead and the general public. These include touchless check-in,
and determine if the hotel has any restrictions on limited public area usage, separation glass at reception
movement upon check-in. Travelers should also be and increased sanitation. See the chart above for details
aware of the required safety precautions for that market but you can also find specific information by brand on
– for example, they may need to have a mask on while in our Global Traveler Hub.
the hotel public spaces.
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FCM INSIGHT
HOTEL RATE STRATEGIC SHIFTS
While changes to corporate hotel rates are anticipated in the coming months, the extent of the change is
dependent on supply and demand per property and city. Hotels are also facing many new costs around cleaning
staff, supplies and hands-free technology. Additionally, rooms are now being kept empty for long periods between
guests to better ensure traveler safety. Altogether, this means running a hotel will be much more expensive over
the next few months and hotels will have to choose between maintaining a rate that allows them to cover those
expenses or offering lower rates to attract market share in the short term.
We also anticipate market compression as hotels decide not to open or to open with diminished capacity.
Therefore, we expect to see drastic rate fluctuations as hotels readjust to changing market conditions.
Fortunately, FCM has access to negotiated rates and can ensure customers continue to maximize savings.
HOTELS FORECASTING RATE CHANGES ACROSS THE REGION
EUR
NAM -4.6%
-6.3%
ASIA
-4.5%
MEA
-3.0%
NAM
-3.8%
AU/NZ
-4.5%
32% 55% 50% 3-6
REDUCING RATES HOLDING RATES SUPPLY & DEMAND MONTHS
Are offering decreases Are offering rate holds at Offering seasonal & SPECIAL DEALS
AVG -.4.4% 2019 volumes dynamic pricing Rates in first 12+ weeks to attract
guests post COVID-19
RISE OF DOMESTIC GUEST
CRITICAL TO RESUMING TRAVEL MARKETS
5
FCM INSIGHT
MANAGING HOTEL SOURCING DURING COVID-19
The present market conditions are certainly not typical Travelers will take comfort in the knowledge that the hotels
and have called into question whether businesses should in your program meet a certain standard of care and service.
simply roll-over their negotiated hotel rates for another
Hotel partners will benefit from the ability to forecast
year. However, if done correctly a hotel RFP will generate
based on your needs and room night production which
multiple benefits for all parties and open up the opportunity
may encourage them to reopen and stay open.
to review cost containment, capability, and compliance.
To ensure the best outcomes when it comes to hotel
Maintaining a traditional RFP season is no longer
sourcing over this period FCM recommends engaging
possible and should be replaced with more frequent
the industry experts at 4th Dimension Business Travel
semiannual, or even quarterly RFPs, in high-flux markets.
Consulting (4D) who can help optimize your hotel
Hoteliers and client companies will need to continually
program in a post COVID-19 world.
iterate their programs as conditions change, travelers
get more comfortable traveling, borders open, and the As part of their newly expanded hotel sourcing program,
industry rebounds. 4D will analyze a comprehensive set of health and safety
questions that will be asked of all individual properties
If done correctly, a Hotel RFP at this point may derive
in your program, which will allow you to make strategic,
multiple benefits:
informed decisions. The team will also continuously
Travel managers will benefit from the assurance that measure your negotiated rates, whether static or
their hotel program will provide the best possible savings dynamic, to ensure that your travelers are receiving the
during an unsure period. lowest available options.
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FCM INSIGHT
TOP 5 TIPS FOR RESUMING BUSINESS
TRAVEL WITH HOTEL NEEDS
Look at your travel policy in detail. Work with your TMC to review
1 your preferred program to ensure all hotels are hygiene rated to
the correct standards. Amend your policy to only include those
hotel chains that have been properly vetted. FCM has created a
Return to Travel Framework and supporting workbook that can
assist in reshaping your program to suit the new environment.
Stay up to speed on regions where your travelers need to go
2 or transit through. Keep on top of any breaking infections in
the region your employees are traveling to. FCM has launched
a Global Travel Hub which features a live interactive map,
delivered by travel safety specialist Sitata, showing areas to
avoid, number of COVID-19 cases per country, recovery rates,
and local social distancing rules.
Know your hotels. Understand what your preferred hotel chains
3 are doing in terms of cleaning and hygiene practices. From
Hilton ‘CleanStay’ to Accor’s ‘All Safe’, hotels are setting the
bar high for cleaning standards in a post COVID world. You can
refer to the grid above to find out more or visit our Travel Hub,
which showcases our preferred partners’ new protocols – easily
accessible all in one spot.
Help your travelers be prepared. Many airlines and airports will
4 turn away customers who are not wearing a mask. Additionally,
travelers might want to travel with other PPE such as gloves,
sanitizer wipes, and a digital thermometer. If you’re looking to go
the extra mile for your staff, have travel packs stocked with these
items for them to use on their next trip. For more information on
what to prepare for on your next business trip, visit our Packing &
Preparation page in our Travel Hub.
Ask for feedback. Check-in on your travelers post-trip to find
5 out what they’re thinking. Were they comfortable with the
accommodation choice? Did they see anything that would be
cause for concern? Our Travel Managers will also do the same so
that we can keep up to date with real-life feedback. One of the
benefits of booking all travel with your TMC is if there are any
post-trip concerns with traveler health you can easily track their
journey using the TMC’s reporting.
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FCM INSIGHT
SMARTSTAY:
PROVIDING DUTY
OF CARE TO OUR
TRAVELERS
At FCM, we take pride in our collection of over 5,000
SmartSTAY hotels across the globe. We have forged
strong relationships with all brands that are part of
this program, with contacts at each hotel ready to
provide support when needed. Not only does booking a
SmartSTAY hotel provide a level of Duty of Care for your
travelers, it also offers our clients competitive rates as
well as a minimum of three amenities per stay.
These amenities always include breakfast and WIFI
but also a variety of other value adds such as:
Early or late checkout
Lounge Access
On property credits or discounts
Upgrades
Welcome amenities
Regardless of their program, all SmartSTAY providers
meet their brand’s cleanliness criteria, providing
confirmation that strict cleaning and safety protocols
have been implemented, so your organization will have
extra peace of mind that your travelers will be looked
after when booking with us.
Some of these measures include:
Enhanced cleaning and hygiene practices in all areas
of the hotel.
Increased frequency and cleaning protocols of high
traffic areas.
Social distancing measures in foyers, lifts and other
common areas.
Contactless check-in/check-out.
Pre-packaged breakfast items vs buffet.
Personal protective equipment for all hotel staff.
8
FCM INSIGHT
Booking a hotel during COVID-19 can be stressful, which is why having
the support of a TMC is a necessity. Our local teams know your traveler
and organizational preferences and are backed by the strength and
support of our global networks. This allows us to support your travelers
in ways that other TMCs can’t. It’s how we were able to bring home over
30,000 American travelers when the lockdowns began and how we have
continued to safely book travel for our clients on the road.
Contact FCM today for assistance in getting your business
back to business.
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About FCM Travel Solutions
FCM is a global brand providing a comprehensive brands. It has always been personalised service that
range of corporate travel and expense management sets FCM apart from the rest and we blend this
solutions. We have a presence in more than 90 with innovative technology and unrivalled access to
countries and are regarded as one of the top five content to drive the optimum performance of your
travel management companies in the world. travel program.
FCM is responsible for the travel programs
of some of the world’s most successful corporate
fcmtravel.com
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