Hotels in Romania prepare to reopen after May 15 when the lockdown due to COVID-19 will end in the country. However, the hotel guests must expect a somewhat different experience than before the COVID-19 pandemic as the hotel operators have prepared strict security and social distancing measures.

Lithuanian group Apex Alliance, which owns and operates three hotels in Bucharest, announced it would reopen its hotels after thorough disinfection carried out by a certified company. The company has also announced enhanced safety measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections for its staff and guests.

Thus, guests will have the option to clean up their rooms by themselves, during their stay, to avoid contact with hotel staff. For this, they will be awarded points in their member accounts, which they will be able to use to get discounts within the hotel network.

Another safety measure is having a three-day interval between two guests who use the same room.

The company's hotels will also have a new breakfast and room service concept. They will pack the food in disposable packaging. Clients will have the option to order by phone or at the restaurant.

Restaurants will remain closed in Romania even after May 15, when the state of emergency ends, the authorities have announced. This will also apply to restaurants in hotels.

Other safety measures to be implemented by Apex Alliance in its hotels will include more frequent disinfection of the public spaces, encouraging the use of digital room keys, limiting the access to the fitness centers based on their surface, replacing cups and glasses in rooms with disposable ones, limiting the use of the elevator to one person or family, and the use of protective equipment by all hotel staff.

"The COVID-19 pandemic will change the tourism industry, more than any important event in recent history. We will see hotel upgrades and changes in procedures and concepts. The world is changing, and we have to adapt, offering our guests all the precautions they need at a fair price. We expect the industry to start growing in the summer. Still, overall, we estimate that the tourism sector will decline by 80% this year compared to 2019. This part of the economy employs over 230,000 people in Romania and needs strong support from the government during this period," said Gerhard Erasmus, CEO Apex Alliance Hotel Management.

The Lithuanian group operates three hotels in Bucharest - Hilton Garden Inn Old Town, Hilton Garden Inn Bucharest Airport, and Courtyard by Marriott Bucharest Floreasca - with a total of 678 rooms. The company is currently developing two more units in the Romanian capital: Autograph by Marriott and Moxy by Marriott, both located in the Old Town area, offering over 300 rooms in total.

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Courtyard by Marriott Floreasca)