Hyatt sent out an email to all World of Hyatt members yesterday on safety. The Hyatt email is interesting not so much for what it does say, but for its omission of any discussion (or even mention) of facial masks.
Hyatt “Safety First, Wellbeing Always” Email Does Not Mention Masks
Hyatt CEO Mark Hoplamazian sent the email below to all members yesterday. It focuses on Hyatt’s “comprehensive” new effort to make hotels safe for guests and for workers.
Dear Matthew,
I hope this finds you and your loved ones safe and in good health.
At Hyatt, our purpose – to care for people so they can be their best – is at the center of everything we do, including our path forward as we look toward a COVID-19 recovery. We want to help you once again experience the joy of travel – with a focus on safety first, and wellbeing always.
Hyatt is taking comprehensive steps to implement new guidance, procedures and practices and reimagine the hotel experience for our guests and colleagues. Today, I am pleased to share some additional actions Hyatt is taking to care for you during this time.
Book with Confidence and Travel Flexibility
Because we understand that flexibility is more important than ever when traveling, we recently announced an enhanced cancellation policy that will provide further flexibility as you get back to planning travel.Hyatt is now offering flexibility with cancellation at no charge up to 24 hours before scheduled arrival for most reservations for stays through July 31, 2021. See here for terms and some exceptions.
Hyatt’s Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment
To us, the most important element of opening the doors of Hyatt hotels is doing it safely. As such, we have introduced a multi-layered Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment that builds on Hyatt’s existing rigorous protocols and includes:
- Cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention accreditation by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) for all Hyatt hotels globally.
- Dedicated hygiene & wellbeing leaders at each hotel to enforce new sanitization protocols and colleague resources.
- Trusted medical and industry advisors to help Hyatt think beyond cleanliness – and advance care across the entire hotel experience.
Collaborating with medical experts from organizations such as Cleveland Clinic is helping us fine-tune procedures for hotels to resume operations and serve our guests – from mandatory trainings to cleanliness protocols and, very importantly, our colleague experience.
In this new video, learn more about how Hyatt is committed to enhanced levels of cleanliness and wellbeing.
Beyond Cleanliness: Reimagined Hotel Experiences
While cleanliness is a top priority for us, we have listened closely to our guests and members, and are reimagining the hotel experience with creativity and care. In an effort to advance care for our guests, we are giving you greater control of your Hyatt experience and preferences.
- Less Contact. More Care: We’re working to roll out enhanced digital amenities through the World of Hyatt app that will give you more control over preferences like scheduling housekeeping or choosing between pick-up or knock-and-go service for restaurant orders.
- Feeding the Senses: Exceptional food and beverage experiences have always been core to Hyatt and a crucial part of the excitement of travel. Now, we are bringing together all the senses to deliver reimagined dining experiences in beautiful, unique spaces like private dining in a premium suite or on a garden-filled rooftop.
- The Luxury of Space: At some hotels, on- and off-property events and excursions will be reimagined as private bookable experiences with plenty of space, such as rooftop yoga classes, private beekeeping, or exploring outdoor paths with guided maps.
- Wellbeing Where You Are: The true fulfillment of Hyatt’s purpose of care is wellbeing. Through our exclusive collaboration with industry leaders like Headspace, you can access mindfulness exercises, guided meditations and sleep content via the World of Hyatt app and in-room TVs. Enjoy enhanced fitness and mindfulness in-room amenities at some hotels, such as Exhale on Demand TV content, fitness equipment delivered to your room (bikes, treadmills, weights), or spa kits and treatments available for delivery. At some hotels, we’ve also created outdoor workout spaces.
- Curated with Care: Guestroom décor and amenities are being curated to remove some extraneous, high-touch items, while still providing the known high-quality experience for which the Hyatt brand is known, including engaging art and distinguished design.
Throughout this recovery phase and beyond, we will continue to advance care and further enhance safety and wellbeing throughout the hotel journey – from pre-arrival, to guestrooms, lobbies and spas, restaurants and meetings space – bringing the latest research, technology and innovation to bear.
Finally, it’s important to share that Hyatt will continue its journey to build a world of understanding and care. At Hyatt, there is no room for racism or discrimination of any kind. Since opening our doors more than 60 years ago, our longstanding work to foster environments where all individuals feel welcome in our hotels stands strong as we advocate for inclusion and diversity in our communities. I invite you to learn more about our recent commitments to action in the ongoing fight for racial justice and equality here. On behalf of the entire Hyatt family, I thank you for your support and can’t wait to welcome you back soon.
My best,
World of Hyatt
MARK HOPLAMAZIAN
President & CEO
Hyatt
What Is Hyatt Trying To Achieve By Omitting Masks?
A video accompanies the email. Note that in the video employees (for the most part) are wearing masks. Guests, however, are not. With just two exceptions, the video is full of guests not only in rooms, but in common areas not wearing masks.
Is Hyatt sending a message here? I have to wonder. Obviously the idea of wearing masks while swimming, working out, lounging in your guest room, or eating is stupid. But should we wear masks in high-traffic common areas? I do…not to virtue signal or because it necessarily even works (I have strong doubts, especially when I frequently reuse the same mask), but because it is a small price to pay if it does work and prevents others from getting sick.
I cannot help but think that has COVID-19 cases are accelerating again in the United States that the downplaying the use of masks will not calm the sort of guests who care about safety and were more likely the targets of this email in the first place.
CONCLUSION
No one likes wearing a mask. But if Hyatt is downplaying the use of guest masks to encourage people to visit its properties, I think its efforts will backfire. And the idea that every single employee wears masks seems to be contradicted by multiple reports we are hearing from others. Masks are but one of part of a larger and more comprehensive protocol, but still an important component to a “safety first” approach. I’d think they would be worth mentioning in an email on safety…
People are wimps. Masks are not so uncomfortable, particularly the homemade ones or paper ones. N95, that’s uncomfortable.
In Japan, people have been wearing masks during winter cold and flu season for decades.
Think of masks like an oil change instead of engine replacement or wiping after pooping instead of having to wash the smeary and smelly feces from your clothes
I actually prefer wearing the N/KN95 to a paper/surgical mask while flying. It doesn’t get as close to my eyes and you actually feel like it’s providing protection.
In any event. Americans are simply not going to wear masks everywhere like people in Asia, even Southern Europe. We probably need to just accept that and figure out an alternative approach.
Wearing a mask all day that you constantly touch and adjust — and then don’t even put over your nose — is totally worthless.
This is beyond selfish. They should care more about their employees. These people have families to go home to and should be protected as much as possible. The scariest part of all?? Hyatt isn’t taking the Ultimate pro cautions as mentioned in their email even for their guests. Their cleaning protocol?? isn’t any different than before the virus!! It’s actually worse because they have cut their stuff more than 70%. Bottom line….you don’t want to wear a mask? Don’t leave your house. Stop spreading your nasty germs all over the damn place!!!!!
No brand is enforcing masks. Period. Hilton and Marriott are the same. Few if any staff are wearing them at this point. They don’t even dangle them around their necks anymore. The anti-maskers won. Such a sad display that in most every place in the world they have been perfectly accepted and fine. And the results are evident.
Four Seasons is the only brand that is taking it seriously. I guess, as they should, given rooms often approaching an average of $700 a night and the profile of many of their regular guests.
Wearing a mask all day that you constantly touch and adjust — and then don’t even put over your nose — is totally worthless.
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The above is not true. If you are pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic, you sing or cough and your frequently adjusted mask WILL help.
Masks are like drunk driving prevention. Not driving DUI helps others, as well as yourself. In some DUI cases, not driving would have helped others from being killed.
Almost 10 years ago, I sat near a woman coughing like mad then I got it. Should have worn a mask and she should have worn a mask.
Agree with Derek. I hate this sort of thinking, where if something isn’t 100% effective then its not worth it.
I’m also curious about Matthew’s statement towards the end, about his strong doubts about the effectiveness of his mask when reusing it… Even if you’re implying that the mask has coronavirus on the outside of it, the likelihood that an amount great enough to actually infect survives minutes-hours-overnight outside the body is very low
I wear my mask faithfully in public settings.
That said, I probably should be changing it much more often:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/when-and-how-to-use-masks
I’m not talking so much about me infecting others but more about putting a nasty, germ-covered mask on my face day after day.
I won’t tell you not to change it (obviously), I just think you’re overestimating the risks of day-old germs on your mask
I’ve have several trips during the lockdown and life in the planes and airports and hotels has been so glorious without all the whining Karens of the world. Please, stay home, don’t come out and make these endless demands on the rest of us happy to go on with our lives.
Hyatt’s choice sure doesn’t inspire me with confidence. If they’re only willing to follow some of the most basic protocols, what other safety steps are they avoiding?
Funny, because our local HP requires the _guests_ wear masks at all times outside their room. Guests are not allowed to even walk in the front door to check in w/o a mask on, and I am in a low Covid 19 infection area.
Also,.
The Hygiene Person at the hotel in a combined role, Hyatt tacked it on to someone in operations with no backgroud in health or hygiene, just and “Online certificate. Nice of Hyatt to avoid actually taking a stance, par for Hyatt.