The Excellence Collection

OUR NEW HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS

Enjoy peace of mind without sacrificing the full vacation experience

As the world moves into a new era in the wake of Covid-19, The Excellence Collection wants our guests to know they can visit us with complete tranquility.

To this end, we have formed our Health and Safety Committee, led by the esteemed Dr. Sebastian Crespi, who is the President & Scientific Director of Biolinea and a consultant for the World Health Organization on Covid-19 management in the hotel industry worldwide, and joined by a selection of our departamental leaders from within the company. The committee has collaborated to form a new list of additional protocols to complement the Infinite Excellence already found at our properties.

“These new protocols will be an extension of our brand’s renowned bespoke service. We want our guests to travel with peace of mind while enjoying the same level of Infinite Excellence as always. Each point is focused on our standards of service, so the guests’ full vacation experience is not disturbed.”

– Domingo Aznar, VP of Sales & Marketing for The Excellence Collection

Our new protocols are based on knowledge and recommendations from sources such as the World Health Organization, the CDC and the EPA in the United States, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Health England, local authorities in the brand’s hotel destinations, tour operators, and The Excellence Collection’s very own above-the-curve standards. Their fluid design will allow them to evolve along with the Covid-19 situation in the countries where The Excellence Collection properties are located and where its guests reside.

Even since before Covid-19, the brand has been closely partnered with Preverisk Group. This expert agency provides consulting, auditing, and training in the most exacting health standards throughout all hotel departments. The Excellence Collection has always prided itself on its expert-led health and safety processes, and the new post-Covid protocols will be a simple extension of what the brand has always provided for its guests.

Below is the list of Health & Safety Protocols that will take effect upon the reopening of every hotel and resort within The Excellence Collection:

Our Cleaning Products

  • All cleaning and disinfecting products mentioned below are hospital-grade products that meet criteria from the WHO, the CDC, the Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Health England, and the EPA to eliminate the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Covid-19). These products have been evaluated and approved by Biolinea, a third-party consulting firm partnered with the WHO.
  • To ensure safe and effective product use, we closely follow all instructions on the label: concentration, method of application, contact time, etc.

On Arrival and Check-In

  • A disinfectant mat is placed at the entrance so that all guests can sanitize their shoes on arrival at the hotel, before entering the main lobby.
  • Luggage is disinfected on arrival.
  • Guests’ temperature is taken on arrival with a no-contact thermometer, as a first measure in detecting signs of symptoms compatible with Covid-19. 
  • A protective shield is placed at the front desk to ensure proper social distancing between guests and employees.
  • Surfaces and equipment are cleaned and disinfected before and after each customer service interaction. 
  • Front desk employees disinfect their hands after receiving or interchanging items from other people.
  • At check-in, guests are offered an Absolute Privacy Option if they so choose. This option ensures that employees will not enter their suite at all during their stay; all suite services will be delivered to the door only.
  • The front desk has a brochure with Covid-19 preventative measures and recommendations that will apply during their stay.

In Our Public Spaces

  • Elevators are limited to maximum two people at the same time. Elevators also have floor marks to indicate social distancing, and touchless antibacterial hand gel dispensers.
  • Antibacterial gel dispensers are available in numerous locations for hand sanitizing, including the front desk, the main lobby, entrances to restaurants, bar counters, the fitness center, the spa, and public restrooms, as well as throughout back-of-house areas for employees.
  • To keep social distancing to at least 5 feet: 
    • Signs, markers, and/or floor marks are placed in the front desk area, at restaurant entrances, in the spa, and throughout other public spaces where queues can occur. 
    • Furniture in public spaces is separated further apart, including tables at restaurants.
    • Maximum occupancy is reduced in restaurants, bars, snack areas, and cafés.
  • High-frequency touch points are cleaned and disinfected frequently, such as door handles, handrails, stair railings, elevators, public phones, faucets and faucet handles, diaper changing stations, high chairs, etc.
  • Our main public spaces and contact surfaces are deep-cleaned and disinfected with electrostatic spray at the end of each day, including the main lobby, the Excellence Club lounge, the Finest Club lounge, public restrooms, the theater, restaurants, Imagine Kids Club, kids’ lounge areas, shops, the doctor’s office, the fitness center, the spa, and the public pool areas.
  • Our properties have the advantage of being mostly open-air spaces, allowing for plenty of fresh air and sunshine. Indoor public spaces such as the spa, the fitness center, and others are opened up and aired out several times each day, in order to allow more fresh air into the space. 

Inside Your Suite

  • On your arrival to your suite, a seal of cleanliness will indicate that it has undergone a strict process of cleaning, disinfection, and nebulization.
  • We use even stricter cleaning and disinfecting protocols than before for your suite, furnishings, and contact areas like door handles, handrails, faucets and faucet handles, telephones, remote controls, light switches, stair railings, WC handle, etc.
  • Suites have special anti-Covid amenity kits available for personal use, including items such as face masks, wipes, and antibacterial gel. Please note that these items are available for you, but you are not required to use them. 
  • Remote controls and minibar service items are laid out in a disposable protective bag.
  • Personal-use linens are changed every day of your stay, including sheets, pillowcases, towels, etc. 
  • In-suite fabrics are steam-sterilized after every check-out, including mattresses, pillows, drapings, and curtains.
  • All suites are nebulized at check-out with an electric ULV fogger machine, using a broad-spectrum virucide. 

With Our Room Service

  • Guests can choose to have their room service delivered to our “X-box” cabinets to avoid direct contact. 
  • If a guest chooses to allow the server into their suite, the server will do so while wearing a protective face mask.
  • Room service food and beverages are always adequately covered and protected. 
  • Guests receive a card offering instructions on how to return used dishes: by calling Room Service to pick them up, or by placing them in the “X-box” cabinet.

Inside Our Restaurants

  • Buffet service is updated to minimize guest handling of food:
    • A protective panel is placed between guests and the buffet dishes.
    • We have assisted service, where our staff will serve you at the buffet counters; as a result, there are no self-service utensils.
    • Buffets have more ready-made and individually-plated items to minimize the need for food handling at the buffet stations.
  • Restaurant employees implement social distancing protocols to control the number of guests entering the restaurant and within the waiting areas at any given time.
  • Maximum capacity is reduced and tables are placed further apart.

In the Pool and Beach Areas

  • Loungers and bali beds have a separation of at least 5 feet, with loungers being placed in pairs.
  • So long as our occupancy rate allows it, we strive to leave empty beds and empty pairs of loungers between guests to offer even more separation.

In the Spa

  • Our spa facilities have even stricter cleaning protocols than usual, including hydrotherapy areas, relaxation areas, treatment rooms, dressing rooms, saunas, and steam rooms, along with all tools and utensils. 
  • For our spa-area aromatherapy scents, we use a selection of bacteria-killing essential oils that also strengthen the immune system.
  • Staff members use a face mask for all body treatments, massages, and facials.
  • Staff members use a face mask and gloves for all manicures and pedicures.

In Our Fitness Centers

  • Machines, equipment, and accessories are cleaned and sanitized by staff after each use. 
  • Sanitizing wipes are available so guests can use them to wipe down machines and equipment, to avoid cross contamination. 
  • The fitness center is closed three times each day for a deep sanitizing process.

For Weddings and Events

  • All event venues and ballrooms are disinfected prior to the arrival of guests, and they have hand sanitizing gel stations.
  • Wedding ceremony and meeting room setups will group guests by couples or by families, with physical distancing.
  • Food and beverage service at private cocktail parties are an elegant tray service done by the waiter.
  • Buffet dinners are attended and served directly by our staff, replacing the former self-serve concept.

For Our Staff

  • Our employees undergo training on new sanitizing and social distancing procedures, including updated training should our protocols evolve. 
  • Our employees undergo mandatory training on immediate-action preventative measures and protocols in the event of a Covid-19 possibility or alert.
  • Employees are given face masks and/or gloves when their job so requires, when there are no protective panels in place, and when social distancing of minimum 5 feet is not possible. 
  • All staff members who have direct contact with guests will use a face mask (and gloves, in some cases). Most face masks are made of reusable transparent plastic, so their faces are still fully visible. Employees who use disposable face masks are required to change them after 3 to 4 hours of use, depending on their position.
  • All employees will wear a face mask when entering a suite, with no exceptions.
  • The company provides staff with clean and sanitized uniforms every day.
  • Employees undergo health checks:
    • Each employee’s temperature is taken with a no-contact thermometer when they enter the hotel premises. If they have a temperature of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher, or if they show symptoms of Covid-19, they will be sent home right away.
    • If an employee shows symptoms of Covid-19 during their shift, they will be sent home right away.
    • Employees with respiratory symptoms will be asked to quarantine at home and call Human Resources to let them know they are sick.