Sonesta International Hotels Corporation (Sonesta) is implementing a new health and safety partnership and verification system for its hotel properties. The partnership and verification will promote health and safety and COVID protocols to make guests feel safe as they return to travel.
Sonesta Partners With Sharecare and Forbes Travel Guide to Verify Health Security Across Managed North American Hotel Portfolio
Sonesta has announced that its more than 250 managed hotels in North America will soon become Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED with Forbes Travel Guide. Once the verification effort is completed, Sonesta will be the first hotel company to receive this designation across its managed hotel portfolio, demonstrating Sonesta’s commitment to the health and safety of its guests and team members. Sharecare’s comprehensive verification process helps ensure that guests and travel planners can book with confidence knowing the appropriate health safety protocols and procedures are in place at Sonesta hotels. Each hotel’s health and safety protocols and procedures will be verified using Sharecare’s health security platform to confirm a comprehensive set of public health standards are met or exceeded including Sonesta’s own successful Stay Safe with Sonesta health and cleanliness program.
Sonesta developed the rigorous health and cleanliness program, Stay Safe with Sonesta, for all its U.S. hotels in 2020 to meet or exceed CDC and government requirements and guidance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program includes enhanced public area cleaning and sanitizing, modernized guest service measures, updated room cleaning and sanitizing protocols, new meeting and event space protocols, and enhanced training for team members in safety and preparedness.
“The health and wellbeing of our guests and team members remains paramount as we continue to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond,” said Carlos Flores, president and CEO of Sonesta. “With this new verification process, we can provide our guests with increased assurance of health and safety when booking with Sonesta to help them enjoy a stress-free stay.”
In November 2020, Sharecare debuted a strategic partnership with Forbes Travel Guide to empower the hospitality industry to mitigate the operational and health safety challenges resulting from the pandemic and restore confidence among travelers. By combining Sharecare’s expertise in healthcare and digital innovation with Forbes Travel Guide’s best practices for hotel operations and service, Sharecare VERIFIED enables hotels and resorts to put public health and safety at the center of guest experiences.
The comprehensive verification covers more than 360 standards including health and hygiene protocols, cleaning products and procedures, ventilation, physical distancing, the guest experience, and health safety communications with guests and employees. As part of this verification, Sonesta will continue to re-verify properties regularly and evaluate and update protocols as necessary.
“The pandemic has made it clear that hotels and resorts must, first and foremost, assure guests of their safety,” said Filip Boyen, CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. “By committing to becoming Sharecare VERIFIED, Sonesta has demonstrated its dedication to creating a culture of accountability and following global best practices to heighten health security, verified by a third party.”
Sonesta Collaborates with Cleaning Services Global and EarthSafe to Offer Testing Solutions for Meetings and Events
Sonesta will be collaborating with Cleaning Services Global, in partnership with EarthSafe, to provide comprehensive testing procedures to meet the needs of group business clients in today’s environment.
To support returning group business needs at Sonesta properties, select hotels in its North American portfolio will align with Cleaning Services Global to provide efficient screening and testing – including pre-testing, on-site testing, and post-testing services – to all conference, event, and meeting attendees. In addition, Cleaning Services Global will provide a secure data technology platform in an effort to re-create a productive environment. Meeting and event planners will work directly with Cleaning Services Global to coordinate the level of service needed, and Sonesta will assist with space and accommodation arrangements for medical staff at the property level.
Pre-testing and post-testing services will be available at all Royal Sonesta and Sonesta Hotels & Resorts locations. In addition, the following hotels will also offer on-site testing:
- Royal Sonesta Boston
- Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria
- Sonesta Resort Hilton Head
- Sonesta Redondo Beach & Marina
- The Allegro Royal Sonesta Hotel Chicago Loop
- The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis
These additional testing services, from Cleaning Service Global, will supplement the existing and highly successful health and cleanliness program, Stay Safe with Sonesta, which is established in all U.S. Sonesta hotels and meets CDC and government requirements and guidance in relation to COVID-19. The joint objective is to instill confidence in guests, as select properties innovate to meet the growing demand for organizations to gather in person and enable Sonesta team members to facilitate face-to-face meetings.
“As more of the population is getting vaccinated and activity levels are mindfully increasing, we maintain that the health and safety of our guests and team members continues to guide our actions,” said Flores. “With that being said, we are striving to safely return more of our properties to their full functions and this end-to-end testing solution partnership with Cleaning Service Global is a step in that direction.”
The Stay Safe with Sonesta program outlines enhanced meeting and event space protocols, such as room set-ups with appropriate physical distancing, the removal of non-essential items, augmented cleaning and sanitizing protocols, and modified food and beverage offerings, including single-serve items. The Cleaning Service Global program is a combination of pre-testing, on-site testing, and post-testing. Clients will have the ability to directly arrange these services with vendors and choose which level best meets their wants or needs. It is completely adaptable to the client’s needs and the client will be able to manage the relationship directly. Sonesta will simply provide space and accommodation for medical staff as needed.
