Abstract
As the hotel industry leads in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria, cleaning hotel rooms on a daily basis promotes public health. This activity leads to cleaner air and reduces the potential for exposure and spread of biohazards. Daily room cleaning is also in direct concordance with building a robust and effective green (environmental) policy. Although guests will always have the option to choose individual frequency, at the hotel management and policy level, daily room cleaning and checks are part of a sound greening program, consistent with advancements and innovation in environmental and social governance programs that are integral to public safety and health.
Cleaning hotel rooms on a daily basis promotes public health. This activity promotes cleaner air and reduces the potential for exposure and spread of biohazards (Almanza et al., 2015; Asadi et al., 2011; Asadi et al., 2013; Kuo et al., 2008; Sekhar et al., 2008). Daily room cleaning is also in direct concordance with building a robust and effective green (environmental) policy. As the hotel industry leads in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) criteria, there are specific metrics that have come to the forefront:
Working together with team members (employees) on staffing, awareness, and training on innovations in chemical safety and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) operations, for example
Integrating renewable energy systems that are engineered into processes and structures to conserve resources
Actively engaging guests in the participation and rewards of sustainable activities provided by hotel programs and partnerships, such as biking and public transportation (and other carbon offsets), as well as philanthropic activities (e.g., food and soap donations offered to local shelters)
These ecological platforms must be partnered with protecting the health and safety of hotel guests and workers who regularly interface with the public. Besides improvements in indoor air quality (Asadi et al., 2011; Asadi et al., 2013; Glantz & Charlesworth, 1999; Kuo et al., 2008; Sekhar et al., 2008), green policies should include specifics on ergonomic practices (Dias-Angelo et al., 2014; Williams et al., 2005) and daily room checks that promote public safety and health. Where green systems are engineered into building structures to increase efficiency in water/fuel consumption, for instance, and substitutions for safer cleaning products are fully implemented, there should never be concerns about regular linen changes and hygiene checks for each room in occupancy. Both these activities aid in the reduction of pests (bed bugs, for example), maintaining a uniform standard of cleanliness (heavily soiled rooms that have been left untouched for several days are more difficult to clean), and establishing an environment of public safety and awareness (“Committee Opinion No. 507,” 2011; Shultz et al., 2017) where hotels are actively engaged in social governance that promotes public health.
Public health is a tenet of ESG, and industries that regularly interface with the public, particularly in hospitality, are tasked with actively joining in organized efforts to protect individuals and communities from threats leading to injury and/or illness (Winslow, 1920; World Health Organization, 1946). Such public health action requires more than just avoiding harm and is facilitated through informed choices on product marketing, distribution, and internal health and safety guidelines. This public health strategy is particularly important in hospitality where the milieu for frontline personnel is a harbinger of conditions at the resort facilities (Almanza et al., 2015). The act of protecting and supporting the workforce brings healthy (injury-free and disease-free) environments for patrons alike, and forecasts positive company-wide returns on investment (Oxenburgh & Marlow, 2005).
As businesses in hoteling and tourism march toward sustainable policies, much of what is measured and understood about returns on investment for adopting green practices has focused on hotel guest preferences and customer satisfaction (Faranak & Sulekha, 2020; Millar & Baloglu, 2011). In the hotel industry, there is still a dearth of market information on integrated policies and practices that promote public health and protect the environment. Nevertheless, reducing the number of linen changes and room refreshers has little overall impact and may, in fact, raise operating costs through mounting worker illness/injury/absence rates due to increased workloads and use of harsher chemicals to address heavily soiled items in rooms (Oxenburgh & Marlow, 2005). Although guests will always have the option to choose individual frequency, at the hotel management and policy level, the imperative remains: Daily room cleaning and checks are part of a sound greening program consistent with advancements and innovation in environmental and social governance programs that are integral to public safety and health.
