To address changing consumer expectations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sandals Resorts is elevating its industry-leading health and safety practices with the introduction of new and enhanced protocols.

Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness will include several pre-emptive cleanliness measures that safeguard the guest journey from arrival to departure, including additional health and well-being requirements across all points of contact on resort.

“At Sandals Resorts, cleanliness and safety have always been priority number one. Our loyal guests and incredible team members are part of the Sandals family, and we take care of our family. Their health and safety is our focus,” said Gordon “Butch” Stewart, founder and chairman of Sandals Resorts.

The new and enhanced protocols being implemented across all 15 Sandals Resorts and three Beaches Resorts include:

• All-Encompassing 18 Touch Point Practice: After researching all points of guest contact, Sandals is integrating advanced hygiene practices across 18 key touch-points including the airport lounge; guest transfers to and from resort; guestrooms, food and beverage experiences; housekeeping and laundry; elite services including butler service and Club Sandals Concierge; maintenance; resort activities such as water sports; elevators; swimming pools, jacuzzis and spas; team members access points; fitness centers and the Red Lane Spa; public bathrooms; suppliers and receiving; all public areas including lobbies and beaches; back of house facilities such as storerooms and offices; Kids Camp and waterparks at Beaches Resorts; and HVAC systems.
• Enhanced Triple-Check System for Cleaning and Sanitation: All resorts are cleaned and sanitized on an ongoing basis, with a Triple-Check System and a minimum of three inspections daily. These inspections include all hard surfaces (from door handles to the interiors of vehicles used for airport transfers); public restrooms (inspected, cleaned and sanitized in 20-minute intervals); kitchens, bars and restaurants, including menus, tables, cutlery, glassware, chairs and more; and swimming pools and hot tubs.  Additional hand sanitizing stations will be provided for guests and team members throughout the resorts, at all dining locations and within each guestroom. Any items that guests will come in contact with, from room cards to welcome cocktails glassware, are sanitized before distribution.
• New Certified Sandals Sanitized Guestrooms: The new Platinum Protocols will introduce even more robust housekeeping measures, including the introduction of additional hospital-grade disinfectants; electrical aerosol sprayers for advanced cleaning; the use of UV-LED lighting equipment to inspect cleanliness; air duct sanitization for each arrival and upon each departure; weekly steam-cleaning and sanitization of carpeting; placement of anti-bacterial gels and soaps in each guestroom; and strict adherence to the Triple-Check System.
• At-Home to In-Room Check-in, beginning in June: Guests will have the ability to check-in online, allowing them to skip the front desk and go directly to their room. A refreshing welcome cocktail, a personal anti-bacterial towel and individual in-room hand sanitizer will await arriving guests.
• Social Distancing Practices: Sandals is introducing new ways to encourage guests to maintain a safe social distance. These include: adding more airport transfers with fewer guests per vehicle; extending check-in times between visitors; setting up a safe social distance across restaurants, bars and beaches; replacing handshakes with a nod and a smile; and restricting elevator occupancy to one couple per trip at Sandals Resorts and one family per trip at Beaches Resorts, with staff members taking alternate routes.
• Team Member Training and Precautionary Temperature Checks: All team members will have ongoing specialized training on precautionary measures geared toward preventative protocols and added sanitation practices. They will be required to know where the nearest hand sanitizer stations are located at all times, wear protective face gear and gloves at all times when on resort, and ensure uniforms are not worn during travel to and from work. Each team member will also have their temperature taken before the start of each shift in addition to stringent medical clearance.
• Supplier-held Standards: All vendors, suppliers and partners will be held to the new Sandals Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness standards by restricting delivery windows to one party at a time, while limited physical contact; sanitizing all touch points, including equipment, storage spaces and access areas; and removing all outer packing upon arrival.