Hyatt Expands Guest Face Mask Policy | One Mile at a Time

A couple of weeks ago Hyatt introduced a policy requiring guests to wear face masks while indoors at its hotels, and that policy is now being expanded.

Hyatt requiring guests to wear masks

Since July 27, 2020, and for the foreseeable future, Hyatt is requiring guests at all US and Canadian properties to wear face coverings in all indoor public spaces.

This policy is now being expanded further - as of August 10, 2020, Hyatt will require guests at all properties in the Americas to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces. In other words, the Caribbean and Latin America are being added to the list.

Hyatt defines public areas as including hotel lobbies, meeting and event spaces, restaurants and bars, and fitness centers. Hyatt notes that some guests may be exempt from this mandate, including guests with medical conditions, guests consuming food or beverages in restaurants, and children under the age of two.

These developments follow newly published recommendations from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), which has created a "Safe Stay Guest Checklist."

This is a positive, overdue development. 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 Hyatt 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. However, in general we're seeing mask usage become more widespread, so perhaps it won't be that bad.

Hyatt guests have to wear masks indoor in public areas

The AHLA's new coronavirus checklist

As mentioned above, these new policies follow the AHLA's recently published 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

Hyatt properties have physical distancing markers in public areas

Bottom line

Since July 27, Hyatt has been requiring guests in the US and Canada to wear face masks whenever indoors in public areas, and now that policy is being expanded to all properties in the Americas as of August 10.

We're seeing similar policies from most other hotel groups, including Marriott and IHG.