Caption: © Vienna Tourist Board
In times such as these, hotels all over the world are pivoting to the new normal of hospitality and events. To appeal to planners as they source for the future, venues and hotels must now shift their marketing, sales and operations to suit a health-conscious and safety-oriented generation.
Vienna Marriott Hotel is one such supplier that is going above and beyond for their buyers, providing new ways to help them prioritise duty of care for guests, as well as finding innovative ways to tackle issues such as social distancing. For this month’s Hotel Safety Spotlight, we spoke to Reece Vanasse, International Sales Manager at Vienna Marriott Hotel to find out more.
Find out how Vienna Marriott Hotel are approaching hotel safety:
What steps are your venue taking to create a safe but engaging environment for guests?
Guests receive a welcome letter from the hotel’s General Manager thanking them for their patronage as well informing them of the Marriott International “Commitment To Clean” initiative which utilizes a QR-code for guest to receive firsthand information, as well as introducing them to our hotel food and beverage outlets.
On our hotel website, guests are also provided the information on what to expect during their stay.
Find out more about Vienna Marriott Hotel
How are you approaching health and safety in your venue?
We have a multitude of ways in which the hotel is upholding health and safety. For example, we are placing signs on hygiene and distance measures and disinfectant dispensers throughout the hotel. When it comes to events, we place disinfectant at any staircase, elevator and entrance to the coffee break buffet. Other ways include:
- Hotel staff must always wear mouth and nose protection as well as the event guests – from when they enter the hotel until they have taken their seat in the conference.
- The minimum distance of 1 meter must be ensured at all times (capacity chart & set-up plans for various types of seating have been drawn up and are provided to meeting planners). The event space used must currently (sitting and standing) be at least 2.5 m² per person.
- Max. 100 guests in the room. This number including speakers, organization team & technical staff must be calculated based on federal Austrian regulations.
- Ongoing cleaning frequencies with disinfectant from all contact surfaces are carried out by hotel staff adhere to Marriott’s “Commitment To Clean”.
- Filing tables are provided with plexiglass protective walls.
- Spatial separation of the meeting and catering areas.
- In the meeting room, drinks may be placed on their own wards or on the tables with the originally sealed container (0.33 glass water bottles).
- Consumption of food only in defined areas.
- Coffee breaks are set up in with a "one-way system" (cords and a disinfectant dispenser at the entrance). Meals are pre-portioned and packaged and adequately labelled. Coffee machines are only operated by hotel service - they are distributed directly to the guests.
- All meeting rooms are constantly ventilated and supplied with fresh air by the air conditioning.
- Each guest receives (at the request of the organiser) his personal work material (writing pads and ballpoint pens) - Ballpoint pens are disinfected by the hotel staff after each event.
- The organiser must be informed that the data of all persons present must be recorded. In the event of subsequent suspected cases of infection chains or cluster formation, the organiser must be able to hand them over to the authorities.
How are you approaching social distancing in your hotel?
Throughout the Vienna Marriott Hotel, signage is installed to remind our guests to maintain social distancing, hygiene measures and occupancy limits. The reception is equipped with plexiglass walls which get disinfected on a regular basis. Mobile check-in and key, service requests, and room service orders are delivered right to your door via the Marriott Bonvoy™ mobile app.
Seating at our restaurants and bars is arranged in compliance with applicable governmental regulations and menu cards are available via QR-code.
What challenges or obstacles have you encountered while setting your property up for a post-pandemic environment?
The continual changing of the COVID-19 specific regulations within Austria, and the restrictions changes that other countries are constantly undergoing.
The specific of the force majeure clauses are being very carefully looked at, often going to the client’s legal team. As a result we have developed an indemnification clause as well an additional clause that includes security for our clients to rebook without penalties.
Though the Vienna Marriott has been fully operational and available throughout the pandemic, not all our clients have not been as fortunate. Being able to connect with our clients due to their limited availability and access, has been challenging.
What has been working well and what have your guests responded positively to?
Given the uncertainty in the current market, contracting a programme with less risk is a decision that would give you a huge advantage that everyone will appreciate. As a result we have delivered and adjusted the flexibility of our cancellation policies.
The customer will not receive a price disadvantage from the COVID-19 regulations. Room rentals are offered as it was before the virus. The larger space required by the minimum distance regulation will not be billed, which our meeting planner have been grateful for.
Have you been using any particular technology to help keep guests safe?
Virtual Site inspections have assisted in provide our clients the opportunity to walk through the Vienna Marriott Hotel within the safety of their office or handheld device. Additionally we have provided a virtual walk through should they want to explore the hotel at their own pace and own time.
Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype have become a staple in the new COVID-19 landscape which has granted us the opportunity to still see our Meeting Planners smiles, as well collaborate effectively and navigate through options.
Vienna airport offers COVID-19 testing (PCR test) for arriving passengers, with the aim of avoiding 14 days of quarantine under Austria’s current entry rules. The tests are carried out in a laboratory at Office Park 3 on the ground floor at Vienna Airport. The result is available within two to three hours, and those presenting negative will be provided with a medical certificate meaning they do not have to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival into the country.
How are you letting planners know that your hotel is open and safe for events?
Firstly, Cvent allows us to post a hero with a “We’re Open” banner. With each Cvent RFP our Planner automatically receives information about our “Commitment To Clean” initiative.
Additionally, in anticipation of meeting planners needs’, both pre-COVID-19 diagrams and COVID-19 regulatory diagrams are provided so that clients can compare and fully understand the measures and safety we are provided.
This in turn, provided the MP the tools to be able to articulate with confidence to their clients. To ensure the new needs of our clients are available these are also available attachments on our Cvent listings.
Has your property considered hybrid events/have you hosted any? What challenges did you encounter? What went well?
Yes. With our long-term technical partner, KFP, we have had only positive feedback from clients and planners alike. The technical build and design, though more thorough has not created any new processes, it’s has been a simple matter of scheduling.
Have you been leveraging CVBs/DMOs in any way since the pandemic?
Not more than before, as our existing partners have been mutually supportive.
As Vienna occupies first place in the Smart City Strategy Index of the corporate consulting firm Roland Berger. Successful pilot projects in areas such as mobility, environment, and, of course, digitalisation clearly show that progress is at home in Vienna and has not diminished during the pandemic, if anything has strengthened.
In June 2020, Vienna was listed among the 20 safest travel destinations in Europe by the travel portal "European Best Destinations" – above all with regard to how the city dealt with the COVID-19 crisis.
Has Cvent helped you in any way in regards to hosting events during COVID-19? If so, how?
Cvent Connect Virtual, which we partook in, provided a very valuable stage for providing clarity for the specific needs and wishes of both Meeting Planners and the individual guests.
By helping one another now, both our Meeting planners as well as all the Vienna Marriott Hotel will benefit long-term from the value that comes from supporting as partners.
These are uncertain times, but together we will succeed.
Event planners and venues must lean on each other more than ever to be successful. New restrictions and COVID-19 guidelines are new to all of us. That means that it is key to collaborate effectively and to know what the other side expects.
Up next, check out our on-demand webinar on reconnecting planners and venues.
