Three Hartling Group Resorts in Turks & Caicos Have Reopened to Guests
Jul 22, 2020
The Shore Club Colonnade Pool Photo Credit Shore Club
The Hartling Group, award-winning owners and operators of The Sands on Grace Bay, The Palms Turks & Caicos, and The Shore Club Long Bay Beach, proudly announce all 3 resorts are open to guests as of Wednesday, July 22. The resorts introduce extensive new protocols and procedures to encourage the well-being of staff, guests, and the community at the resorts in this new age of travel. The executive team at The Hartling Group has spent countless hours learning, training, and preparing to create “Health in Hospitality”; the team has implemented new ways to enhance the sanitization and safety process without sacrificing the high level of service and personalized luxury experience that guests love and expect at the resorts.
At the forefront is the introduction of a Hartling Group Sanitation Officer, a newly created position that will be responsible for the quality maintenance of the sanitation protocols to ensure guest and staff safety and health. This person will check that all new protocols are executed at the highest level at each of the three resorts on a daily basis. The Sanitation Officer will have a toolkit on hand, providing things like sanitizer, masks, and more on-demand, and will be easily identifiable by guests and staff for assistance or questions as needed.
The Sands at Grace Bay fronts Grace Bay Beach Photo Credit The Sands at Grace Bay
“Turks and Caicos have long been an appealing and beloved destination for travelers, easily accessible from most major international airports and a true escape to barefoot luxury on the world’s best beaches,” says Karen S. Whitt, Vice President. “We want travelers to have the confidence in returning to their home away from home and know that we’ve spent countless hours preparing, training, and applying learnings from renowned organizations in order to safely and effectively open our doors.”
As a bespoke boutique organization, The Hartling Group is taking this opportunity to shape the future of luxury travel in the region with thoughtful and well-executed new measures. Guests will find staff who are more intuitive and anticipatory than ever before, as they’ll be managing much of the day with low to no contact to align with social distancing expectations. Since early May, there have been daily training with every department, and new PPE materials and equipment have been purchased for the three resorts. Staff won’t enter guest rooms while occupied, and housekeeping has a 24-point checklist that must be satisfactory before a room is turned over to a new guest. There will be an increased amount of time between check-ins and outs, and guests can book with confidence knowing that the experience will be exactly as described: restful, relaxing, an escape, all while recommendations from global health leaders are being followed and implemented.
Pool time at The Shore Club Photo Credit Shore Club via Facebook
Several processes and modifications have been made to the operations at the three resorts, highlights include:
– EMPLOYEES: Staff will wear masks at all times, from check-in to housekeeping, food and beverage, and beach and pool attendants. All staff members will undergo a health screening and temperature check before reporting to work. Anyone presenting a fever, having recent ailments or indicating a possible exposure to COVID-19 will be sent home.
– CHECK-IN: Guests will be greeted with a warm towel, infused with a sanitizer, for a fresh start when welcomed at the resorts. Check-in will be contactless: the guest will show a passport for a photo, swipe payment, and sign electronically. Pens, notepads, magazines, and similar amenities usually found in-room will be provided to guests at check-in, to ensure a fresh, never-touched set for each reservation Each guest will receive a personal care kit in their suite upon check-in with a mask, sanitizer, gloves and more.
– RESORT APP: All guests will be encouraged to download and use the ALICE app on their smartphone for everything from staff requests/needs, concierge interactions and reservation confirmations, dining orders and menu review, and maintenance
– CLEANING: Portable UV wands and electrostatic misters will be used, additional sanitizing stations are being installed throughout the resort, and there will be an increased frequency in cleaning high-touch areas
– FOOD AND BEVERAGE: There will be disposable menus at restaurants, and guests will be encouraged to view and order via app. Self-service will be removed. Beverage menus will feature the addition of immune-boosting, low alcohol, and no-alcohol beverages, including ginger, lemon, and honey shots.
– ROOM SERVICE: The room service menu will grow so that any item offered in any of the restaurant dining rooms can be delivered and recreated to be enjoyed in the privacy of the suite. Additionally, a family-style menu will be introduced. Guests can order a family-style meal from a special menu that will be delivered to the room and can be stored until it”s ready to be enjoyed at the guest”s leisure. All suites feature state of the art Viking kitchens so they can be stored in the refrigerator or warmed in an oven if needed.
– POOL & BEACH: The number of lounges and umbrellas at the pools and beach will be reduced, and what is there will be spread out to ensure social distancing. Pool cabanas will be utilized as much as possible, offering privacy for small groups and maintaining space from others. There will be added amenities for the cabanas.
– ACTIVITIES: The kids” clubs (Conch Kritters at The Palms and Jungle Jam at The Shore Club) will be by reservation only, with only one family per hour and cleaning between families. Two families will be able to book, if one is indoors, and one is outdoors. Complimentary water sports equipment will be provided and extensively disinfected between uses.
– FITNESS CENTER: Fitness room reservations will be recommended, and yoga and fitness classes will take place outdoors and have limited capacity to ensure distancing.
Stan Hartling, CEO/founder of The Hartling Group, says: “We were leaders in starting distancing with staff at the early stages of the pandemic. We implemented ‘Heartful Hartling Hospitality’ in February, which will be the standard upon reopening the hotels, where staff welcome guests with a gesture of hands to our hearts. This is one example of The Hartling Group’s commitment to accountability in meeting the high expectations of our guests, staff, and community every time they visit us.”
As recommendations from government, world, health, and travel officials are announced ongoing, The Harting Group will continue to make health and safety a priority, monitor and evolve alongside the recommendations, modify processes as needed, and remain a safe and responsible place to travel and visit. To make a reservation, please visit www.thesandstc.com, www.thepalmstc.com, or www.theshoreclubtc.com.
The Sands at Grace Bay is a a family-friendly resort on Grace Bay Beach Photo Credit Mona Beeson
About The Hartling Group
The Hartling Group is a resort management company in Turks and Caicos, specializing in real estate sales and development of luxury Caribbean resorts, condominiums and villas. Founded by Stan Hartling in 1997, The Hartling Group brings a new level of real estate property development and management services to the Turks & Caicos Islands. The Hartling Group”s mandate includes providing seamless integration of design, development, and management expertise, whereby each element fuses naturally into the other, and the resulting quality of the project surpasses the sum of its individual parts. The Hartling Group Resorts in Turks and Caicos include The Sands at Grace Bay, The Palms Turks and Caicos and The Shore Club Long Bay Beach.
