With Covid-19 restrictions easing, the question on most people’s lips is ‘when can we go on holiday again?’ To reduce travel time as much as possible, those of us in the UK have been looking to nearby European countries – such as France, Spain, and Italy – to get our much-craved dose of Vitamin D and relaxation.
Border relaxations have been wanted and very much needed by the European travel industry. However, they pose an entirely new problem for hospitality businesses, who have had to work tirelessly to ensure that when they do welcome back guests, they do it as safely as possible while still making the experience an enjoyable one.
One such resort facing these challenges is Club La Costa World on Spain’s Costa del Sol. However, having devised extensive guidelines for its staff and customers on the safety precautions it will be taking and what to expect, the resort has successfully managed to begin welcoming back tourists, providing them with a clean, relaxed environment in which to soak up the sun, rest, and recharge. Here’s how they did it.
How Club La Costa World created a Covid secure holiday experience on the Costa del Sol
The Spanish hotel is part of CLC World Resorts, which laid out its Club La Costa coronavirus approach through the creation of its SafeHands initiative earlier this year. Designed in consultation with local, regional and international health authorities, the initiative ‘promotes exceptional standards of cleanliness in a bid to defeat Covid-19,’ laying out safety protocols that are strictly monitored throughout the resort to encourage peace of mind.
As you would expect, guests staying at Club La Costa World in Spain benefit from all precautions laid out by the global group. Every aspect of the holiday has been considered and adapted to the ‘new normal’, including:
As guests arrive
Significant efforts have been made to reduce contact as people check into the CLC Costa del Sol resort. Pre-arrival information is also sent out to each guest via the confirmation email – this information can also be found on the specific resort website, for those of us who don’t read our emails closely.
In public spaces
To promote hygiene and fight coronavirus, Club La Costa World has installed additional hand sanitiser dispensers throughout the resort. It has also made cleaning protocols deeper and more frequent in high contact zones such as the lobby, fitness centres and pools.
In the accommodation
In each hotel room, staff also follow enhanced cleaning practices using hospital-grade disinfectant products. Upon entering your room in this Costa del Sol resort, you will find a room seal, signifying that the accommodation has not been accessed since cleaning and inspection. If you are a regular at Club La Costa World, you may notice that some purely aesthetic amenities have been removed to reduce touch-points, however the rooms are still as comfortable as ever.
In the restaurants/bars
To ensure physical distancing and implement safe mealtimes, the capacity and layout of the exotic Safari eatery and the Sunrise pool bar have been adjusted. Tables and chairs are sanitised between guests, cutlery is sealed to indicate cleanliness, and condiments are only supplied upon request.
Enjoying amenities
Sunbeds are laid out to ensure enough distance between each guest, with signage and equipment made available to sanitise the beds between users. Spacious terraces on each room also allow guests to sunbathe in private, as desired. There is a limit to how many people can be in the pool at once, and this is monitored by the CLC team.
Social distancing
Club La Costa coronavirus signs state the physical distancing guidelines clearly. As mentioned above, public areas including restaurants and bars have been reorganised to ensure distancing can be practised and the SafeHands cleaning protocol can be followed.
Cleaning protocols and equipment
Throughout the Club La Costa resort, electrostatic sprayers and/or disinfecting machines have been introduced to sanitise surfaces. These machines rapidly clean and disinfect entire areas such as guest rooms, lobbies, gyms and pool areas. As with all Club La Costa resorts worldwide, health authority approved disinfectant products are being used.
Training the CLC Costa del Sol team
All team members have been certified to help safeguard the resort and the safety of each guest. Daily employee health monitoring is in place to stop the spread of the virus.
It is a lot to take in at first, with some worrying that having such strict guidelines may take some of the magic away from the holiday. However, the spacious facilities; dedicated team, who are on hand to help you have an amazing time; and the near-permanent Costa del Sol sunshine; has allowed guests to really enjoy their return to the resort.
