Top tips for hotel operators staying open during a lockdown

(Photo from Unsplash by Paolo Nicolello)

Nicol Carelse, guest relations manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront in Cape Town, shared how operational hotels are coping during Covid19.

Certain hotels have had to remain open despite the lockdown, and one Radisson property in South Africa shares its tips on how its staff and guests are surviving during this strange and unprecedented time. We take a look at how to stay sane in a hotel in lockdown, with some tips from the managers of the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront in Cape Town.

Make a home away from home

Creating a feeling of familiarity and security, much like how you would feel in your own home, has been key to staving off anxiety and fear among both guests and staff at the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront in Cape Town, says the hotel’s guest relations manager Nicol Carelse.

To this end, many efforts have been made to make the guests feel like they can walk around and use the hotel like it is their home, while of course abiding by social distancing rules, and one of these is the creation of a library nook, where guests can retreat to quietly read and take some time alone.

Become a family

Guests staying in the Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, many of whom could not return home for various reasons, or were staying at other nearby hotels but were then invited to stay at the Radisson so all of the guests in the area were consolidated in one building, have said that they felt like they are part of a family. They acknowledged the difficulty of the lockdown on everyone, but said the staff at the Radisson were making them feel as safe and secure as possible, and that there was a very real sense of solidarity created at the hotel.

Entertainment and celebrations

Another way this feeling of family has been engendered is by celebrating personal milestones of the guests and staff. Birthdays and anniversaries have been marked, and other events have been organised to keep people entertained, such as bingo nights for everyone staying at the property.

Wear different hats

The hotel has been operating with a skeleton crew, and those who have elected to stay on and help for the duration of the lockdown period have had to wear many different hats to ensure that things run as smoothly as they can.

“Everyone who is here did not envision this unfolding as it has but we are all in the same boat, so we’re navigating through it together. For example, all HODs have a chance to make staff breakfast, while our husbands and partners who have been able to lockdown with us here at the hotel are helping to take care of the grounds and the garden between their own work schedules,” says Carelse.