The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has posed incredible and unrelenting challenges for essential key workers, including not only those at the helm of healthcare institutions but also the dedicated frontline staff at retail, hospitality, and service industries.
Amid this health crisis, SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. properties have taken decisive steps to show appreciation for the brave men and women at the forefront of the battle against the pandemic.
Conrad Manila joined forces with a partner hotel to deliver 500 packed meals to the frontliners of the Philippine General Hospital (PGH). It also recognized its skeletal workforce for the continuous ardor of employees during the hotel’s ECQ Recognition Day.
To help them assimilate to the new normal, Park Inn by Radisson Clark offered free haircuts, Vitamin C, face masks, and merienda to its team members as a token of deep appreciation for their consistent hard work.
Park Inn by Radisson Davao has placed emphasis on maintaining a physically active lifestyle during the Enhanced Community Quarantine by conducting various sports events indoors. Personalized thank you letters from its general manager were also given to each member of the hotel’s skeletal workforce.
Park Inn by Radisson Iloilo continued to push for social responsibility through this year’s Earth Hour event. The hotel also contributed shower caps to a local hospital, delivered 200 packed meals to six hospitals, and 500 food packs to Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), border patrols, and other frontline personnel. The hotel likewise joined and supported the Iloilo MICE Alliance's frontliners-to-frontliners donation program.
In a genuine expression of Park Inn by Radisson North EDSA’s pride toward its frontliners, an Employee Appreciation Board was launched where everyone can write down positive, hopeful messages to help uplift each other. Additionally, the hotel was able to donate 1,000 pieces of disposable shower caps to the Lung Center of the Philippines.
Radisson Blu Cebu launched wellness and recreational programs to engage hotel employees currently staying in-house. Furthermore, each employee has been empowered by embodying the hotel’s “YES I CAN” spirit.
Over at SMHCC’s convention center arm, the SMX spirit remained high and hopeful, with some employees contributing to their communities by helping to provide frontliners with food and Personal Protective Equipment. They helped raise funds through donations to purchase 30,000 pieces of PPE, including masks, gloves, and protective suits.
“For SMHCC, hospitality surpasses the confines of the walls of a hotel. Exceptional service has never just been limited to the corners of a convention center,” said Peggy E. Angeles, SMHCC’s Executive Vice President.
“We have always believed in the nation’s undying spirit. Our vision and mission are deeply founded upon the unique brand of Filipino hospitality, resilience, and passion. Certainly, we take pride in the fact that our properties have imbibed this to the very core of their service culture. This is why we have confidence in our united healing, both as a community and as one of the Philippines’ foremost hotel and convention companies,” she added.
In each of its properties, SMHCC has implemented its SustainablySafe initiative, with the ultimate goal of providing guests with the utmost safety and quality of experience. Measures include the following:
– Temperature reading and hand sanitation at the entrance;
– Disinfection of reception desks before attending to each guest;
– Staff wears masks, gloves, face shields, and other PPE at all times when on-duty;
– Fill-up of health and travel history forms upon check-in or registration;
– Sanitation of room keys and disinfection of hotel vehicles before the use of each guest;
– Periodic disinfection and deep cleaning of high-traffic (like lobbies, facilities, function rooms, and food outlets) and high-touch areas (like handles and handrails, elevator panes, remote controls, light switches, and toilet fixtures);
– Laundry is cleaned by DOH-accredited providers, where linen is processed at 83°C to kill microbial life that causes disease or the fermentation of bacteria;
– Conducting 24-hour continuous fresh air intake in all guest rooms and corridors to ensure the best possible air ventilation to deter contamination and transmission;
– Tableware are sanitized through dishwashing machines as opposed to the typical practice using sinks to avoid contact and ensure complete cleanliness; and
– Firm execution of social distancing among the staff, who will also assist, enable, and ensure that guests are able to practice social distancing in all areas of the property.
