A Guide to Reopening a Hotel During a Crisis

The coronavirus pandemic has required many businesses, including hotels, to close temporarily. As states reopen, the hotel industry is preparing to welcome guests again.

But it can be challenging to manage staff and guest safety in a hotel, while preventing virus transmission. A detailed, carefully planned hotel reopening guide is key to your hotel’s success. Here are some important items to include.

Start with your local requirements

As states gradually reopen, they’re each releasing their own guidelines for different types of businesses. Most states are reopening in phases, so it’s important to determine which phase includes hotel reopenings in your state.

Check with your state government’s website and your local chamber of commerce for details on when you can reopen to help you plan accordingly. Your state may have additional requirements for reopening that go beyond the details below, such as restrictions on the number of guests you can have in your hotel at any one time.

Develop consent forms

When guests check in, you’ll need to have a screening process in place to ensure that they aren’t currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. JotForm’s health declaration form can simplify and speed up the screening process while providing you with a written record of each guest’s health and medical history when they arrive at the hotel.

In addition to a screening form, you may also want to have guests sign a COVID-19 liability release waiver, especially if they plan on using areas of the hotel that have higher degrees of person-to-person contact, like the fitness center or the pool. This waiver can help protect the hotel from potential damages if a customer comes down with COVID-19 after staying there.

You can integrate all of these forms into your check-in and/or reservation process. These forms are easy to add to your website, and you can send guests a link to the forms through a text message or with their email confirmations.

Having guests fill out the forms electronically helps to minimize the number of items they must touch while checking in, and it streamlines the check-in process. Digital forms are easy to…