CHICAGO — As Graduate Hotels continues to reopen locations across the country, the company has taken additional steps to ensure the health and safety of its guests and associates through its Graduate Cares program. Created in partnership with top medical professionals at the Cleveland Clinic and cleaning and disinfection experts from P&G Professional, the away-from-home division of Procter & Gamble, and the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), Graduate Cares was designed to meet the standards of industry experts and rethinks the end-to-end cleaning and guest interaction procedures.
A recent survey from P&G Professional found that 70 percent of hotel guests have a more stringent definition of “hotel cleanliness” since COVID-19 and more than 50 percent expect more thorough and frequent cleaning and transparency around what the hotel is doing to keep guests safe and rooms clean, including visible signs of cleaning and signage around the property.
“The health and safety of our guests has always been a priority for us at Graduate Hotels, and we have used the past few months to focus on how we can amplify this element of the experience to meet the current needs of travelers,” said David Rochefort, president, Graduate Hotels. “We’re honored to have teamed up with top experts in the medical, cleaning, and hospitality industries to create Graduate Cares and offer guests and associates a best-in-class cleanliness program. As we continue to reopen our Graduate Hotels portfolio, we’re pleased to provide an experience that helps ensure the safety and well-being of everyone who walks in our doors.”
Graduate Cares is in place at each of Graduate Hotels’ 26 properties across the country, and new protocols call for increased safety measures at guest check-in and check-out and for guestrooms to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized with hospital-grade levels of cleanliness with special attention paid to doors, doorknobs, lighting controls, remote controls, and other high touch surfaces. In addition, each property will use visible signage to share cleaning protocols and products used, including in guestrooms after cleaning, so guests can be confident the spaces are clean, disinfected, and protected.
Strict protocols have also been established for the safety of all employees, both those who interact with guests and those who don’t. All associates will participate in advanced health awareness training, daily wellness checks, and increased and mandatory handwashing procedures, and will be required to wear gloves, face masks, and shields.
“Throughout our relationship with Graduate Hotels, we’ve seen that cleanliness and safety are at the core of their guest experience and we’re proud to support their hotels as they welcome students, alumni, and guests back to their locations across the nation,” said Paul Edmondson, vice president, North America, P&G Professional. “As people resume their travels, it is more important than ever that hotels achieve and maintain a high level of cleanliness and disinfection.”
