The spread of the winter norovirus and the return of bed bugs are both raising hygiene and duty of care issues in hotels, reports David Churchill
THE BAD NEWS FOR many business travellers staying in British hotels this winter is that they could fall victim to the extremely unpleasant norovirus outbreak, which is set to reach a record peak, according to some health experts. The even worse news is that those that do not fall foul of the so-called ‘winter vomiting virus’ could instead find themselves bitten – in hotels and even on aircraft – by traditional bed bugs, which appear to be coming back in ever-increasing numbers. The good news – for those
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searching for a silver lining from their sick beds – is that neither the nasty norovirus nor cimex lectularius (better known as bed bugs) are likely to prove fatal. Debilitating, yes; deadly, no. But this is small comfort to those affected, as well as an increasing worry to hoteliers (and airlines – see panel, right) who can find their reputations besmirched by claims on social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Trip Advisor that they are breeding grounds for bugs and viruses.
GETTING PERSONAL Yet there is also an issue for the corporate travel buyer and travel management companies (TMCs) of just how far personal health issues while on the road come under the duty of care/corporate social responsibility mix. How far should
the business traveller’s employer take responsibility – or is this down to the hotel, airline or individual? In some respects, even talking
about hygiene issues in hotels is a non-starter given the obvious negative publicity it can generate. One general manager of a leading London five-star property described it as “the elephant in the room as far as the hospitality industry is concerned, and not something we like talking about publicly”. But he did acknowledge there was a constant battle underway with germs that lurk on virtually every surface in hotel rooms. “Bed
bugs are not really a problem for us since they can be quickly identified and dealt with, but something like the winter norovirus is difficult to keep on top of.” Hotels – like all businesses – are under constant pressure to reduce costs where possible. As several undercover investigations of the agencies that supply cleaners to hotels have revealed, the workers involved, who are paid piecemeal, often face an impossible task of cleaning rooms fast enough to earn a decent living. But room cleaning is often regarded as more of an art than a science, which means that there is no one-size-fits-all standard process for cleaning. Given that the UK alone has approaching 300,000 hotels rooms (and the US almost five million) the scope for glitches in the system is clear.
KEEPING IT CLEAN Research into hotel room hygiene has not been extensive, although a small-scale study last year by researchers at the University of Houston (and presented to the American Society for Microbiology) found that the TV remote control and lamp switches were among the most contaminated of 19 surfaces checked out.
High levels of bacteria were
also found on items from the housekeeper’s carts as well as, unsurprisingly, the toilet and bathroom sink. Mops and sponges used by cleaners were said to pose the greatest threat because of the potential from cross-contamination