As the Hudson Valley and the region reopen, we know it will not be business as usual. Our community has faced myriad challenges over these past few months, but together we have demonstrated remarkable resilience. We”™re moving ahead and looking forward to seeing our colleagues again.
We are all preparing for the adjustments to new norms and new ways of thinking about how we work and live. In the hospitality industry, we must be particularly nimble to accommodate new travel standards and expectations. Our guests must be assured of their safety, so they can focus on why they”™re here ”” business meetings, staycations, weddings ”” and not worry about their well-being while they”™re here.
MEETING WITH CONFIDENCE
Networking has always been an integral part of Westchester County”™s business community and we”™ve heard from so many of our colleagues eager to “meet” again.
Most of us have become adept at virtual meetings, but long for that personal connection. And, while the conventional handshake may be on hold, the sense of camaraderie need not be. When business professionals meet here at the Crowne Plaza White Plains, we want to ensure they meet with confidence.
Our team has been working behind the scenes to enhance our guests”™ experience with innovative science-led protocols and service measures. We have partnered with industry-leading experts Cleveland Clinic, Ecolab and Diversey and launched a global “Clean Promise” with strengthened measures to give guests greater confidence and our staff extra protection. We have appointed “Clean Champions” to build upon our stringent protocols and focus on our guests and staff to help everyone navigate the new environment and ensure the highest standards of safety.
We are all still adapting and as businesses prepare for more physical meetings and events, we know there will be concerns and needs to reschedule. To help ease those concerns, we have created a “Meet with Confidence” program that allows guests to confidently book future groups up to 50 rooms per night, meetings and events with zero cancellation fees or attrition fees.
Another aspect to our “Meet with Confidence” program incorporates a new standard of how we handle meetings. We know our business colleagues have a lot more on their minds these days, so to give them peace of mind we”™ve introduced new social distancing guidelines for check-ins, events and meals. This program expands our safety best practices with additional protocols and measures to reflect the advice of the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local public health authorities in markets worldwide.
Guests can expect to see evolved procedures in every area of the hotel, which may include:
Ӣ Reception: Reduced contact at check-in, touchless transactions, front-desk screens, sanitizer stations and sanitized key cards.
Ӣ Guest rooms: Visible verification of sanitized items (e.g., glassware, remote control), reduction of in-room furnishings/high-touch items, new laundry protocols and use of new technology.
”¢ Public spaces and facilities: Additional deep cleaning of high-touch surfaces, social distancing, “last cleaned” charts and best practices for pools, fitness centers and lounges.
Ӣ Food and beverage: New standards and service approach to buffets, banquets, room service and catering.
We understand that now, more than ever, living and working require adaptability. At the Crowne Plaza White Plains, safety always has been our priority and while many things have changed in the world, we stand firm in our commitment to our guests and our staff. We are all eager to move forward and we recognize how critical it is to do so in a manner that ensures everyone”™s safety and well-being.
Tonya Inman is the director of sales and marketing at the Crowne Plaza White Plains, an IHG hotel. Reach her at Tonya.Inman@ihg.com.
