KUWAIT CITY – In preparation for the reopening of their doors and the return of their Guests, Safir Hotels & Resorts announces the SAFER @ SAFIR initiative, a comprehensive program of newly implemented standard procedures and equipment, to provide a COVID-19 safe environment. Working in close coordination with partners Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Bureau Veritas, the hotel management company assures both Guests and Colleagues that they are closely aligned with the latest industry insights and technologies.

The SAFER @ SAFIR initiative encompass three main goals: Limiting Contact, Enhanced Cleaning, and Enhanced Safety. These updates to their already stringent cleaning and detection protocols are designed and implemented to specifically target concerns surrounding transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

In addition, the company is receiving Safe Guard™ Hygiene Excellence and Safety Label certification from global authority in compliance, Bureau Veritas, for its properties across the region.

LIMITED CONTACT

In order to limit Guests’ contact with both people and surfaces, Safir has adjusted the ways in which their services are carried out in order to reduce the possibility of contamination and exposure to the virus. Examples of measures being taken are self-parking services replacing valet parking, housekeeping and turndown services conducted once a day or upon request by Colleagues outfitted in full PPE, contactless delivery of packaged room service and amenities. In addition, seating, standing and capacity arrangements in the restaurants, lobby, gym, elevators, and beyond will be enacted to enforce safe social distancing practices. Finally, where possible, buffets will be replaced with a la carte menus accessed through a QR code.

ENHANCED CLEANING PROTOCOL

While Safir’s standard cleaning protocols are already thorough, they have made them even more so by increasing the frequency of cleaning procedures, targeting areas that are frequently touched, and sanitizing every item that enters through their doors, including food items and Guests’ luggage. For example, Guest rooms will receive a deep cleaning before and after each stay, with careful attention paid to frequently touched areas, such as handles, faucets, telephones, remote controls, and more. AC filters will be cleaned regularly and used cleaning materials will be disposed of immediately and will not be reused.

ENHANCED SAFETY

In addition to enhancing their cleaning protocol, Safir Hotels and Resorts will work to ensure the safety of Guests by implementing temperature screenings at hotel entry points, outfitting staff in Protective Equipment (PPE) such as face masks and gloves, training staff to practice strict hygiene protocols, and reducing contamination by packaging towels and linens after the laundering process. Guests are assured that hand sanitizer dispensers are made available throughout the hotel for their use, that Guest Amenity offerings have been expanded to include masks, gloves, wet wipes and hand sanitizer, and that soft furnishings and minibar items have been removed for their safety and may be delivered in special packages upon their request.

THIRD-PARTY CERTIFICATION

Safir Hotels and Resorts are pleased to announce they are working with Bureau Veritas to receive the Safe Guard™ Hygiene Excellence and Safety Label certification for each of its properties. A global authority in compliance, the partnership with Bureau Veritas assures all that each Safir property has implemented and adheres to international best practices in health and safety.

Designed with the wellbeing of both Guests and Colleagues in mind, the SAFER @ SAFIR measures are enacted so that Guests are free to enjoy their stay worry-free.

Safir Hotels & Resorts Corporate Marketing Manager Layla Al-Ghawas elaborates: “We are aware that while doors are reopening, things will not be entirely the same as they were before. We face a new reality, one where we are hyper vigilant in protecting the health and wellbeing of our family, friends and community -- and therefore, ourselves. For this reason, we’ve spent the last few months preparing and updating our already stringent cleaning protocols to ensure that you can be even safer during your stay at Safir.”

As they have been, the company will be continuously monitoring the global and local situation, to ensure that their procedures and policies are in line with the advice and guidelines provided by official authorities.

Safir Hotels and Resorts looks forward to embracing its Guests with a warm welcome in the manner of True Arabian Hospitality that all have come to know and expect.

More detailed information on the SAFER @ SAFIR measures can be found at www.safirhotels.com/safer-at-safir.


ABOUT SAFIR HOTELS & RESORTS

Safir Hotels & Resorts (SHR) is a hotel management company, owned by Kuwait Hotels Company (KHC), which is part of the KIPCO Group. Established in 1993, the company manages a portfolio of eight hotels in Kuwait, Egypt, Oman, Qatar, Lebanon and Syria. Most of its hotels are managed under the Safir brand, except for its flagship property “Marina Hotel Kuwait” and the “Salalah Gardens Hotel” in Oman. Its portfolio strategy is aimed at growth in the MENA region in the midscale and upscale segments, managing both hotels and serviced residences. As the first Arabian hospitality management company in the region, the company has a wealth of experience in bringing value to hotel development projects and profitable hotel operations.  SHR shares no connection to Oman’s Safeer Hotels, nor to Bahrain’s Al Safir Hotel.