Masks, Plexiglas — and comfort: Miami-Dade hotels prepare to reopen in the coronavirus era
Jose Medina, 31, wielded a green disinfecting spray gun in a suite at the 250-room Biltmore Hotel. Meanwhile, Hilda Castillo, 62, busily scrubbed the concierge desk in the legendary hotel’s cavernous lobby.
On Friday, the now familiar routine of deep, meticulous cleaning took on a new urgency as the historic Coral Gables hotel prepared to reopen Monday, more than two months after it closed amid the pandemic.
“The one thing guests are going to notice is — we’ve always been clean. But there’s certainly going to be a fresh scent throughout,” said Tom Prescott, The Biltmore’s executive proprietor.
Welcome to the new normal.
After being ordered shut March 23, hotel operators throughout Miami-Dade have wondered when — and if — they would reopen. With new government safety guidelines now in place, hoteliers are hoping to draw guests eager for a break from home-bound routines.
Operators say their teams are ready.
“Everyone’s understood the challenges the business and the industry now face, but like times in the past, if a hurricane has come through, they’ve risen to the challenge,” said Prescott, whose family has long run the hotel.
“With the exception of a couple days here and there, usually due to hurricanes, we’ve had almost a century of existence and haven’t closed,” he said. “But the pandemic shut us down. It was certainly eye-popping to a lot of us.”
And the challenges — and changes — aren’t over. By law, all guests and staff must now wear masks in common areas. Only 10 individuals will be allowed in a hotel lobby per 500 square feet. Plexiglas will now separate check-in staff from guests. Floor markings will show where it’s OK to stand. Furniture has been rearranged or removed. Hand sanitizer stations will be practically everywhere.
What about elevators? The number of passengers will be limited so that a 6-foot distancing rule is enforced; guests may want to consider stairs if they’re on a lower floor, hoteliers say.
Guest rooms will be different, too. Gone are long-standing trappings like pens, cups, coffee machines. Those will now be available upon request.
Despite the changes, Chris Rollins insists guests expecting to walk into a biohazard containment facility will be pleasantly surprised at how seamless the transition to a COVID-protected stay will be. He’s chief operating officer of South Beach Group, which operates 17 boutique hotels, hostels and suites in Miami Beach.
“There have been a few adjustments — mainly maintaining distancing, the face coverings, and enhanced cleaning procedures,” he said. “But what does the consumer have to do besides wear a mask? Not much.”
Mutluhan Kucuk, managing director of the Loews Hotel Group, which owns the Loews on Collins Avenue and 16th Street in Miami Beach, said the city has hosted regular calls and panels with local business leaders.
“They’ve sought to understand what the city could do to partner with hotels and businesses to open safely and successfully,” he said.
At the 790-room Loews, much of the traditional hotel experience has moved onto guests’ smartphones, to minimize contact. An app called Sonifi now works as the remote control; another, called Chat Your Service, allows guests to order room service and contact the valet via text message.
And for those who wish to avoid the human contact of room cleaning services, Loews will now provide a batch of fresh linens and towels dropped in a sealed bag at guests’ doors upon request.
Extensive staff training on the new rules will be followed up personally by Kucuk, who plans to talk with guests and staff to get on-the-ground intelligence.
And he does expect guests. While a full-blown recovery won’t be achieved immediately, Kucuk believes Miami Beach is better positioned for a rebound than most destinations.
“What we are seeing is demand on the weekends, and demand for oceanfront property,” he said. Other Loews locations, like Marco Island and Naples, have seen healthy bounce-backs, he said.
Rollins agreed. “People are excited to get out,” he said. “And they’re willing to play by the rules to do so.”
Not every hotel plans to reopen on Day 1. Some — including the SLS and Lennox — will open later in the week; others are waiting until July.
That’s the case with the Betsy, on Ocean Drive and 14th Street. Owner Jonathan Plutzik said he wants to be fully prepared to offer the same high level of service as before the pandemic.
But while guests will still find world-class art hanging from the walls, books are being removed. And, for now, the live cultural entertainment that has been a hallmark of the Betsy is — by law — banned.
Plutzik, who also chairs the Ocean Drive Association, a hospitality industry group, is optimistic that guests will come back.
”The Betsy will still be the Betsy,” he said. ”There will still be a rotating collection with some of the finest artwork in a hotel, or anywhere for that matter. And we’ll still have cultural events, whether virtual or, when they’re permitted in person.” And of course, properly distanced.
This story was originally published May 30, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
