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Many hotels have remained open throughout COVID-19 because they are considered essential businesses. Think of those who must travel for work, like drivers who take our produce across the country, doctors called from one city to another to offer their expertise, and the many, many souls who – for better or for worse – still need to live out of a suitcase during a pandemic for many reasons. I have friends who have wanted to be near their parents to help them during this time, but didn’t want to stay in their parents’ homes, for fear of accidentally infecting them. So they are staying in hotels, near their parents’ houses, and running errands for their families, only spending time with them in the yard or outside. If you find yourself needing to stay in a hotel right now, you may be experiencing a lot of anxiety surrounding that. The room in which you sleep and bathe is a very intimate space. And you know that hundreds if not thousands before you have stayed there. How do you know they weren’t sick? But you can get through staying at a hotel while greatly minimizing your risk for infection. Here are tips for safely staying at a hotel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Inquire about sanitation practices
Call the hotel and ask how they’ve been handling sanitation and cleanliness during this pandemic. It’s a good sign if they can immediately answer you with a clear and detailed description of the methods they’re using, and can tell you that their cleaning staff has been trained on safe practices like wearing masks and gloves while cleaning rooms. If they fumble in their answer, and don’t seem to understand what you mean, or don’t state that any special practices have been put into effect, don’t stay there.
