Some of Canada’s nicest hotels are back in business in time for summer travel.
Fairmont resorts in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper, Alta., and Whistler, B.C., reopened their doors June 1, after being closed for nearly two months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reopening includes guest services, select food and beverage venues, golf courses and limited spa services.
The four hotels — Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and Fairmont Chateau Whistler — as well as other Fairmont properties across North and Central America are operating under new standards to keep guests and employees safe through and past the coronavirus outbreak.
“(They) are among the most stringent in the hospitality industry,” says David Roberts, Fairmont Banff Spring general manager and regional vice-president, Fairmont Hotels, in Canada’s western mountain region.
Physical distancing, temperature checks, limited hotel access via designated entrances and exits, provided masks, sanitizers and wipes, and increased cleaning are among the main measures that have been put in place to ensure a safe relaunch, as well as a 48-hour ‘settling period’ for rooms after their previous occupants have left.
The new operational protocols and procedures were developed and vetted by a team of expert advisors to ensure maximum efficacy in preventing the spread of all viruses and pathogens, including COVID-19, with oversight by Bureau Veritas, a world leader in testing, inspections and certification; the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security; and Ecolab, a global leader in cleaning and hygiene.
