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Indonesian Hotels: Ready for the New Normal
19 June 2020 | Written by Chris Alexander

Several of Indonesia’s major hotel groups are working together with the country’s Ministry of Health and COVID-19 special task force to devise and implement health and safety protocols, in a bid to secure the safety of guests when restrictions are lifted. With some hotels already reopening for business, the sector is demonstrating the understanding, infrastructure and precautions necessary to ensure guests’ safety when they return. 

Accor Hotels has played an active role in curbing and containing the virus in Indonesia by providing hotels for quarantine and accommodation for health workers over the past few months. Now, as the tourism sector begins its recovery, Accor Group has begun implementing hygiene standards, including room disinfection, physical distancing and regular health checks for all staff. Accor’s protocols are being reviewed and certified by Bureau Veritas, and will soon be accredited with the ALLSAFE label.  

Thanks in part to its own set of innovative health and safety reforms, Alila Solo is ahead of the curve and has already reopened for business in Central Java. On 12th June, the popular hotel resumed operations under the group’s HY-giene Programme, comprising enhanced sanitization and operational protocols for the front desk area, guest rooms and dining outlets. Surfaces, air filters and facilities are all being sanitized at regular intervals, to ensure that Alila guests in Solo can enjoy peace of mind. 

Elsewhere in Indonesia, OYO Hotels has developed its own Sanitized Stay protocols, designed to safeguard guests from check-in to check-out. These safety measures include disinfecting all rooms and public spaces, providing hand sanitizer and face masks for guests, staff training about virus prevention, physical distancing protocols, and close coordination with local hospitals and medical services. So far, approximately 200 OYO properties have implemented the new protocols. 

“We need to have resilience, as we don’t know how long this situation will last,” says Eko Bramantyo, who is head of emerging business at OYO. The company is adapting to the new normal by implementing a long-term strategy that begins with the initial safety protocols, scheduled to remain in place until the end of the calendar year. 

Hyatt has also launched its own health and safety measures for their hotels in Indonesia, including hourly sanitization of surfaces, body temperature checks at all entrances, contactless room service, physical distancing protocols in restaurants, frequent air quality tests and a food safety management system based on international standards.  

The hotel received its HACCP certification in March and is also expected to receive certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) soon. In addition, all Hyatt hotels are currently being accredited by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), which specialises in the prevention of infectious diseases.  

With many hotels around Indonesia taking the initiative and implementing extensive safety measures, seeking international certification and cooperating with government health ministries, visitors can rest assured their holidays in Indonesia will be safe and enjoyable; thanks to a range of diligent health and safety protocols, the new normal doesn’t have to mean anything less than extraordinary travel experiences when Indonesia reopens for business. 

Panorama Destination is committed to providing clients with safe and memorable travel in Indonesia and beyond. To safeguard visitors to our destinations, we have devised our own set of COVID-19 health and safety protocols, covering everything from airport pickups to transfers, accommodation, tours and emergency procedures. To read more about our STOP Covid-19 safety measures, click here