If you want to book a holiday during the COVID-19 pandemic, then there are many considerations to make. You already know that you will need to keep taking precautions which will keep your odds low of getting sick and passing the virus onto others.
Whether or not you plan on going for a road trip or plan to go somewhere in another part of the country which requires you to take the plane – you will be staying at a hotel unless you are going for an Airbnb stay. Let’s assume you are going to a hotel. You will need to know about the following 12 things to consider before booking one.
Ask About Cancellation Policies
Even if you are taking a road trip to a place where there are few COVID cases, you cannot assume it will stay that way. What if the city you are heading to all of a sudden is seeing an uptick of cases and you are not comfortable with staying there? You must ask about cancellation policies before booking as you don’t want to lose your money if you plan to cancel.
Research What You Need To Know About Hotels Through Their Websites
If you want to know information about a hotel where you want to stay, do not consult a travel agency. Go right to the website of the hotel. Any travel agency is not going to know about every policy that the hotel has. You can only get that from the hotel. Do your own research and call them if you must.
Learn About Their Cleaning Policies
Cleanliness is always essential but right now, especially, during a pandemic it is imperative that the hotel or any place you go to remains sterilized. Review the cleaning policies that the hotel has and don’t be afraid to give them a call or send them an email to ask them questions if you must. Your health and the health of others around you is the most important thing.
Can You Afford The Costly Hotels?
Hotels that are more expensive usually are the ones that are the cleanest. This is the way to go if you can afford it. And even if you can, ask plenty of questions and make sure that they sanitize their rooms and everywhere else in the building. Don’t go for the cheapest, especially right now during a pandemic.
Stay At The Hotel For A While
If you know the hotel stays clean and your budget allows it, consider staying at the hotel for five days to a week so you can make the most of it. The longer you stay as well, the more the staff will sanitize your room. You will want to do this as well if you are flying somewhere as everything is more costly now based on the fact that extra work has to be put in for keeping everything sanitized.
Find Out About The Requirements Of The Staff
Before booking your hotel, ask the hotel where you want to stay about the requirements of the staff. If you find out later on, for instance, that employees don’t need to wear masks, then you would be regretting it if you booked. You want to know if the employees wear masks, wear gloves, and if they need to take your temperature as well.
The Design Is Important
You will want to see how the hotel you are planning to stay at is designed. You want there to be a lot of space without too many rooms, or a large outdoor area where you can spend most of your time if you want to socialize utilizing social distancing measures. You may even opt to go to a resort with different accommodations that are separate.
It Is Best To Stick To A Road Trip
If you want to take a trip, it is advisable to go on a road trip instead of flying. It is much safer that way. You are in your own car instead of being on a flight with other people even if they wear masks on the flight. This is something to strongly to consider during a pandemic.
Download The App From The Hotel
Once you have found your hotel, download the app from the hotel. You can do many things with it such as ordering meals for in-room dining and ordering more towels. This will reduce your need to touch the landline phone to make the orders that way. You can always call the hotel from your own cellphone as well, but an app makes it much more convenient.
Learn About Outdoor Activities
If you want to go on a trip, you will want to know about the outdoor activities around your hotel. Are there lakes, parks, or any other outdoor area where you can enjoy and get some physical activity as well? That keeps you the safest when the virus is concerned, and it also is a great outlet for you especially after being stuck at home for so long.
Research The Area Well
In addition to wanting to know about outdoor activities, you will want to know about other attractions as well that you can safely check out. In addition to that, you want to know what is open and what is closed. If you rent a hotel near a beach and later find out that the beach is closed, then that would make you regret your decision to book. Research everything you need to know about the area where you plan to stay.
Change Your Perspective
The hotel experience in 2020 will be much different from any experiences you had staying at a hotel in the previous and pre-pandemic years. Expect to wear masks in the hotel and to social distance which means prepare to line up out the door when checking in, for example. Life will be different while going on vacation during a pandemic. It will be less convenient for you but safety is the priority.
The ideal thing is to wait until the pandemic is over or until you are vaccinated to go on vacation. However, no one knows when that will be. Life still happens during a pandemic and all you have to do is to stay safe and healthy.
