(P) Manager of Hotel Cismigiu in Bucharest talks about how they navigated the pandemic and what changed for re-opening

The tourism industry everywhere has been impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which was an unprecedented challenge for many industries. Hotels closed down and had to take extra precautionary measures to ensure the safety of their guests. Here's how the two-month hiatus went for a hotel manager in Bucharest and how the hotel prepared for re-opening in early – June.

Georgeta Grecu, General Manager of four-star Hotel Cismigiu in downtown Bucharest, used the time between March 22st and June 1st when the hotel was closed because of the coronavirus pandemic, to establish a crisis team and work on a special plan. It included risk analysis, an emergency response plan for the management team, and a business continuity plan. Each of them represented a separate phase in the hotel's emergency preparedness cycle. The crisis team worked full time to have all measures put in place by June 1st when the hotel re-opened.

During the closure, which followed the Romanian regulations in the face of the pandemic, the GM, the Operations Manager, and the Technical Manager worked together to keep the hotel safe and secure.

"The guards were there, and one of us visited and checked the hotel twice a week. Sad and impressive to see the rooms and public spaces other times full of live and vibrant, now empty," says the GM.

Being a business hotel with more than 85% foreign visitors, Hotel Cismigiu was dependent on flights and international travel. "The open doors after May 15th in Romania gave us more trust in the business, and we decided to open the hotel on June 1st, 2020," adds Georgeta Grecu, the Hotel Cismigiu GM.

During the lockdown, training was the keyword for the hotel staff. "We tried to make the most of this time and benefit of the free online webinars of our PMS supplier ( Bitsoft ), customer care training, our "one-time guest = always guest" program for all front line staff. We want ed to stay visible and to make plans for recovery," said Georgeta Grecu.

They detailed all the measures taken in the hotel to prevent the spread of COVID – 19, including those which affect the flow of guests inside the hotel. Measures include separate entry and exit routes, placing social distancing markers on the floor, installing plexiglass screens at the reception, installing hand sanitizer dispensers and shoe sanitizer mats in all public areas, sanitation of the public areas at least every 3 hours, permanent air ventilation in public areas, new apartment cleaning procedures and equipment for staff. Apartments are sanitized after checkout and are ready for the next guest after 72 hours, to prevent cross-contamination.

Breakfast is served as a takeaway now, and inside the apartments, ceramic dishes and glassware were replaced with single-use ones, while guests now also receive sanitizer napkin sets în each apartment. The hotel closed the gym and its business lounge/PC area and suspended its laundry service.