The hospitality industry’s transformation toward contactless cleaning is revolutionizing how hotels meet the elevated hygiene expectations of post-pandemic travelers.
The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed guest expectations in the hospitality industry, creating a new reality where cleanliness and safety protocols have become as important as comfort and amenities. Hotel guests now expect rigorous health and safety measures to be in place, including enhanced cleaning procedures, hand sanitizing stations and social distancing protocols. This shift has driven hotels to embrace contactless cleaning technologies and procedures that not only meet these heightened expectations but also provide guests with visible reassurance of their safety.
The New Standard of Guest Expectations
According to The New Landscape of Housekeeping and Hygiene report, 50% of hotel guests feel satisfied when the hotel industry has addressed sanitation, cleanliness, and hygiene, with 79% of respondents most concerned about room cleaning and sanitation. The pandemic has created a generation of travelers who prioritise hygiene and cleanliness above all else when selecting a hotel.
More than 80% of people who plan to travel are going to look at health and safety protocols before choosing a hotel. They expect the hotel to outline the safety measures and clearly communicate them as this will help to set accurate expectations for their travel experience. This transparency has become crucial for building trust and ensuring guest satisfaction in the post-pandemic era.
Contactless Technologies Transforming Hotel Cleaning
The rise of contactless hotel cleaning encompasses several innovative technologies and approaches. Enabling contactless technologies including electrostatic sprayers, ultraviolet light automated air purifiers, built-in air sensors, and advanced particle removal technology-enabled air purification devices that help to remove virus particles thus ensuring hygiene, cleanliness, and safety.
Initially, robots were found to be particularly effective in China during the COVID-19 pandemic for routine or non-routine tasks using ultraviolet (UV) for surface disinfection to limit potential virus contamination. Mobile technology including smartphones and iPads can be used for contactless services such as check-in, unlocking guestroom doors, controlling the guestroom environment, and services at rooms, bars, and restaurants. Mobile technologies, including scannable QR codes, mobile ordering and mobile appointment-booking, and touchless payments also assist the guest to have contactless services, enabling hygiene and cleanliness.
Automation technologies, such as robots and UVC light technology, further enhance hygiene by facilitating social distancing and sterilising air and surfaces. These innovations improve safety and streamline operations, making it easier for hotels to maintain high hygiene standards.
Meeting Post-Pandemic Standards
Hotels have adapted their cleaning protocols to address the new reality. Contactless check-in and out, as well as reducing common physical touch-points, the minimum of high-touch items in the hotel rooms, higher cleaning standards and dedicated housekeeping staff, regular intensive sanitization of common areas and hotel rooms, physical distancing guidelines, and mandatory PPE (personal protective equipment) measures have become standard practices.
The cleaning industry has also evolved to support these needs. For hotels seeking professional cleaning services that understand these new standards, companies like Team Alpha Cleaning have adapted their approaches to meet post-pandemic requirements. Their Hotel Cleaning Atlantic County services demonstrate how professional cleaning companies are incorporating advanced sanitization protocols and contactless procedures to support the hospitality industry’s transformation.
The Business Impact of Enhanced Cleaning
These new cleaning protocols will inevitably have an impact on the hotel’s costs, as more time and money need to be spent ensuring standards are met. To help hotels prepare, cleaning costs are expected to rise to account for more supplies due to more frequent sanitizing and a change in the products used. However, this investment is essential for maintaining competitiveness in the current market.
Guest satisfaction with the cleanliness of their room increases for a fifth consecutive year, reaching an all-time high rating of 8.53 (on a 10-point scale) in 2020. Room cleanliness is a key driver of satisfaction, as the overall satisfaction score among guests who say they are “delighted” (rating of 10 points) with the cleanliness of the guest room averages 942 (on a 1,000-point scale).
Technology Integration and Guest Communication
Successful implementation of contactless cleaning requires both technological solutions and effective communication. Overall satisfaction scores fall 66 points, on average, when no pre-stay communications are received. Hotel efforts to inform travelers about their specific cleaning and sanitization protocols are among the most important actions hotels can take to make travelers feel comfortable.
A post-pandemic hotel guest study by Oracle Hospitality and Skift showed that travelers want – and expect – to use their mobile devices and other tech to manage their stays. This expectation extends to cleaning services, where guests appreciate digital confirmations, contactless scheduling, and transparent reporting of cleaning activities.
Looking Forward: The Future of Hotel Cleaning
Although the pandemic will subside, the hospitality industry will not go back to the “old normal.” Customers will expect higher standards of hygiene, safety, and will appreciate social distancing. The contactless cleaning revolution represents not just a temporary adaptation but a permanent shift in industry standards.
The contactless guest experience is here to stay. Hotels that successfully integrate these technologies and procedures will not only meet current guest expectations but also position themselves for long-term success in a market where cleanliness, safety, and contactless service have become fundamental requirements rather than luxury amenities.
As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, the integration of contactless cleaning technologies represents a critical investment in guest safety, satisfaction, and business sustainability. Hotels that embrace these innovations while maintaining transparent communication about their cleaning protocols will be best positioned to thrive in the post-pandemic landscape, where elevated hygiene standards have become the new benchmark for hospitality excellence.