COVID-19 hygiene protocols Our measures in order to keep you healthy and safe

Dear valued guest at Cultivar Guest Lodge, 

the world has been turned upside down due to the new Corona virus and its associated disease COVID-19. Many countries all over the world have suffered, South Africa being one of them. However, we South Africans have learned to manage crisis over decades and how to grow out of those even stronger. 

Not only the government but also tourist associations and we as your hosts as well, have come up with extensive and consequent hygiene protocols & measures in order to guarantee you a worry- and stress-free stay at Cultivar – making sure that all requirements are met.  

As follows, we would like to inform you about our commitment to health, safety, and security. 

In response to the recent development of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to follow the latest advice and recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the obligations by national authorities.

We as Cultivar Guest Lodge have activated our corporate crisis response team and has strong processes and support teams in place. Our hotel has been informed in detail on essential preparatory and prevention measures – ranging from hygiene measures including increased cleaning and sanitizing frequency, to guidelines on how to handle suspected or confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) as well as lockdowns for quarantine purposes in cooperation with the national authorities.

We are continuously monitoring and following the changes in recommendations and guidelines of the national & local governments and the local health authorities, to continue working towards providing the best service possible while safeguarding the safety of our guests and associates, within the requirements issued by authorities.

We have implemented the following additional control measures:

• Increased cleaning of public areas and surfaces frequently touched by guests and team members.
• Regular disinfection of door handles, credit card terminals and commonly used amenities.
• Regular routine cleaning of public areas such as restrooms, breakfast rooms, restaurants, tabletops, counters, handrails, doorknobs, disinfection of door handles, and credit card terminals
• Back office surfaces, keys-and-remotes, pens, and front desk surfaces are wiped down on a regular routine throughout the day with a disinfectant cleaner.
• Sanitizers for our arriving guests as well as front of desk officers at our hotel entrances have also been issued to ensure hygiene
• Additional stations of hand disinfection and increased focus on the importance of good hand hygiene procedures on the entire property for all our guests and our team members.
• Changes to all food and beverage services in an effort to mitigate the risk for our guests and team members.
• Update instructions and procedures for all team members on general hygiene standards and instruction on hand disinfection.
• Educating staff (ongoing) on what the virus is; where the disease outbreak began; ways in which it is transmitted; symptoms to look out for; and daily measures to prevent contamination and spread of viruses in personal, operational, and guest spaces.
• Staff hand sanitizers (alcohol based) have been rolled out in back of house areas (such as kitchen, office, laundry, staff restaurant and bathrooms) as well as front of house guest areas (such as reception desk, bar, restaurant, lounge, conference room). Included is the wiping of keys and remotes, pens, doorknobs.
• Guest hand sanitizers (alcohol based) are placed in easy reach of guests in public areas of the hotel with a notice encouraging regular use.
• Personal hygiene is being reiterated, including the importance of washing hands frequently and thoroughly, avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth; practicing respiratory hygiene (sneezing and coughing into a tissue that is safely discarded or the crook of the elbow), and avoiding touching one’s face.
• Protective wear such as protective gloves (and face masks as required) are issued to housekeeping and public area Guest Service Attendants when on duty and cleaning equipment with a disinfectant cleaner between guest and rest rooms.
• Facemasks do not seem to prevent the contraction of the illness, though definitely mitigate the spread from individuals who are ill.
• Avoiding close contact with anyone who is coughing, sneezing and feverish. Anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness to be reported to the hotel’s General Manager for further action to take place.
• Spacing between tables have been implemented to ensure your safety.

What can you do?

• Wash and disinfect your hands frequently and use our dispensers with hand sanitizer
• Maintain social distancing, at least 1,5 meters between each other unless being members of the same household
• Avoid handshakes and hugs
• Cough into a paper towel that you throw away. Then wash your hands.
• If you do not have a paper towel, cough in your elbow to prevent air droplets from spreading.
• Avoid touching your face: eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Wear your face mask whenever you enter public areas where other guests/staff are present.

The NICD Hotline is available to all staff and guests of our hotel. In the event that anyone feels ill, the South African Department of Health advises first phoning the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) helpline rather than going straight to a medical facility, to prevent potential contamination. 

The NICD/Coronavirus hotline number is 080 002 9999 and Coronavirus WhatsApp number is 060 012 3456.

While no one can predict the path of this virus, we are doing all we can to reduce the risk of potential contamination or spread of disease. 

We thank you for choosing to stay at Cultivar Guest Lodge and look forward to delivering on our service excellence promise – even though it might be a bit different from the usual during these indeed challenging times. 

Warm regards,

Your Cultivar Guest Lodge Team