OYO and Unilever partner to create cleaner and hygienic stays

Unilever will provide products from its portfolio of hygiene and sanitation brands to help OYO create a cleaner and hygienic stay for customers.

OYO Hotels & Homes, has partnered with global consumer goods company Unilever to enhance OYO’s ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative. Unilever’s home and personal hygiene brands which will be used in the cleaning and disinfecting of OYO properties.

With higher hygiene standards, minimal-touch services, and enhanced credibility topping the list of customer requirements, Unilever’s R&D team will work with OYO to co-create Standard Operating Procedures for cleaning to maximise the positive effects of Unilever products. OYO properties where these operating procedures are used will display a tag on booking pages to show Unilever products have been used in cleaning services. The global partnership will begin in India and then go live across Indonesia, Vietnam, the US, LATAM and Europe.

Through this partnership, select OYO properties will have Unilever hygiene kits for guests and cleaning supplies for staff, including products from brands such as Lifebuoy, Domex, Sunlight and Cif.

To provide a cleaner and more hygienic experience to guests right from check-in to check-out, OYO has upgraded its cleanliness and hygiene protocols to suit the ‘new normal’ with ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’. These include the following upgraded in-progress protocols using Unilever products:

• Deep cleaning and disinfecting in-room high touch zones: Disinfecting most frequently accessed touchpoints in the room like TV/AC remotes, phone, switches, door handles/knobs, bathroom surface & bath fittings, closets and all hard surfaces.

• Hand hygiene products for guests: Alcohol-based hand gel will be made available at all key entrances, exits and high traffic areas for guests.

• Sanitised common areas: Common areas (registration desk, lobby, elevators, business centres, dining rooms, etc.) will be cleaned at least four times a day.

• Safety gear for staff: Hotel staff will be provided with personal protective equipment such as face masks and gloves. Housekeeping staff will be required to wear required protective gear while cleaning rooms. It will be mandatory for all hotel employees to wear masks and gloves at all times.

• Restricting housekeeping during the stay: Guest rooms will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between guests. Housekeeping services/room cleaning will be performed only at checkout, or on-demand, when the guests are not present in the room as they may not prefer staff entering their room.

• Laundry & linen: Linens will be put in special, marked laundry bags and handled carefully to avoid potential contamination to surrounding surfaces or people. Linen will be changed at the guest’s request only. Linens will be laundered keeping in mind the high safety standards and best practices.

• Encouragement of in-room dining: When ordering room service, guests will experience contactless delivery, with orders and single-use dishes placed outside their guest room door.

Ritesh Agarwal, founder and group CEO, OYO adds, “As the world begins to travel again, we must all collectively ensure that health and safety remain the absolute priority. The scientific expertise of Unilever and assurance of their brands Lifebuoy, Domex, Sunlight and Cif are second to none and we are confident that our guests will have a quality and stress-free experience with ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’ with Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene products. We’re pleased that by partnering with Unilever and providing their trusted products, we are able to help customers, as well as our staff, stay as safe as possible. With our committed asset owners, we are ready to host consumers across the world and we promise to give our customers the confidence to enjoy the OYO experience as we help drive higher standards in hygiene”

Sanjiv Mehta, chairman and managing director of Hindustan Unilever said, “With Hindustan Unilever’s long history in India, we are determined to do our part to protect lives and livelihoods and are glad to have found a strong partner in OYO who shares this vision. Through this partnership, Unilever is pleased to be able to help, through our known and trusted home and personal hygiene brands and education on correct use. We remain committed to improving the health and wellbeing of millions across the globe, and keeping our communities safe during these times.”

Harshal Sharma, asset owner of two OYO properties in Gurgaon, India added, “As a hotel owner, my first priority is the health and safety of my guests and staff. I have been associated with OYO for over two years. Over the last couple of months, the OYO team has been on their feet, coming up with innovative solutions to ensure that the customer’s changing requirements due to the pandemic are followed. My property is one of the first to have introduced ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’ with Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene products and I am committed to continuing working closely with OYO to create a comfortable, safe and secure experience for my guests.”

With the Centre’s decision to open hotels in a phased manner, under Unlock 1.0, OYO, has begun welcoming guests across multiple states from June 8, 2020 onwards. Recently, OYO’s senior leadership including Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India & South Asia, Ankit Gupta, COO, Frontier Business, Abhishek Thard, Region Head - West II checked into various OYO Hotels in Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar among others to experience the ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative.