Sweden: Scandic says it is the world’s first hotel company to introduce a standard for allergy-friendly rooms.
The standard means that guests booking allergy-friendly rooms can expect wooden floors and fragrance-free, hypoallergenic toiletries approved by the Swedish Asthma and Allergy Association. The rooms are also prepared according to strict cleaning procedures and are not located on floors where pets can stay. The new standard will be part of Scandic’s unique 159-point accessibility standard.
The company says more than 150 million people in Europe have some type of allergy.
Scandic launched its accessibility standard in 2005. Since then, it has been broadened from 135 to 159 points to include a new category with strict guidelines to meet the needs of travellers with allergies.
“There’s a clear demand for the accessibility solutions we offer and we get many requests to make guests’ stays more allergy-friendly. We’ve also already seen how successful our allergy-friendly “breakfast for all” has been. Our goal now is for all Scandic hotels to offer at least two allergy-friendly rooms within a year,” said Magnus Berglund, director of accessibility at Scandic.
During the spring, Scandic will also release an updated version of its award-winning online accessibility course. The online accessibility course was originally developed for Scandic’s 18,000 team members as an integral part of Scandic’s accessibility initiatives, since interacting with and serving guests is the most important consideration, regardless of their needs. The course is available on Scandic’s website so everyone can learn more about how to provide high-quality service to people with accessibility needs.
“We’re always working to find solutions to make our hotels more accessible. While we’ve offered allergy-friendly rooms at Scandic for some time, we’re particularly proud that they’re now part of our accessibility standard. And the fact that our online course is widely used by others in the hospitality industry to improve service also gives us high marks,” said Berglund.
