Sandals plans to reopen most resorts on June 4 and its two Bahamas
properties on July 1.
The company had previously said in March that its resorts
would reopen on May 15.
The reopenings on June 4 cover the Sandals and Beaches
resorts in Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Turks &
Caicos.
In preparation for the reopenings, Sandals has introduced
enhanced health and safety measures for its guests and staff and is notifying
guests of new protocols prior to arrival.
Sandals’ new cleanliness measures will touch airport
lounges, guest transfer vehicles, guestrooms, restaurants and bars,
housekeeping and laundry, butler and Club Sandals concierge services, resort
activities, fitness centers and the Red Lane Spa, public restrooms, kids clubs,
and waterparks.
All team members will be required to wear face masks.
“We will monitor and abide by the CDC recommendations
concerning guest protocols at the time of the reopenings. To ensure guest
safety and satisfaction, we will provide complimentary masks and gloves for all
guests,” Sandals said.
Hand-sanitizing stations will be located throughout the
resorts, at all dining locations and within each guest room.
Housekeeping measures for guest rooms include use of
hospital-grade disinfectants, electrical aerosol sprayers, ultraviolet light
equipment to inspect cleanliness, air duct sanitization for each arrival and
departure, weekly steam cleaning of carpets, and anti-bacterial gels and soaps
in each bathroom.
Social distancing measures include more airport transfers
with fewer guests per vehicle; extending check-in times between visitors;
setting up safe distances across restaurants, bars and beaches; replacing
handshakes with a nod and a smile; and restricting elevator trips to one couple
per trip at Sandals resorts and one family per trip at Beaches resorts.
All team members will have temperature checks before the
start of each shift. Uniforms cannot be worn during travel to and from work.
Suppliers and vendors will be held to the new standards, as
well. Delivery windows will be restricted to one party at a time. All touch
points, including equipment storage spaces will be sanitized, and all outer
packing will be removed upon arrival.
All resorts currently have a health and safety manager on
site as well as a group health and safety manager. They are currently training
team members on these heightened standards.