COVID-19 Preparedness Update

As we continue to navigate our way through uncertainty and these rapidly changing times, we want to express our commitment and priority to the health, safety and well-being for our valued staff and guests. Maintaining clean hotel facilities is always our top priority, and during this time we are being extra cautious and diligent. In the wake of the evolving COVID-19 situation, we are committed to taking extra action to provide a safe environment. 

We have outlined some of the procedures we’ve implemented at our hotels; the information below represents an overview of new measures being implemented at our hotels. Our standards, protocols and procedures are being re-evaluated to ensure relevance and are subject to change as new information and best practices are released. We are paying careful attention to the up-to-the-minute messaging from the World Health Organization, Public Health Agency of Canada and Provincial Health Services and are strictly enforcing all the recommended sanitary protocols and practices.

• Staff are committed to a pre-shift wellness check 1-2 hours prior to coming to the hotel each day.

• Staff must wash their hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. This includes when they first arrive at the facility, before preparing food, after any contact with saliva or nasal secretions (e.g., used tissues), after handling client belongings, after cleaning activities, and after using the washroom. 

• When coughing or sneezing:

  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue or the bend of your arm, not your hand

  • Dispose of any tissues you have used as soon as possible in a lined wastebasket and wash your hands afterwards

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands

• Staff should practice physical distancing and maintain a distance of 2 meters (6.5 feet) from guests and other team members and limiting the number of people in given areas at any one time to enable physical distancing by everyone.

Lobby and Public Spaces:

• Hand sanitizer stations in key areas throughout hotel

• High-touch areas in public spaces are cleaned thoroughly and regularly including heightened emphasis at high-touch zones and surfaces like interior and exterior door handles/door knobs & push plates, elevator buttons, stair rails, desk counters, debit/credit machines, pens, key cards, and public washrooms (including faucets & toilet flush levers, doors handles & push plates, cubicle door handles/latches, soap & paper towel dispensers)and staff break areas are being disinfected continuously throughout the day.

  • Date/time of cleaning recorded in hotel log.

  • Back-of-house areas and workspaces like work stations, kitchens, laundry, dishwasher areas among others have increased their cleaning protocols.

• To maintain awareness, appropriate signage around all entries (for customers) and at server stations/break rooms (back of house) outlining policies and procedures such as:

  • Physical Distance Expectations

  • Hand Hygiene (hand washing and/or using hand sanitizer)

  • Coughing Sneezing Etiquette 

  • Removing and Disposing Gloves

  • How To Use Masks 

  • Cleaning and Disinfection Practices

  • Payment and Take-Out Pick-Up Areas

• We ask that anyone who is feeling unwell refrain from visiting us so that together we can ensure a safe and comfortable experience for everyone.
• Eliminated ‘unwrapped’ food snack items (remove candy dishes, cookie jars, all fruit not meant to be peeled before eating).
• We are suggesting that guests pay with credit or debit in lieu of cash whenever possible.
• Please note that our hot tubs, indoor pools, fitness rooms, indoor tropical atriums, and business centres are temporarily closed at this time. 
• Using a UV-C germicidal bulb as part of the enhanced cleaning and disinfecting process after hours. The hotel staff will post notices letting guests know the period of time the bulb will be in use.

Public Washrooms:

• Washroom sanitation and supervision is enhanced. Washroom capacity may be adjusted to allow physical distancing. 

• Clean Public Washrooms hard surfaces and high touch points and disinfectant door handles, bathroom stalls (latch) fixtures, toilet and urinal handles, towel and soap dispensers, hand dryers, baby changing station, trash can, countertops, feminine hygiene receptacle, toilet paper dispensers, etc.

Welcome and Check-In:

• We are asking guests to maintain a distance of 2 meters (6.5 feet) from the front desk, the recommended distance between individuals including guests and team members. All hotels will be required to mark the front desk area with appropriate markers to help guide our guests as to where a safe distance is to stand when making inquiries at the front desk.

• Disinfected after every use: Credit card terminal, keycards, and pens.

• Disinfect high touch areas regularly including front desk counter and door handles/knobs elevator buttons, keyboards, telephones, workstations, vending area, ice machine and ice machine button, ATMs, public laundry machines, light switches, stair hand railings, trash cans, tables and chairs in adjacent lobby areas.

• Welcome letter communicating cleaning procedures, amenities available upon request, and protocols in public spaces.

Guest Rooms:

• Due to physical distancing it is advised that members of different households should not be placed in the same shared accommodation space.

• Eliminated non-disposable in-room glassware; replaced with disposable alternatives in the guestroom.

• Eliminated in-room non-disposable dishes and cutlery but these items have not been replaced with disposable items at this time. 

• To minimize potential areas of exposure and focus cleaning on essentials, remove non-essential amenities from guest rooms including: Plexi-glass or binder guest directory including pens, paper, information sheets, decorative pillows and bed throws, iron and ironing board, removed any extra pillows and blankets (only keeping 2 pillows per bed in the room)

  • Non-essential amenities may be requested by contacting the Front Desk staff

Housekeeping:

• Up to 72- hour “resting period” between guest stays, followed by an enhanced focus on disinfection of all guest room touchpoints

• Stayover housekeeping service modified to every third or fourth day 

• No housekeeping service while guest is in room

• Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment worn by all room attendants and changed frequently to avoid cross-contamination

• No-contact linen or towel exchange and garbage removal can be requested by contacting the Front Desk in between stayover housekeeping service

• Housekeeping team will disinfect cleaning equipment such as housekeeping carts, toilet brushes, vacuum cleaners, buckets, brooms, and mop handles every day.

• Using a UV-C germicidal bulb as part of the enhanced cleaning and disinfecting process in each room.

Laundry:

• Disposable gloves should be dedicated for handling dirty laundry and should not be used for other purposes. Discard after each use. Wash hands immediately after gloves are removed.

  • Do not use the same gloves to handle clean laundry when transfering to the dryer or when folding. Avoid clean laundry contact with floors, walls or dirty carts.

• Place dirty laundry directly into a garbage bag-lined linen bag without sorting.
• Use clearly marked laundry bins -'clean' or 'dirty'. Ensure dirty laundry only contacts dirty laundry bins, and clean laundry only contacts clean laundry bins. Launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting and dry items completely.
• If possible, do not shake laundry (minimizes possibility of dispersing virus through the air). Do not shake or “hug” and avoid direct contact of the skin, face and clothes with the contaminated laundry.
• Clean and disinfect clothes hampers according to guidance for environmental cleaning; consider using a bag liner that is disposable or a liner that can be laundered.
• Clean and sanitize the front loading area of washing machines frequently.
• Disinfect laundry facilities at the end of each work day, including laundry carts/bins, baskets, washers, dryers, sinks, tables, shelving, flooring, washer and dryer controls, light switches, and all other surfaces.
• Do not take food or beverages into the laundry area.

Restaurants, Lounges and Bars:

• Eliminated ‘discretionary’ buffets and guest self-service buffets.

• Take-out and curbside pick-up is available at hotel restaurants.

• Food deliveries to guest rooms will be contactless, we will be using disposable paper/plastic containers placing it in a plastic bag, not on a tray. 

• We are slowly starting to open our restaurants, lounges and bars for dine-in, check our website for updates. Our restaurants and lounges will reopen based on provincial regulations to ensure our guests and staff are able to maintain standards of social distancing.

  • For dine-in our servers will be wearing face masks

  • Seat allocation to promote physical distancing

  • Shifting to disposable paper menus and/or disinfection of laminated menus between each use. Digital menus are also being integrated as an option for our customers.

  • Disinfection of all touchpoints on table between diners

  • Increased frequency of cleaning and disinfecting for both front and back of house work areas, high touch points and surfaces

  • Increased hand washing required for both front and back of house staff

We are still awaiting additional information from provincial health authorities regarding reopening; however, based on what we know today, we have temporarily modified our hotels’ operations to promote a safe environment. As the circumstances continue to change at a rapid pace, this information may change. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will provide ongoing updates as needed at the hotel level. Thank you for your trust as we get through this together. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• Have your hours of operation changed?

Our hotels in Brooks, Pincher Creek, Taber, Cranbrook, and Saskatoon remain open and committed to the safety of our guests and team members. 

We made the difficult decision to temporarily close our hotel operations in High River and Moose Jaw. If you need to get in contact with one of these hotels, call the hotel and an operator will assist you. The decision to close is not permanent and we are looking forward to welcoming everyone back as soon as we can. We will use social media channels and our website to keep you informed with updates regarding our re-opening.

• Are there any Reservation Policy changes?

Our current cancellation policy applies, cancel without penalty until the day of your reservation, before 4:00 pm. Please note, if you booked online through a third party travel company (Expedia, Booking.com etc.), their cancellation policies apply as they hold your reservation. You must cancel your reservation with them.

• What is the open status for your on-site amenities?

All pools, fitness rooms, hot tubs and atriums will reopen based on provincial government guidelines. We continue to monitor health authorities’ recommendations and will re-open as soon as it is safe to do so.

• Are your dining outlets open?

Some of our dining outlets are starting to re-open for dine-in with take-out services available as well. Please contact the hotel for the most up-to-date information or view our food offerings here:

Alberta: Brooks, High River and Taber

Saskatchewan: Saskatoon

To reduce the possible transmission of COVID-19, all breakfast buffets will be closed. Extra precautionary measures for all staff handling food, cutlery and banquet equipment have been implemented to further increase our sanitization protocols. 

• What to do if a guest has to self-isolate?

Should a guest need to self-isolate, we will continue to follow government guidelines and recommendations as the situation evolves. Our staff have detailed safety protocols to follow.