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As Himachal eases travel restrictions,OYO Hotels&Homes opens its doors with‘Sanitised Stays’experience

As the state relaxes travel restrictions&allows free movement-no mandatory documents,e-pass or registration required; travellers can easily book an OYO property on the spot

ANU SHARMA

September 18, 2020

As Himachal Pradesh eases travel restrictions, OYO Hotels & Homes opens its doors with the ‘Sanitised Stays’ experience

Following the new state guidelines, OYO is open to host guests in Himachal Pradesh with the Sanitised Stays experience

Currently, OYO has 150+ hotels with 1800 rooms; and 60+ homes in Himachal Pradesh; taps into upcoming demand for road-trips during weekends from neighbouring states & cities including Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Uttar Pradesh

Applauding the move of the state government to open its border and ease travel restrictions, one of the world’s leading hotel chains, OYO Hotels & Homes announced that it is ready to welcome guests in Himachal Pradesh, starting September 16, 2020 onwards. To further support travellers with any information related to state-wise travel guidelines, in addition to its helpline number 9313931393; OYO will also set up a dedicated section on its app to become a one-stop solution for all travel related assistance. This move comes to support the travel and tourism industry bounce back amid the pandemic. As per the latest state guidelines, travellers are allowed to freely enter the state and are not required to submit any documents, no registration on the government’s website and there is no further requirement for an e-pass to travel.

One can enter the state via personal vehicles as the inter-state public transport remains suspended. Travellers can now easily book an OYO hotel on the spot with the ‘Sanitised Stays’ tag across OYO’s booking platforms including the app, website and email helpline. OYO usually sees Himachal Pradesh bookings from tourists based in neighbouring cities including Delhi, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and OYO’s operations in the state currently include 150+ hotels with 1800+ rooms and 60+ homes.

Commenting on the developments, Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India & South Asia, OYO said, “We welcome the state government’s decision to open its borders and ease travel restrictions in Himachal Pradesh. We are excited and prepared to host guests with the new sanitised stay experience at our hotels in the state. Himachal Pradesh is an important market for us and has always attracted tourists throughout the year. Our presence in the state includes hotels in prominent tourist destinations such as Shimla, Dharamshala, Kasauli, Manali amongst others. We recently conducted an internal consumer survey which revealed that 56% of consumers are inclined to take road-trips as the lockdown eases throughout the country. Travelers from neighbouring states such as Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh are already planning ahead and gearing up to take a break from their mundane routines. To serve this demand, at OYO, we are working hard round-the-clock and have introduced a ‘Sanitised Stays’ tag for properties that clear background audit checks for sanitisation, hygiene, and protective equipment. We, along with our asset partners, look forward to delivering a safe, secure and comfortable experience for our guests.”

Rajeev Bamba, owner of OYO 10692 Hotel Shubham, Shimla said, “It has been a challenging past few months for us hoteliers. However, the demand generated with the help of OYO’s support as part of quarantine & self-isolation facilities has helped me recover in these times of crisis. Having constant support of a thought partner which helps you in such critical times talks volumes about an organisation. To equip my hotel and staff during these challenging times, the ground team trained us with the new standard operating measures and also upgraded my hotel with the ‘Sanitised Stays’ tag. With the new guidelines, I’m looking forward to welcoming guests following all the safety measures providing them a stress-free environment.”

With the country slowly moving towards normalcy – higher hygiene standards, minimal-touch services, and enhanced credibility top the list of consumer requirements while planning travel. Recently, OYO introduced several measures and initiatives to minimize the impact as well as innovate to meet the new standards of good quality travel and hospitality with its ‘Sanitised Stays’ tag for properties that clear background audit checks for sanitisation, hygiene, and protective equipment. To ensure customer and hotel employees’ safety the hospitality chain has worked out minimal touch SOPs for check-in, check-out, has conducted extensive training of on-ground teams on the revised ways of working (health-screening, disinfecting, distance markers, etc.). OYO also joined forces with Unilever, the global consumer goods company, to further enhance its sanitisation efforts across OYO’s properties.