InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown’s Covid-19 Response
The health, safety and wellbeing of our guests, colleagues and community continues to be our highest priority as we address the fundamental ways that COVID-19 has impacted our hotel and industry. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have constantly monitored updates from a variety of leading health authorities and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has regularly provided the hotels with supplemental COVID-19 cleanliness guidance, best practices, staff training and information.
IHG’s established, best-in-class Way of Clean program, developed in conjunction with experts from Ecolab, is a key component of our actionable response to COVID-19. The program already includes deep cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants in guest rooms and public spaces, and we are working with Ecolab to further enhance the program with additional high-impact and efficient cleanliness solutions that help keep guests and hotel colleagues safe. IHG is an advisory board member of American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) Safe Stay committee and; the property also adopted AHLA Safe Stay cleanliness standards.
Additionally, InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown has committed to the following:
EMPLOYEE HEALTH & SAFETY MEASURES
- All colleagues who enter the building will be asked if they have a fever, cough or shortness of breath as a part of a required symptom check. Fever check will be conducted with touchless thermometers
- Disposable gloves will be provided to all colleagues; depending on the position, gloves will be mandatory for those colleagues who work in high guest contact areas
- All colleagues will be issued the InterContinental Downtown Los Angeles approved washable masks as part of their uniform
- Every office will be provided with disinfecting supplies to frequently wipe surface areas and equipment
- Office areas will be rearranged to be 6 feet apart, with social distancing partitions, if necessary
- Morning housekeeping meetings to be conducted via radio-app instead of in-person meeting
- Our employee dining room will have a new maximum occupancy limit. Each dining table will also be limited to 2 colleagues at a time. All colleagues will be assigned with a time when they can visit the employee dining room for their meal breaks
- Employee dining room will also be disinfected before and after each meal period
ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES
- Our check-in and check-out process will be enhanced to minimize touchpoints, including:
- Check-in with special designed plexiglass shield, allowing guests to display ID/credit cards for Front Desk personnel for contactless review
- Front Desk will promote express check-out via a texting platform and emailing invoices
- Guests will be provided with individually wrapped hand sanitizing wipes at time of check in
- Guest room key cards are sanitized following use
- Digital luggage-tag texting feature will be used to facilitate luggage storage.
GUEST ROOMS & HOUSEKEEPING
IHG’s Way of Clean will be enhanced as follows:
- All room attendants will be re-certified in the IHG Way of Clean training
- Vigilant focus on high-touch areas such as remotes, handles, light switches, fixtures, etc.
- As an additional step, before the room is cleared for guest check-in, further disinfecting will be provided to hard-to-reach surfaces with an electrostatic sprayer
- The following changes to our In-room amenities include:
- Paper collateral will be removed, and all the information will be placed on TV screens and online at dtla.intercontinental.com
- In addition to glasses and ceramic cups, pre-wrapped disposable paper coffee cups and plastic tumblers will be provided in all guest rooms
- All TV remote controls will be sanitized after each check-out and placed in disposable plastic bags for new guest use
- All newspaper delivery will be suspended and replaced by digital newspapers
- The following changes to our In-room amenities include:
PUBLIC SPACES
- All guests must wear face masks when entering the hotel until the CDC and local government remove this requirement
- A total of 105 touchless hand sanitizer stations will be available throughout the hotel which include both front and back of the house areas
- All front and back of the house areas, including elevators, will be marked with social distancing floor decals
- All elevators will be limited to 5 occupants per load via floor decal markings
- Front Desk, Concierge Desk, Bell Desk, Food & Beverage Hostess Stands will be protected with plexiglass shield
- Cleaning frequency for all public areas will be increased. All touchpoint areas will be disinfected more frequently
FOOD & BEVERAGE
- All food and beverage outlets’ seating will be rearranged to meet social distancing guidelines
- All outlets’ colleagues are temperature screened before work shift
- All restaurants colleagues will provide service with the CDC and state mandated guidelines, wearing face masks and gloves
- All outlets’ tables and chairs will be sanitized after each diner visit
- All F&B outlets will be disinfected with an electrostatic sprayer before and after each meal service period
- All restaurants will provide a disposable menu to each diner
- All F&B outlets will provide each guest with sanitized and sealed glassware and silverware
- All outlets will observe food safety standards mandated by CDC/WHO and local health authorities to deliver the highest hygiene standards to our guests
- In-room dining will offer door drop service outside guest rooms or full service in-room delivery observing social distancing etiquette
MEETINGS & EVENTS
- All banquet areas will be operating under CDC, state, and local health authority mandated sanitation program, including:
- Banquet colleagues are temperature checked before work shift
- Meeting and events service team members will be serving with CDC, state, and local health authority mandated guidelines with face mask and gloves
- All banquet events tables and chairs will be sanitized after each meeting/meal period
- Entire banquet and meeting space will be disinfected with an electrostatic sprayer before and after each meeting/meal period
- Floor markings for social distancing will be enforced in all meeting and events areas
- Contactless welcome registration area will be available for group check-in
- Touchless, sanitizer dispenser in all meeting/event spaces
- Social distancing meal and meeting seating arrangements will be observed
- Meeting space floor plans are revised to reflect new social distancing guidelines
- Silver service offering for reception/action station/buffet
- Sanitized Audio/Visual offerings
If you need any additional information or would like to connect on any of our health and safety measures in further detail, please feel free to reach out to our team directly.
Sincerely,
Niles Harris
General Manager