The pandemic’s impact on the hospitality industry is hard to overstate. By the end of July, more than half of open hotel rooms were empty across the US, thousands of hotels were shuttered completely, and room revenue losses surpassed $46 billion.
Statistics are still grim, but as the weeks roll on, house-bound, stressed out consumers are increasingly desperate to get away. But they will need safety assurances to actually book.
“Hotels will first have to focus on cleanliness and safety certifications, and technology will be a big part of how that is achieved,” said a top executive of JLL Hotels and Hospitality Group in a recent Marketwatch article. In other parts of the world, hotels are attempting to reopen to guests, with hotel brand and management companies sharing transparently how they plan to enhance cleaning procedures and protocols.
Across travel and hospitality, safety will become a competitive advantage, with advanced sanitation technologies becoming key selling points. Novalent antimicrobial is one such technology that is getting attention because it stays effective between applications and cleanings, providing ongoing protection on surfaces and even on skin when incorporated into hand sanitizer.
The ability to protect for weeks and months on a surface, even a surface that experiences heavy use and frequent cleanings, will make it a game-changer as the hospitality industry works to make guests feel at home again in hotels and restaurants.
In contrast to disinfectants and conventional cleaners that stop working as soon as they dry, Novalent’s antimicrobial abilities stay active on the surface for up to 90 days. It’s a non-toxic liquid that can be easily sprayed or wiped on any surface. In fact, it’s approved by the EPA for use on food-contact surfaces, making it ideal for restaurant and catering operations.
Innovative cleaning technologies like Novalent will be vital to the hospitality industry as they pivot to new ways of operating and work to assure guests that their facilities are safe and protected day and night.