Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya Becomes One of the First Hotels to Achieve the Highest International Standard of Hygiene

Guided by its purpose of care and experience delivering world-class hospitality, Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya became the first hotel in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and one of the first hotels in Middle East to be accredited by Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ in September 2020. GBAC is the gold standard for prepared facilities, and the accreditation further enhances the operational guidance and resources around colleague and guest safety and peace of mind that is paramount  at Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya. The accreditation builds on the Hyatt brand’s existing rigorous protocols, colleague training, support resources and a cross-functional working group of medical experts and industry professionals that contribute to various aspects of the hotel experience. Under the guidance of GBAC, a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention in its facility.

“The world as we knew it has been changed by COVID-19, and when our guests are aready to travel again, we want to ensure them that they can feel confident that each aspect of our commitment is designed with their safety in mind, and that we’re putting their well-being first,” said Walid El Awadly, General Manager. “To do this, we must critically examine the hotel experience from every vantage point and think about what matters the most from our guests’ point of view – from rooms and lobby to spa and dining – bringing in the latest research, technology and innovations to make that happen. The GBAC accreditation is an important hygiene and cleanliness milestone, marking our purpose to care for people so they can be their best – always.”

Global Biorisk Advisory Council – Cleanliness Accreditation

Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya remains committed to providing a safe and clean environment and upholding the highest standards of cleanliness for colleagues and guests. The hotel received its GBAC STARTM accreditation through a performance-based cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention program that focuses on establishing that the hotel environment is sanitary, safe and healthy. 

Composed of international leaders in the field of microbial-pathogenic threat analysis, mitigation, response, and recovery, the GBAC provides training, guidance, accreditation, certification, crisis management assistance, and leadership to government, commercial and private entities looking to mitigate, quickly address, and / or recover from biological threats and real-time crises. As the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation, GBAC STAR™ helps organizations establish protocols and procedures, offers expert-led training and assesses a facility’s readiness for biorisk situations. The program verifies that Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya implements best practices to prepare for, respond to and recover from outbreaks and pandemics.

“GBAC STAR accreditation empowers facility owners and managers to assure workers, customers and key stakeholders that they have proven systems in place to maintain clean and healthy environments,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “By taking this important step to pursue GBAC STAR, Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya has received third-party validation that it follows strict protocols for biorisk situations, thereby demonstrating its preparedness and commitment to operating safely,” she continued. Furthermore, the hotel intends to complement this accreditation with regular internal and third-party auditing. 

Hotel-Level Sanitization Specialists 

Well-being is at the heart of Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya and is the core to advancing guest and colleague care. In response to COVID-19, the hotel continues to develop new work procedures and mandatory training in an effort to ensure safety for its guests and colleagues. Daily colleague surveys were introduced to measure colleague comfort, the hotel’s cleanliness, working order and customer service, enabling hotel leaders to address opportunities, make adjustments as necessary and meet guests’ and colleagues’ needs in real-time. 

Furthermore, as part of the Hyatt Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment, Hyatt Regency Riyadh Olaya has assigned a Hygiene Manager responsible for adhering to new operational guidance and protocols, some of which include:

• Colleague certification, training and recertification processes for hygiene and cleanliness in accordance with the GBAC accreditation
• Increased cleaning frequency with hospital-grade disinfectants on all high-touch surfaces, guestrooms and shared spaces 
• Implementation of enhanced food safety and hygiene protocols for restaurants, room service and group meetings and events
• Prominently placed contactless temperature check points and hand sanitizer stations throughout hotel’s public and employee areas and entrances
• Purification and sanitization device installation in an effort to ensure enhanced air quality
• Enhanced contactless services at check-in, during the stay, and at check-out
• Required protective masks and other equipment for guests and hotel colleagues
• Implemented social-distancing guidelines in public areas throughout the hotel

For more information about the Hyatt brand's Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment, please visit https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/saudi-arabia/hyatt-regency-riyadh-olaya/ruhhr/news-events