Hotel guests to wear face masks on communal corridors under new guidance

Hotels in England should urge guests to wear face masks on communal corridors, according to new Government advice.

It is one of a series of measures included in guidance from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy aimed at keeping workers and customers safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

The document states that trays carrying room service orders should be left outside bedroom doors, rather than brought into the room.

Hotel owners are urged to create a checklist of commonly-touched areas in bedrooms which housekeeping staff must clean after each guest checks out.

Lift use from reception should be minimised, while swimming pools and saunas should only be opened in line with Government advice.

Reception areas should be made safer with increased cleaning, minimising the length of time guests spend there and potentially installing screens between guests and staff.

Meanwhile, caravan parks and campsites are being urged to close indoor shared facilities such as communal kitchens, while shared showers and toilets should have “clear use and cleaning guidance”.

The document states that businesses will need to “adapt” the guidance and “a site by site approach is essential”.

Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday that hotels can reopen in England from July 4.

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