Are you California dreaming? Hotels throughout the state began welcoming guests Friday, June 12, as California counties lifted travel bans for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak in March.

Under revised California Department of Public Health guidelines, all but seven of the state’s 58 counties are permitting hotels to reopen on June 12 and the majority of those are allowing individual and leisure travelers to stay at hotels, according to a California Hotel and Lodging Association news release.

Taking Precautions

To ensure the well-being of guests and employees, hotels have implemented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-backed health safety self-certifications programs, hotel-specific plans, and employee training.

Unfortunately, San Francisco and other Bay Area counties are not allowing hotels and other tourism industry mainstays to reopen and have not provided dates for when they will, according to a news release.

“It’s so good to be re-opening. Our hotels are ready; our employees are ready, and we hope our guests will be ready, too,” said Lynn S. Mohrfeld, president and CEO of the California Hotel and Lodging Association. “We know we have a long way to go to be back to normal business. Reopening this weekend gets us on that path to recovery.”

CHLA has added work-site specific plans customized for CHLA member properties to its highly regarded Clean + Safe guide and self-certification process to help hotels prepare for reopening. The customized plans include employee training, appropriated signage, regulatory forms, and updates to the Clean + Safe Guide, according to the California Hotel and Lodging Association news release.

The Clean + Safe Guide incorporates recommendations from the CDC, the California Department of Public Health, and Cal/OSHA for guest and employee cleanliness, workplace cleaning and disinfecting, and further improved safety and cleanliness for the guest experience.

Check Before You Go

Whether it is to one of the many California beaches or other venues, make sure before heading to the Golden State be sure you check with the hotel and/or resort to see if it is open in the county you are visiting first.

Recognized as one of the most influential state lodging associations throughout the country, the California Hotel & Lodging Association’s mission is to protect the rights and interests of owners and operators and be their indispensable business resource. Established in 1893, CHLA serves the unique interests of each segment of California’s diverse lodging industry, the California Hotel and Lodging Association said.

Happy travels!

Source: California Hotel and Lodging Association