COVID-19: recommendations published in March 2020 (archive)
In March 2020, the health crisis was causing cancellations and restrictions affecting holiday accommodation. Whether an operation could continue depended on the measures in force; a cleaning routine was not equivalent to permission to maintain the service.
Alehost explained the following:
How to protect holiday accommodation in Madrid during the coronavirus outbreak
COVID-19 had been declared a global pandemic and was particularly severe in Spain at that time. It was therefore necessary to take heightened precautions and safety measures, especially in accommodation.
Where to start? These were the key points:
- Hand sanitiser at the entrance: the first recommendation was to leave a bottle at the property’s entrance so guests could use it when coming in or going out, helping them keep their hands clean.
Cleaning: plan it using suitable products, following their instructions and the applicable protocol. No service can guarantee that infection will not occur.
- Cleaning products: keep cleaning supplies in the apartment in case guests wish to use them to feel more comfortable. Suggested items included disinfectants such as bleach, cleaning cloths and kitchen paper.
- Inform your guests: it was essential to tell guests about the situation in Spain before they travelled, for their safety and yours.
Guest information: where applicable health guidance exists, provide its official source and date. Avoid retaining signs with instructions from an earlier phase of the emergency.
During the emergency, Airbnb changed certain policies for affected bookings. Those measures had specific conditions and periods; they should not be interpreted as a current right to cancel any booking free of charge.
We hoped these 6 points would help protect holiday accommodation in Madrid.
Operational lessons worth retaining
The crisis demonstrated the importance of up-to-date contacts, clear messages and a process for reviewing bookings, restrictions and cancellations. Keep supporting documents and check the policy applying to the case before promising refunds. For routine property preparation, use a current cleaning and maintenance protocol, separate from this historical archive.
