Hospitality Partner Reopening Toolkit

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we in the tourism and hospitality industry have reexamined our industry’s safety measures. We've put together a list of resources in one place so you can access industry-specific best practices for reopening, CDC guidelines and planning steps to make your staff and customers feel comfortable about returning to your place of business.

Keep in mind: CDC-recommended safety protocols will continue to be of utmost importance. Customers, residents, and employees will be hyper-aware of the need to continue the following practices.  

1. Hand washing  
2. Social (or Physical) Distancing  
3. Personal Protective Equipment  

Industry-Specific Resources 

Hotel and Lodging 

• Safe Stay Initiative by the American Hotel & Lodging Association - Industry-wide hotel cleaning standards, toolkit, guidelines, and resources. Download the entire guidelines here. 
• Q&A from the American Hotel & Lodging Association by Cozen O'Connor - Questions and answers for the hotel industry for planning and return to occupancy. 
• Hospitality for Hope Initiative by the American Hotel & Lodging Association - View the collaboration between the hotel industry and the local, state, and federal governments. Also, on this page is a Hospital Conversion Playbook for hoteliers. 
• Hotel Emergency Toolkit by The Growth Works - Use this hotel emergency toolkit to better navigate the crisis and look for ways to support your local community, develop team members, and ultimately prepare for recovery. 
• Comprehensive Collection of Hotel Reopening Guidelines from Sarah Buchbinder - A list of reopening protocols from hotel brands across the US.

Restaurants 

• Next Steps: Planning for Reopening by the National Restaurant Association - Next steps for preparing your restaurant for reopening.
• The Alabama Restaurant Promise by the Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association - Guidelines and precautions specific to restaurants operating in Alabama.
• Best Practices Retail Food Stores & Restaurants by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration - Healthy best practices for restaurants and employees.
• Pandemic Relaunch Toolkit for Restaurants + Bars from Streetsense 

Attractions

• Reopening Guidance: Considerations for the Attractions Industry by the Global Association for the Attractions Industry

Golf Courses 

• Park & Play Program by NGCOA - Review coronavirus protocols for open golf courses. 

Farmers Markets 

• Consumer Guide to Buying from Local Farmers by Purdue University - How to engage with your local farmers/farmers markets amid the pandemic. 

State and Local Government Resources 

• City of Huntsville - Coronavirus Updates

• Alabama Governors Office

• COVID-19 Resources from the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber
• Guidance for Safeguarding All Workplaces from the Alabama Department of Public Health - Guidance for employers during the COVID-19 response. 
• Mental Health Resources from the Alabama Department of Mental Health - Mental health support for the state of Alabama and communities around the world. 

Planning to Reopen: Best Practices 

How can you protect yourself, your employees, and your customers?

• Develop a Written Plan 
  • Writing a plan can show that you have thought through risks in advance. A plan can also convey that you care about your customers, staff, and others.  
• Follow Your Plan  
  • Make sure once a plan is developed, that it is implemented and executed. Friendly visual and verbal reminders will be crucial to maintaining new guidelines put into place.
• Communicate the plan to your employees  
  • Meet with your staff and talk about the new procedures 
  • Explain the importance of the new procedures 
  • Allow staff to ask questions to make sure they understand it fully  
  • Rehearse proper cleaning techniques with staff members  
• Communicate what you’re doing to prepare for reopening to customers. This can go a long way in reassuring them that it is safe to return.  
  • Use your social media or email newsletters to show what you’re doing (videos of you or staff cleaning; show photos of staff wearing Personal Protective Equipment  
  • Develop signage to reinforce the new rules – this will remind customers as well as employees

Crucial Elements of a Written Plan  

The Office of Safety and Health Administration and the Centers for Disease Control teamed to prepare a document to help workplaces prepare. This document includes detailed information about how to: 

1. Prepare an Infectious Disease Preparedness Response Plan
2. ​Prepare to Implement Basic Infection Prevention Measures
3. ​Develop, Implement, and Communicate about Workplace Flexibility and Protections and
4. ​Implement Workplace Controls

Click Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 to review or download the full document. 

Preventing the Spread of Coronavirus

General information about the spread of the virus is below. 

• Coronavirus Information from the CDC  by Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Overall Coronavirus information brought to you by the CDC. 
• How COVID-19 Spreads by Center for Disease Control and Prevention - How to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by the CDC. 
• CDC Handwashing Posters by Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Posters you can print out for your place of business to promote clean hygiene. 
• Social Distancing, Quarantine, and Isolation by Center for Disease Control and Prevention - National rules and guidelines for safe social distancing. 
• Personal Protective Equipment Guidelines by Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Personal protective equipment guidelines to help slow the spread of coronavirus. 
• Coronavirus and Travel in the United States by Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Learn about essential travel and travel recommendations within the U.S. 
• Support for States, Tribes, Localities, and Territories by Center for Disease Control and Prevention - Key resources to get and keep your community open for business.