The Phoenicia Malta Covid-19 Charter

    Because the comfort, health and safety of our guests and staff is a priority for us, The Phoenicia Malta has developed the following charter during the Coronavirus pandemic.

    Our goal is to welcome guests in a totally safe manner

    The rules and guidelines set forth throughout the hotel have been developed so that our teams can work and welcome guests with the safety of everyone in mind.  These are The Phoenicia Malta’s commitments.

    Continuous training and checks for our teams:

    • Appointment of a hygiene leader to ensure that safety protocols, training of staff and guidelines are followed and respected.
    • Training of entire staff with respect to new procedures / protocols and rigorous follow up checks.
    • Display of prevention measures throughout the property.
    • Reinforcement of more frequent cleaning procedures with disinfectants in public areas and rooms.
    • Keep thorough and readily available cleaning records.
    • Reduce where ever possible physical contact between people.

    A. Pre-Arrival

    • Guest to be asked for arrival times in order to manage periods of high influx
    • Where ever possible, rooms will not be rented for a minimum of 24 hours between two guests
    • Public spaces and rooms to be ventilated a minimum of 2 hours per day
    • Sanitizer gels to be easily identified and available throughout the property
    • Employees to wear mask or face shield when in contact with guest
    • Germicidal disinfectant / wipes to be available
    • Minimum social distancing guidelines to be enforced throughout property

    B. Hotel Transportation

    Guest pick up with hotel driver

    • On arrival, complimentary hand sanitizer, mask and COVID-19 letter describing hotel’s ongoing commitment and procedures to be provided
    • No more than four (4) occupants in a limo or SUV or two (2) in a sedan.
    • All in-car amenities to be removed: magazines, beverages and other non-essential items, unless individually packaged for single use.

    Vehicle cleanliness

    • Appropriate informative signage visible in all compartments.
    • Vehicle to be cleaned, vacuumed, wiped and sanitized prior to entering and after each use.
      • All outside door handles, levers and latches
      • Inside interior including all leather, upholstery and vinyl
      • Seats and armrest
      • Carpets
      • All interior window controls, steering wheel and all driver control knobs, levers, and buttons.
      • All entertainment systems including TV screen, stereo, remote control.

    Driver Requirements/PPE

    • Driver to properly don and doff a new set of proper hand gloves prior to and immediately after operation of passenger doors. Gloves to be properly disposed of immediately.
    • Guest to be seated in the back-guest compartment and never in the driver compartment.
    • Driver to follow social distancing guidelines whenever possible.

    Handling and Sanitation of Luggage

    • During pick up, personnel to avoid handling of guest belongings and personal objects requiring placement and retrieval in the trunk or designated storage area of the vehicle.
    • If requested or required by the guest, driver and bellmen required to properly don and doff a new set of gloves prior to and immediately after handling of luggage.

    Distance Between Passengers

    • Vehicle to be immediately cleaned and sanitized after each use, including the entire driver, passenger, luggage, and trunk compartments and all of their components, allowing for proper drying time and air exchange.

    Guest Arrival

    • Points of entry to be predetermined and limited to allow easy, controlled access of personnel(s) and guest(s) to and from the property.
    • Clearly marked pathways to be established for entry into the property and to direct guests to registration area.
    • Areas with proper airflow to be established to allow for overflow of guest awaiting registration to maintain compliance with social distancing and avoid registration congestion.

    Lobby Instructional Signage

    • Signage to be clear and visible, explaining the registration process.


    C. Hotel Registration

    Registration

    • Upon arrival, guests to receive a complimentary amenity kit, which minimally includes COVID-19 property policies, hand sanitizer, and mask.
    • Points of entry to include non-invasive, no-touch, temperature checks to identify individuals presenting with a fever, a body temperature of over 37.2 degrees Celsius.
    • Temperature checks to be conducted upon arrival and applicable to all guests.
    • Guests not utilizing virtual registration to proceed to registration counter.
    • Transparent shields providing protection for guests and personnel to be in place for check ins and check outs.
    • Registration personnel to proceed through a COVID-19 information questionnaire with the guest and to evaluate for any signs and symptoms of illness.
    • Personnel to sanitize room key-cards prior to handing to guest.
    • Personnel to disinfect the registration area after each guest and at a minimum of once every forty-five (45) minutes.
    • Central key card deposit box in lobby for collection and disinfection of room keys.

    Suspected Ill Guests at Check-In

    • Any guest displaying a temperature to be discreetly escorted by hotel personnel, wearing proper PPE to a predetermined isolated area for quarantine.
    • A secondary temporal temperature to take place in isolated area.
    • Personnel or guests confirmed to have a temperature to be instructed to follow up with appropriate medical care.
    • Protective apron, full-length sleeved gown and biohazard disposable waste bag located at the front desk available ready to be used.
    • A list of appropriate medical referrals to be available for the guest.
    • Emergency Medical Services options to be provided to the guest for transportation.

    Valet and Bell Service

    • Valet and bell services suspended until further notice.

    D. Hotel Areas and Amenities

    Lobby

    • All guests and personnel to be monitored and required to practice social distancing protocols
    • Clear indicators to be placed anywhere large groups or lines form to indicate proper distancing requirements. This includes elevators, shops, cafes, restaurants, and all public access areas.
    • Entrance queueing, allowing personnel and guests to enter one (1) at a time, and rearranging layouts help to ensure social distancing compliance.
    • Appropriate barriers to be placed in areas where social distancing is not possible.
    • All hotel outlets to comply with, or exceed, local or state-mandated occupancy limits.
    • Hand sanitizer dispensers to be placed at all guest and personnel entrances as well as all public areas.
    • Hand sanitizer to be provided in guest rooms and throughout the hotel for guests and personnel and to be easily identifiable with large, easy to read instructional placards. Hand sanitizer to be of no less than 70% alcohol-based.
    • Documented hourly cleaning and anti-disinfection of public restrooms areas and high hand-contact areas to be done
    • Additional dustbins to be added for tissue and other disposables in lobby. Caution to be taken to ensure recommended PPE and disposal guidelines when handling possible infected materials.
    • Hotel to engage in large placard campaigns and signage to be posted throughout the property to inform guests and personnel of the additional steps and precautions that are being taken to ensure their safety.
    • These to be placed and visible in all areas of public, guest, and personnel gathering.

    Elevators

    • Guest and service elevators to have instructional placards inside each elevator and at each elevator landing with instructions and pictures displayed on sanitizing hands.
    • Reminders to also include hand hygiene after touching elevator handrails and walls.
    • Along with sanitizer and placards in each elevator, personnel to be present to sanitise the button panels at regular intervals, at least once every hour.
    • Passenger numbers to be limited to ONE individual unless from the same household.

    Public Areas

    • Cleaning and sanitising of all public spaces to be thorough and detailed with accurate record-keeping and logs identifying the times and materials used in the process.
    • Emphasis to be placed on frequent contact surfaces including, but not limited to doors, handles, handrails, counters, public and guest telephones, computers and accessories, bell desks, elevators and elevator buttons, public bathrooms, fountains and water coolers, ATM and banking machines, vending machines, deadbolt and locks, tables, chairs, dining surfaces, smoking and seating areas.

    Guest Rooms

    • Guests to be encouraged to contact concierge services and schedule facility services via in room phone or personal mobile device.
    • Additional information regarding the use of devices, such as mobile friendly on-line room service menus, the use of virtual check-out services and electronic payments to be encouraged at check-in.
    • Housekeeping services to seal room after deep cleaning to demonstrate that no one has entered the room once disinfected.
    • High touch items to be removed from guest rooms such as hair dryers, room service menus, magazines, pens, guest directories, etc. They are to be available upon request.
    • Other high touch areas such as light switches, thermostats, remote controls and telephones to receive extra disinfection.
    • Condition of air conditioning filters to be monitored weekly and proper replacement rate of indoor air is maintained. The proper functioning of ventilation, air exchange and dehumidification equipment is to be checked weekly.

    Laundry

    • Special attention to be applied towards the handling of bed linen and laundry.
    • Items to be changed daily and washed at high temperatures in accordance with recommended guidelines.
    • Dirty linen to be bagged in the guest room to eliminate excess contact while being transported to the laundry facility following proper procedures.
    • Laundry equipment and high touch areas such as panels and doors to adhere to the above cleaning and sanitizing protocols.

    COVID-19 Positive Guest Room Decontamination

    • In the event of a suspected positive or positive case of COVID-19, the guest’s room to be immediately placed under quarantine and removed from service.
    • Ventilation vents to be closed and windows opened to allow air exchange from the outside.
    • If, after testing, the case comes back negative, the room to be returned to service after a detailed and thorough deep cleaning.
    • The guest room to not be returned to service until the case has been confirmed or cleared.
    • In the event of a positive case, the room to remain out of service and only be returned to service after undergoing enhanced decontamination following proper guidelines and appropriate disinfectants.
    • All personnel entering this room to be dressed in appropriate, full prospective PPE and have advanced training in proper PPE selection and use.

    COVID-19 Guest or Employee Response

    • If at any time personnel are informed of a guest or co-worker with suspected COVID-19 who is showing mild to severe symptoms, immediate response is needed. The following guidelines to be followed with guest consent:
      • Immediate notification to management to contact the appropriate local health authorities and have Emergency Medical Services dispatched to location.
    • Personnel trained in proper PPE and COVID-19 decontamination to don PPE to begin proper clean up procedures once the patient is ready to be moved.
    • Decontamination is strictly for the route the patient will be taking to the ambulance and to be done simultaneously as the patient is transported off the property.
    • Route to be cleared of all guests and personnel not involved in the transport.
    • Once patient has been transported from the scene, any personnel in the patient location to doff all PPE and dispose of properly following recommended doffing procedures before leaving the area.
    • ONLY TRAINED PERSONNEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE PPE PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES FOR DONNING AND DOFFING PPE ARE ALLOWED TO ENTER A SUSPECTED COVID-19 AREA.
    • Local protocol and guidance on proper notification of authorities to be strictly followed.

    E. Food and Beverage

    Dining, Bars, and Lounge

    • Indoor restaurant dining guidelines:
      • Virtual reservations to be encouraged to allow for planning of distancing and crowd control.
      • Personnel to wear appropriate PPE for their positions and don and doff PPE between each guest interaction or as required. per job duties
      • Personnel to wash or sanitise hands for 20 seconds using proper procedures between each guest interaction and at a minimum of once every forty-five (45) minutes.
      • All seating to be re-configured to adhere to a three (3) meters social distancing area between tables. Outside social distancing area to be two (2) meters between tables.
      • All food preparation areas to be cleaned and sanitized at least once every forty-five (45) minutes and recorded by manager or designee.
      • Food storage containers, kitchen trays, kitchen stands and carts, glasses, dishes, pot and pans, kitchen utensils and devices, silverware and eating utensils to be sanitized before and after each use.
      • All food and beverage items being prepared and transferred to another individual, personnel, or guest to be done using contactless methods as often as possible.
      • All condiments to be served in single-use containers, or containers to be sanitized after each use.
      • All kitchen areas in use are to be deep cleaned and sanitized every evening at closing or at least once in every twenty-four (24) hour period with appropriate time for disinfection.
    • Entryways to be clearly marked with placards to indicate entry and exits.
    • Social distance requirements to be enforced.
    • Hand sanitizer stations to be located at each entry, exit, and restroom.
    • Areas to be created to allow for social distance compliance while guests await seating.
    • Hostess stations to feature reminder placards about social distancing guidelines and to have a partition in place between guests and greeters.
    • All podiums and associated equipment to be sanitized at a minimum hourly and recorded.
    • Marks to be clearly highlighted instructing guests on where to stand to be sure social distancing requirements are continuously met.
    • All handed out materials to be one-time single use items or sanitized just prior to being distributed and collected for sanitation immediately after use if not disposable.
    • Dining tables, chairs, bar stools, and tops to be sanitized after each individual use with a minimum of a 70% alcohol-based sanitizer.
    • Reusable items to be properly sanitized after every use.
    • Service stations, service carts, beverage stations, counters, handrails, and trays to be sanitized after every use or at least once per hour and logged by a manager.
    • Point of sale (POS) terminals to be sanitized between each user and before and after each shift.
    • All self-serve condiments and utensils to be removed and available from cashiers or servers and handed out.
    • Bar snacks to be individualized and handed out in single serving size.
    • Staff to wear masks and/or visors.

    In-Room Dining

    • All personnel to wear appropriate PPE when required, dependent on job duties, practice diligence, and follow all recommended personal hygiene policies.
    • Guests to be provided with a mobile room service menu option.
    • All equipment to be sanitized prior to each shift assignment.
    • Runners to sanitize all doors, handles, and high contact surfaces at least once per hour with approved sanitizer and after every guest contact.
    • Personnel to sanitize hands prior and immediately after the handling any food to be delivered and to don appropriate PPE during service.
    • Food being delivered to individual rooms to be covered and set on tables in hallway outside of rooms. Guests to be notified of delivery. Runners to have no contact with guest during delivery. Guests to retrieve their own table and to be instructed to notify room service or the appropriate department when finished.
    • Guests to place tray in the hallway outside of their room for pickup and runners to pick up immediately to avoid unnecessary contact from another guest.
    • Proper PPE to be worn during pickup trolleys and all accessories to be cleaned and sanitized immediately before re-use.
    • When possible all charges and billing to be conducted electronically with no signature required.

     

    F. Hotel Facilities

    Pools

    • Guests to be encouraged to virtually schedule pool access in advance to ensure crowd control and safety.
    • No indoor pool to be operated.
    • Capacity of pool to be limited to 50% of the maximum bathing load as stipulated in Schedule IV of LN129 of 2005.
    • Staff to wear visors at the pool.
    • All pool personnel to practice safe social distance policies and be vigilant of all guests, maintaining a safe distance apart from each other.
    • Pool seating to be configured to allow for at least two (2) meters of separation between every two sun loungers. Only one person per sun lounger.
    • No water attractions in the pool.
    • Sun lounge chairs, umbrellas, tables and chairs to be sanitized after each use.
    • Gazebo contact surfaces are to be sanitized after each use.
    • Gazebos to be pressure washed and sanitized each night.
    • Hostess desk and counters to be sanitized at least once per hour.
    • Public toilets and changing rooms to be disinfected every hour and limited to a maximum of 4 persons at any one time. Documentation to be kept on site logging disinfection times every hour.
    • Used towel collection points to be bagged when becoming full and properly laundered. Caution to be used not to spin bags to avoid aerosolization opportunities.

    There is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be spread to people through the water in pools, hot tubs, spas, or water play areas.  Proper operation and maintenance (including disinfection with chlorine and bromine) of these facilities to inactivate the virus in the water

    G. Security

    • All personnel required to wear proper PPE as per guidelines for job assignments.
    • All contact surfaces to be sanitized at the completion of an incident (in addition to standard sanitization protocols.)
    • Shift managers to be assigned specific sanitation responsibilities and ensure proper protocols are followed.
    • Shift Supervisors required to log completed tasks.
    • All related equipment offices and contact surfaces to be sanitized before and after each use and once every four (4) hours and at the time of shift change.
    • Security officers to assist with enforcing physical distancing protocols in guest and public areas as required (restaurants, registration areas, elevator lobbies, etc.).
    • Security officers to familiarize themselves with hand sanitizer distribution points for guests and co-workers.
    • Security officers to carry individual bottles of hand sanitizer for personal use.
    • Security officers to try to maintain a two (2) meters social distancing policy whenever possible.