The Onyx Hospitality Group is upgrading hygiene standards at its hotels, resorts, and serviced apartments throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The Onyx Clean initiative extends from the arrival of guests to their departure at 52 properties in seven countries.
Hotel News
Hotels, resorts, and serviced apartments in the Onyx Hospitality Group are preparing to welcome back travelers as soon as COVID-19 travel restrictions are lifted.
This includes the group’s Amari, Ozo, and Shama properties as well as the group’s signature property, the Oriental Residence Bangkok.
To this end, the group has announced enhanced operational hygiene and safety standards as part of an Onyx Clean initiative. They complement the group’s existing health and safety procedures, which are among the best in the industry.
All Onyx properties that had temporarily suspended operations will implement “ONYX Clean” procedures when they reopen.
While these properties were closed, their employees underwent training to prepare them to welcome their first guests.
COVID-19 Shakes Hotel Industry
“Over the past months, our world has been shaken in an unimaginable way,” says a spokesperson for Onyx Hospitality.
“With numerous travel restrictions and advisories implemented by government bodies across the globe to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, the travel market has come face to face with its biggest challenge.”
The group took the difficult decision of suspending the operation of several of its Asian properties in April 2020.
In addition to its numerous properties in its home base of Thailand, the Thai-based group suspended the operation of some of its properties in Hong Kong, Laos, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.
The closures were initially scheduled for a period of three months. The resumption of operations was to be reviewed as the end of that period approached.
In fact, most of the guests staying at the affected properties had already checked out in advance of the closures.
Alternate Properties
For those that remained, alternate properties were recommended.
For example, at the Ozo Wesley in Hong Kong, which suspended the operations on 13 April, guests were offered assistance by way of advanced check-out, refunds, and, where necessary, recommendations of other properties in Hong Kong that remained open.
“Those [with reservations to stay at the property] between now and 15 July 2020 will be able to change or cancel a valid room reservation made via our hotels and official websites without financial penalty,” the spokesperson says.
“We are proactively planning the reopening of most of our properties at this stage,” the spokesperson adds.
In addition, the company has also embarked on an extensive renovation of its signature property, the Amari Watergate Bangkok. It closed the hotel on 1 April 2020. And the hotel is scheduled to reopen on 30 November 2020.
“From the beginning of January 2020, when COVID-19 started impacting our industry, we have taken steps to protect the safety and well-being of our guests and team members while striving our best to maintain business,” the spokesperson says.
As a result of COVID-19, many governments around the world have implemented travel restrictions and lockdown measures.
And this has resulted in a major decline in travel. Consequently, demand for accommodation has also suffered a major drop.
“Despite the ongoing situation, the Onyx Hospitality Group is a growing company with a dynamic future and a robust development pipeline,” the spokesperson says.
“Even though some of our 2020 openings will be delayed, we are preparing for at least 10 new openings scheduled for the next 12 months.”
How Onyx Upgrades Hygiene Standards
As the group prepares to reopen its hotels, resorts, and serviced apartments, Onyx upgrades hygiene standards throughout its network.
In fact, all employees have taken part in vigorous re-training programmes. And this includes employees that have been staying home because of suspended operations.
“This includes rigorous step-by-step instructions on how a guest room is serviced and disinfected with a focus on the key high-touch surfaces and areas, compulsory use of hotel-issued masks, gloves, chemicals and tools while performing these duties, and the introduction of a safety seal placed on every guest room door to indicate to arriving guests that their personal space has not been tampered with since being thoroughly cleaned and disinfected,” the spokesperson says.
“It is also crucial for our team members to stay equipped, therefore apart from the ONYX Clean-related training, a series of online and video learning and development programmes have been developed in-house, covering a broad range of topics, such as an English course for hotel staff, a food safety online course produced in collaboration with Ecolab, etc., for our team members to keep learning and growing during this period of time.”
The enhanced standards begin at check and continue through check out.
And they do not just include front-of-house operations. In fact, even employee dining rooms, locker rooms, receiving bays, food and supply storage areas, and kitchens, are included.
