Michelle Gross
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2020-07-06 T18: 31: 58 Z.
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Michelle Gross.
- The couple made the drive with their two pets and remained at three hotels along the way: Hyatt’s Peculiarity Hotel Charlottesville, Virginia; The Alexandrian, a Marriot hotel in Alexandria, Virginia; and the Kimpton Arras Hotel in North Carolina, an InterContinental Hotels Group hotel.
- After taking notes and pictures to document each hotel experience, Gross says that remaining at a hotel was really various during the pandemic, however that hotels are working more difficult than ever to keep visitors safe.
- In compliance with state and county laws and CDC guidelines, every hotel has their own new set of cleaning protocols and procedures to ensure that visitors’ health and safety is focused on.
It wasn’t some extensive moment of clearness or any sort of breaking point. When June rolled around and my household road trip from Paris to Provence– long because scrapped as an outcome of the coronavirus pandemic– loomed more detailed on my calendar, the weight of 95 days (and counting) spent quarantining in a one-bedroom home in Jersey City began to take its toll.
While the lavender-fringed fields and long rosé-filled lunches would need to wait, with COVID-19 cases perceivably on the decrease by mid-June, and cities and states resuming in phases around the nation, my partner and I felt the time was ideal to self-isolate somewhere else and decided to head south by vehicle to North Carolina.
Taking a trip right now is a highly personal choice and I know complete well that it is still a dangerous proposition at that. I’ve been reporting on how the travel market and hotels in particular have been running in light of COVID-19 According to a recent research study by The American Hotel & Accommodations Association (AHLA), while domestic travel has actually continued to tick up in recent weeks, hotel reservation in smaller markets and towns are also rising. Hotels are taking employees and visitors security seriously, developing new cleaning protocols and speaking with leading health specialists to reduce possible direct exposure and risks at every turn.
Knowing we ‘d require to separate our journey, this was as excellent an opportunity as any to do some legwork and see just how hotel brands are measuring up to their commitment to keeping visitors and employees safe. After much consideration and numerous conversations of the “should we, or shouldn’t we” variety, in the days and weeks leading up to our journey, we plotted our route in an excel spreadsheet so carefully that every pit stop and potential bathroom break were represented, together with a tab for local and state laws between here and our last destination.
After testing unfavorable for the COVID-19 virus, my partner and I, together with our two canines, struck the roadway. We stayed in 3 hotels in 3 villages: a Hyatt, an InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), and a Marriott. While we still brought plenty of our own supplies including masks, gloves, and enough Lysol wipes to last a lifetime, we discovered that every hotel is running differently and has their own distinct set of cleaning practices and procedures.
Here’s a take a look at what our experiences at each hotel required.
The very first stop on our journey was to the recently opened Peculiarity Hotel Charlottesville in Virginia.
Michelle Gross.
The Peculiarity Hotel Charlottesville is an 80- crucial store that’s a part of Hyatt’s loyalty program.
Prior to arriving at the hotel, I was sent an e-mail from Hyatt Hotels & Resorts with an online check-in invite.
Michelle Gross.
The online check-in invite allowed me to update all of the info for our stay including my verification number, approximate check-in time, hotel address, and contact number.
We came to the hotel late Friday afternoon and upon check in were directed by the valet to the self-parking lot throughout the street.
online check-in invitation.
The valet was using gloves and a signature Quirk mask which was a thoughtful touch. We we’re informed valet service would not be offered to limit the possibility of contamination, which I valued.
After parking our cars and truck in the parking area, we went into the lobby to gather our space secret.
Michelle Gross.
Monitoring in at the front desk, we were welcomed by the front desk manager who supported a plexiglass wall. In addition to our room key, we were provided a handout that consisted of the hotel’s procedures and cleaning treatments, which the front desk clerk quickly walked us through.
In the lobby leading up to the front desk, there were shown floor markers reminding guests to maintain social distancing while inside the hotel.
Michelle Gross.
When we got to the elevator bank there was a little table with a sign and a box of tissues that was to be used for pushing elevator buttons.
Michelle Gross.
The hotel is serviced by 2 elevators, and we saw there was the same table-tissue established on each floor of the hotel by each subsequent elevator bank.
When we came to our room on the 3rd floor, we discovered there were no ornamental pillows or blankets on the sofa or bed.
Michelle Gross.
Pre-COVID, these are always the first items I get rid of whenever I get to my hotel space as they’re infamously harder to keep clean, so I was alleviated to discover that Peculiarity had made the conscious decision to remove them.
The hotel, which is committed to sustainability, set up shampoo, soap, and conditioner in addition to lots of towels.
Michelle Gross.
As part of their COVID-19 cleaning procedures, housekeeping would only be readily available upon demand and we would need to vacate the space in order to receive service.
While the hotel’s primary on-site dining establishment remained closed, the rooftop restaurant was serving food and drinks outside at a minimal capacity and with all tables at a minimum of 6-feet apart.
Michelle Gross.
When you show up off of the elevator bank, you’re greeted by a poster-size sign that warns about limiting the danger of COVID-19
Food and drink menus were just readily available using a QR Code to remove making use of printed menus.
Michelle Gross.
The roof serves specialty thin-crust pizzas, wood-fired dishes, and drinks. We selected the house specialty, an Appalachian-inspired pizza which comes topped with BBQ sauce, and in your area sourced veggies and meats.
The hotel is also house to an on-site art gallery that starts in the lobby and extends throughout the ground flooring.
Michelle Gross.
It is among the coolest functions of staying at a Quirk Hotel and supplies such a terrific way to experience and value art in a safe and controlled environment.
The hotel likewise houses a cafe and breakfast location and offers lots of outside seating with tables spread out apart.
Michelle Gross.
After Peculiarity, the next hotel on our journey was Kimpton Arras Hotel in Asheville, North Carolina.
Michelle Gross.
The Kimpton Arras Hotel is located in the heart of Asheville.
When we inspected in, we were greeted in the lobby by a plexiglass front desk area and markers on the floor along with signs and plenty of hand sanitizer.
Hotel personnel greeted us using masks, and we were handed a guest sheet laying out the hotels COVID-19 protocols and top priorities from behind the plexiglass shield.
Michelle Gross.
In the primary elevator bank, you have to pick your flooring number on a keypad that will direct you to the matching elevator.
Michelle Gross.
There was an indication on the outside of the elevator bank advising guests to limit the elevator use to 2 individuals or one household. When inside the elevator, you don’t need to push any buttons.
When we got to our room, we discovered the screen queued to IHG’s “Clean Promise” which was readily available to check out at our discretion.
Michelle Gross.
The details offered on our handout noted all of the very same information however was a nice tip for how our stay would look a little different because of the current climate.
In the bathroom, there were no features save for a single bar of soap on the counter for rinsing hands.
Michelle Gross.
There was an indication next to the soap stating we would need to contact us to request any other features during our stay which would be delivered and dropped off for a contactless deal, totally free of charge.
That evening we had light dinner and drinks on the outdoors patio area of the hotel.
Michelle Gross.
The primary restaurant location was closed, but menus were offered on big TV screens on the right-hand side of the dining establishment.
I had a look at of the hotel on my phone after being sent my folio.
Michelle Gross.
In the lobby, there was a big bowl offered for contactless key return, along with an indication about the secrets being sterilized.
The last stop on our journey was The Alexandrian in Alexandria, Virginia.
Michelle Gross.
A majestic Autograph Collection hotel in the heart of Alexandria, Virginia, the hotel belongs to Marriott’s expansive portfolio. We used our Marriott Bonvoy points here, however $125 per night is the rate we were estimated, plus a $25 per night family pet fee.
There’s no valet choice here, so after self-parking in the garage, we made our method to the lobby.
As Soon As once again in the lobby we were welcomed by a large plexiglass barrier at the front desk and handed a one-sheet discussing the hotel’s cleaning protocols and treatments.
On the flooring throughout the hotel’s grand lobby, floor markers highlighting social distancing were positioned strategically throughout.
Michelle Gross.
In the elevator, an indication about Alexandria’s physical distancing was a good touch.
Michelle Gross.
When we got to our space, I was elated to find a handwritten welcome note in addition to a plan of Autograph Collection branded antibacterial wet wipes and masks.
Michelle Gross.
This was the only hotel on our journey to use this type of amenity, which I believe is a great touch.
Our room was as large as it was charming and without decorative pillows and blankets, I was alleviated to find.
Michelle Gross.
Our space was dealing with the hotel’s inner yard and looked down on the on-site dining establishment that had actually simply resumed for outdoors dining just.
Michelle Gross.
On the last night of our trip we had supper at j20, the hotel’s southern themed restaurant and whisky bar.
Michelle Gross.
While staying in a hotel may look and feel different in the wake of coronavirus, there’s something to be stated about taking pleasure in a bit of normalcy in times like these.
We’re back in Jersey City now, going on Day 7 of a state-mandated 14- day quarantine.
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