Marriott Will Require All Guests To Wear Face Masks | One Mile at a Time

Filed Under: Hotels, Marriott

Early last week, Marriott became the first major global hotel group to announce plans to require guests to wear face coverings inside its hotels in the United States. Several weeks prior to that most global hotel chains introduced such policies for employees, but at the time not for guests.

Well, Marriott's guest face mask policy has now been expanded to more regions.

Marriott requiring guests to wear masks

Since July 27, 2020, Marriott has been requiring guests at all US properties to wear face coverings in all indoor public spaces. This policy has now been expanded, and also applies to all properties in North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

Here's a video message from Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson early last week announcing this development:

Following American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)'s "Safe Stay Guest Checklist" announcement last week, Marriott International will require all guests to wear a face covering in its hotels effective July 27. pic.twitter.com/frOjzcCQAs

- Marriott International (@MarriottIntl) July 20, 2020

This follows newly published recommendations from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), which has created a "Safe Stay Guest Checklist." Not surprisingly, we've seen most other major hotel groups, including Hyatt and IHG, introduce similar policies.

This is a fantastic development, and in my opinion was overdue. We know that face coverings help slow the spread of coronavirus, and it's a small way we can do our part to stop the spread while still trying to go about our everyday lives.

Hopefully hotels do a decent job with enforcing this new requirement. However, given the lack of enforcement I've witnessed with hotel employees wearing masks, I'm not sure I'm that optimistic. Then again, as mask usage becomes more widely accepted in general, maybe this will extend to hotels as well.

The AHLA's new coronavirus checklist

As mentioned above, this development from Marriott follows the AHLA's recently published new guest checklist, intended to show how guests can travel safely while also creating a standardized safety experience nationwide. This checklist includes the following:

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1. Require face coverings in all indoor public spaces and practice social distancing in all common areas
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2. Choose contactless options, where available, including online reservations, check-ins, and payments
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3. Consider daily room cleaning, only if necessary; ask the hotel about your options
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4. Request contactless room service delivery
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5. Refrain from traveling if you have, or recently had, any symptoms of COVID-19 or contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19

Bottom line

Since July 27, Marriott has been requiring guests in the US to wear face masks whenever indoors in public areas. This policy has now been extended to all properties in North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America.