In light of COVID-19, higher hygiene standards, minimal-touch services, and enhanced credibility have become a top priority for people around the world. At OYO Hotels & Homes, we deeply care about our guest experiences, with safety at the heart of all our efforts in order to welcome them back once they are ready to travel again.

Taking a step further and reiterating our strong commitment to providing a safe and pleasant hospitality experience, OYO has joined hands with Unilever to enhance OYO’s ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative. As a part of this alliance, we will use Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene brands in the cleaning and disinfecting of OYO properties worldwide. Furthermore, to help us create a cleaner and more hygienic stay for all our guests, Unilever will educate our onground staff on the best practices while using the company’s trusted hygiene and sanitation brands. Unilever’s R&D team will also work with us to co-create Standard Operating Procedures for cleaning to maximise the positive effects of Unilever products. We will also display a tag on booking pages to show OYO properties that implement these operating procedures using Unilever products. This is a global partnership that will begin in India and then go live across Indonesia, Vietnam, the US, LATAM, and Europe.

To provide a cleaner and more hygienic experience to our guests, right from the moment they check-in until check-out, we have upgraded our cleanliness and hygiene protocols to suit the ‘new normal’ with ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’. Through this partnership, select OYO properties will have Unilever hygiene kits for guests and cleaning supplies for staff, including products from brands such as Lifebuoy, Domex, Sunlight, and Cif.

These include the following upgraded in-progress protocols using Unilever products:

• Deep cleaning and disinfecting in-room high touch zones: Disinfecting most frequently accessed touchpoints in the room like TV/AC remotes, phone, switches, door handles/knobs, bathroom surface & bath fittings, closets and all hard surfaces
• Hand hygiene products for guests: Alcohol-based hand gel will be made available at all key entrances, exits and high traffic areas for guests
• Sanitised common areas: Common areas (registration desk, lobby, elevators, business centres, dining rooms, etc.) will be cleaned at least four times a day
• Safety gear for staff: Hotel staff will be provided with personal protective equipment such as face masks and gloves. Housekeeping staff will be required to wear required protective gear while cleaning rooms. It will be mandatory for all hotel employees to wear masks and gloves at all times  
• Restricting housekeeping during the stay: Guest rooms will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between guests. Housekeeping services/room cleaning will be performed only at checkout, or on-demand, when the guests are not present in the room as they may not prefer staff entering their room.
• Laundry & linen: Linens will be put in special, marked laundry bags and handled carefully to avoid potential contamination to surrounding surfaces or people. Linen will be changed at the guest’s request only. Linens will be laundered keeping in mind the high safety standards and best practices
• Encouragement of in-room dining: When ordering room service, guests will experience contactless delivery, with orders and single-use dishes placed outside their guest room door

Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO, OYO said, “As the world begins to travel again, we must all collectively ensure that health and safety remain the absolute priority. The scientific expertise of Unilever and assurance of their brands Lifebuoy, Domex, Sunlight and Cif are second to none and we are confident that our guests will have a quality and stress-free experience with ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’ with Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene products. We’re pleased that by partnering with Unilever and providing their trusted products, we are able to help customers, as well as our staff, stay as safe as possible. With our committed asset owners, we are ready to host consumers across the world and we promise to give our customers the confidence to enjoy the OYO experience as we help drive higher standards in hygiene.”

Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever said, “With Hindustan Unilever’s long history in India, we are determined to do our part to protect lives and livelihoods and are glad to have found a strong partner in OYO who shares this vision. Through this partnership, Unilever is pleased to be able to help, through our known and trusted home and personal hygiene brands and education on correct use. We remain committed to improving the health and wellbeing of millions across the globe, and keeping our communities safe during these times.” 

Harshal Sharma, asset owner of two OYO properties in Gurgaon, India added, “As a hotel owner, my first priority is the health and safety of my guests and staff. I have been associated with OYO for over two years. Over the last couple of months, the OYO team has been on their feet, coming up with innovative solutions to ensure that the customer’s changing requirements due to the pandemic are followed. My property is one of the first to have introduced ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’ with Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene products and I am committed to continuing working closely with OYO to create a comfortable, safe and secure experience for my guests.” 

Adhering to the centre’s decision to open hotels in a phased manner, under Unlock 1.0, we have opened doors and welcomed guests across multiple states from June 8, 2020, onwards. For us, the safety and comfort of our guests matter the most. To experience the ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative and reassure our consumers, OYO’s senior leadership including Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India & South Asia, Ankit Gupta, COO, Frontier Business and Abhishek Thard, Region Head – West II checked into various OYO Hotels in Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar among others.