Great Ways ALHI Hotels are Adapting Amenities Amid COVID-19

ALHI member hotels have been busy developing innovative amenities during the COVID-19 pandemic. They've reinvented outdoor dining, wellness and meeting spaces and created in-room fitness programs. One hotel even built a production set that's designed to stream meetings and presentations to virtual attendees as more organizations pivot to hybrid meetings. 

Here's a look at nine smart ways ALHI hotels are adapting amenities with guests' comfort, health and meeting needs in mind.

Smart Set-Ups for Hybrid Meetings at InterContinental Boston in Boston, Massachusetts 

InterContinental Boston has expanded its virtual and hybrid event capabilities in a number of ways. Among them? The hotel teamed up with Project22, which creates branded environments, to add a production set that's ideal for broadcasting meetings to virtual attendees. The set is located in the hotel's second largest ballroom and is customizable so meeting organizers can set the backdrop to show scenes of Boston or a company logo. The hotel has also adjusted its meeting room floor plans to take into account social distancing and is using a platform to help in-person attendees and presenters engage with those tuning in virtually.

Free Antigen Testing at Posadas Resorts in Mexico

The CDC issued a new mandate in early January for all international travelers entering the United States after international travel. To work within this new protocol, Posadas & Fiesta Americana Grand Meetings Mexico & Beyond updated their Travel With Confidence protocols and Travel With Confidence Protection to include free antigen (rapid testing) at the comfort and convenience of the hotel, as well as the availability of a PCR test at a charge between $80-$150. In addition, should a hotel guest test positive prior to their departure from Mexico and require and extended stay, the hotels are graciously extending a $10/night rate for those with positive COVID-19 test results.

Rapid Testing for Business and Events at Kempinski Hotel Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany

Planners who are holding a meeting, conference, tradeshow or weddings at Kempinski Hotel Frankfurt, can book rapid antigen testing for participants. The testing station holds the treatment rooms of the Country Club & Spa, giving guests the opportunity to be tested directly before their meeting or event. The cost of the test is EUR 39.90, and the hotel is working with Easy BioMED for the operation.

Fitness Kits and a Boardroom Built With Hybrid Meetings in Mind at the Seaport Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts

Seaport is providing "Fitness2U" kits to guests upon request. The sanitized fitness kits include a 5-pound dumbbell set, three Versa exercise tubes and a yoga mat. Wave, the hotel's health club, offers exercise videos that guests can follow along with from their rooms. 

Additionally, the hotel unveiled its new state-of-the-art meeting space, the Larkin Boardroom and Lounge that can seat up to 20 people in normal times, and eight people in a socially distanced manner. The boardroom was designed with teleconferencing and hybrid meetings in mind, with plug and play capabilities for web, video and teleconferencing needs. The room has built-in outlets, HDMI and USB inputs, as well as an 86 inch flat screen, a monitor, remote-controlled video camera, built-in microphones, speakers and more. The adjacent lounge has comfortable seating, a 65 inch flatscreen monitor and HDMI wall inputs. 

Peloton Partnership at Kempinski Hotels

Guests traveling for conferences and staying at Kempinski Hotels can now enjoy in-room spin workouts thanks to a partnership with Pelton. The hotel group's partnership launched at Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin and has expanded to Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Munich, Hotel Taschenbergpalais Kempinski Dresden and the Kempinski Hotels in Frankfurt Gravenbruch and in Berchtesgaden. Hotel guests can request to have a Peloton Bike brought to their room and then access cycling and fitness classes at any time via live stream or on-demand from the Pelton Studios in New York and London. 

Innovative Outdoor Dining at Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida

Florida's Ocean Reef Club recently converted a former tennis court into what is currently their most popular dining venue. For Town Hall Waterside the club took the food truck park concept and made it their own, creating an expansive space surrounded by six colorful container kitchens, each serving up a particular cuisine including BBQ, poke, pizza and street tacos. Socially distanced seating is available under an open-air tent or outside under the stars. 

Skylawn at InterContinental Miami in Miami, Florida

With open-air views of the iconic Miami skyline and Biscayne Bay, InterContinental Miami has a 35,000 square-foot versatile rooftop green space for socially distanced gatherings and set-ups for meetings and group events. The Skylawn has a 172 foot long exterior projector wall; sound, lighting and power capabilities and a lounge area. 

In-Room QR Codes at Prince Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawaii

A QR code for the TV remote in guest rooms at Prince Waikiki allows a cell phone to be used as a remote control. That way, guests don't have to touch the regular remote. The hotel also has a "Prince Promise" program that assures that the hotel has implemented the highest standards of health and safety measures throughout the property.

In-Room Fine Dining Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia

Guests at Salamander Resort & Spa can now enjoy in-room fine dining if they don't quite feel comfortable dining inside a restaurant, but still want an elevated experience. They may select from a four-course prix fixe menu created by the resort's executive chef, with options including grilled octopus, charred cauliflower, roasted Chilean sea bass, filet mignon and caramel  crème brûlée. As another dining option, the resort is also offering private, heated dining igloos where guests can order from a seasonal prix fixe menu.