Hospitality 2.0: Hotel Sogo’s 12 Anti-Covid Innovations

The world is facing an economic, health, and social crisis due to Coronavirus (CoVid-19), which is identified as an illness caused by a virus that can spread from person to person. Truly, this CoVid-19 pandemic shook the hotel industry really hard, and turned many hotel businesses upside down, especially here in the Philippines.

As we all know the hotel industry is designed to operate and accept guests 24/7. But because of this pandemic, travel restrictions were put in place to control the further spread of the virus.

In line with that, Hotel Sogo, the largest hotel chain in the Philippines, utilized this pandemic as an opportunity for innovation.  Hotel Sogo unveiled new measures to re-establish confidence in the hotel industry as they adapt to the “new normal” state.

INNOVATION AS ITS FINEST.

As part of their “So Clean, So Good, So Safe” campaign under its Sogo So Safe Program, concrete ways were made to increase its cleanliness standards to meet the new health and safety challenges brought on by this pandemic.

Take a look on their innovation during this post CoVid-19 giving their patrons a So Clean, So Good, So Safe stay. 

UVC DISINFECTION

Hotel Sogo is also implementing ultraviolet light technology for sanitizing cash registers, keycard cases, elevator buttons, and its ceiling, room door handles, as well as in food preparation for an enhanced cleaning and disinfection processes.

Sogo was the first Hotel to use UVC disinfection as early as March. Since UVC Lights(254 nm) are great for killing viruses but inadvisable for human exposure, its UVC’s are remote controlled or fitted away from personnel. Testing is on-going on new “FAR UVC” (< 222 nm) that’s been proven safe for humans.

With the use of UVC-light for disinfection, you are safe to stay at any Hotel Sogo branches as UVC cleans 99.99% of harmful pathogens, bacteria and viruses in seconds. 

ANTI-MICROBIAL COPPER FILMS

To increase everyone’s safety, Hotel Sogo installed Microbial Copper in frequently touched surfaces of the hotel. 

ANTI-MICROBIAL COATINGS ON FURNISHING, FIXTURES & TOUCH POINTS

Widely used in hospitals and mass transports in China, Hongkong, Japan, These Polymer coatings are formed after spraying millions of nancapsules with contact killing and anti-adhesion features that lasts for weeks. It effectively kills bacteria and viruses, including H1N1 and Coved. Sogo applies this over all furnishings and touch points

ACTIVATED CARBON HEPA FILTERS

They used HEPA Filters in all hotel rooms to feel a much safer stay. This innovation is a high efficiency air filtration system installed in every room. Proven to capture 99.5% of particles, Hotel Sogo ensures you’re safe from bacteria, mold, viruses, and allergens.

As with UVC disinfection, HEPA Filters have long been widely used for hospital operating rooms and other sterilized clean rooms. Sogo started installing HEPA filters. With a specification of 0.3 microns,  these filters capture both Covid droplets and aerosolized virions.

VENTILATION ACR IS DOUBLED IN LOBBIES & HALLWAYS

The ACR (Air Change Rate)  or the number of times the air is replaced for all general spaces is set at > 4 per hour by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-Conditioning Engineers). Sogo is doubling its current ACRs for intensified inflow of covid-free fresh air to accelerate indoor air replacement.

REDUCED TOUCHPOINTS

A Sogo study shows that pre-pandemic, guests ha a minimum of touch Points (TPs) of Door Handles, Switches, Fixtures, etc. during a typical hotel stay. Due to new protocols that include contact-less fixtures, TPs have been reduced by 40.7% with the goal to achieve a reduction of 66.1% with more advanced technology centered on cellphone use.

NO-CONTACT HOTEL FEATURES

As we develop more changes this new normal, Hotel Sogo has innovated all its branches in having no-contact facilities like a contactless thermal detector, automatic doors, and developed the use of SaniKey for door handles, elevators buttons, and ATMs to lessen contact points and reduce the risk of virus transmission.

NO CONTACT QR CODES

Guests can use Sogo’s QR Code app to fill out Contact Tracing info. The same technology is used for ordering F&B items without need to hold menus and house phones to call orders. 

MICROBIAL TESTING

Hotel Sogo makes sure that cleaning is accurate and effectively sanitized which gives proven results in just minutes.

ATP (Adonosine TriPhosphate) Testing Measures ATP content to indicate the presence and amount of miro-organisms. Each branch has an Anti-Covid Team that regularly swabs high touch point surfaces that pass through ATP Flourescence Detectors to verify microbial presence and effectivity of the new protocols.

THERMAL SCAN CONTROLLED DOORS

For most branches, guests on their own, can get scanned before entry and if within the safe temperature limit, main doors  will open automatically without need of any contact.

MULTI-STAGE AIR PURIFYING EQUIPMENT IN LOBBIES

To further sanitize indoor air, Sogo installed air-purifying equipment having several levels of filters: Pre-filter, Activated Carbon, HEPA (H11), with built-in Cold cayalyst, Ion Generators and UVC lights that eliminates allergens and pollutants such as dust, pollen, odor, bacteria, viruses and even reduces carbon dioxide levels.

So Clean…So Good…So Safe!

Hotel Sogo continuously vows to protect and provide excellent accommodation despite of CoVid-19 danger.

“We promise to protect our staff and our guests who will visit our hotels, we are ready for new normal and this is a long-term commitment. This virus won’t stop each of us to create wonderful memories with our love ones. Together, let us enjoy our stay in Hotel Sogo,” Mr. Reynaldo Malaca, Hotel Sogo CEO stated.

To find out more about Hotel Sogo, visit its website at www.hotelsogo.com or like and follow us on Facebook page @HotelSogoOfficialPage, Twitter, and Instagram @hotelsogo, and Youtube account @OfficialHotelSogo.

#DahilMahalKitaGustoKoSafeKa