As we reach our 7th month into covid (I know, right?), I made a decision to take a little road trip with my family for a stay in Orlando. It’s about a two hour drive from where we live, which is just about as much as my kids can handle.
We were invited to stay at the Melia Orlando Celebration to experience their new program, Stay Safe With Melia. We actually stayed at a Melia property in Mexico three years ago and we vowed we would stay at another Melia again, because we loved it so much!
As a mom I of course want to keep my family safe and healthy, and for me, health just isn’t about preventing viruses. Mental health is just as important. Our family is used to traveling and exploring, and this pandemic has been hard on us. We were living in New York when the outbreak started, and living in the epicenter was traumatic, to say the least.
I was so happy that the Melia invited us to stay because we needed a sense of normalcy, a change of scenery, and some fun. We needed it all, and we needed it all done safely.
The MOC has implemented their Stay Safe With Melia Program at all of their locations. They devised an incredible plan, and left no stone unturned.
Here are some of the new provisions set in place: new cleaning equipment, special prevention plan for air conditioning, heating, refrigeration and water systems, each hotel has a stay safe ambassador to guarantee implementation, staff training on hygiene & health, seals on areas and items in rooms after they’ve been disinfected, protective screens at the front desk and dining room services, capacity reduction, digital concierge, and SO MUCH MORE- visit MOC for the full breakdown, I don’t want to get too technical and would like to instead give you my personal review and experience.
Upon check-in they took my temp- I basically just looked at a screen that looks like an iphone, so there’s no physical contact. Side note- I need one of those temp checkers because it made me look really good somehow hahaha.
After my temp check, I went up to the desk, all staff was in full PPE (and of course I was wearing a mask as well because it’s required).
There are clear glass partitions between the front desk and the guests for an extra added layer of protection. When it came time to sign, they had a special uv box with sanitized pens. And of course the hand sanitizer was up there. Ahhh hand sanitizer, preventing covid yet making my hands look like dry shriveled up prunes- but that’s for another post.
When we got to our room there was a special seal on the door to indicate that the room had been disinfected. Throughout the room we saw this seal on a lot of items: the phone, kitchen drawers and cabinets, remotes, etc. In all honesty I brought disinfecting wipes to wipe down the room because I’m crazy, but it felt and looked so clean, I didn’t do my usual wipe-down (which is something I would do, even pre-covid).
One thing I loved was the signs by the elevators with guidelines- only one person or one family allowed at a time. One of my BIGGEST concerns was riding in an elevator. Because the hotel was at limited capacity, it was never an issue except for one time, and the other family was respectful of the rules. I think that that’s a big part of staying safe- following the rules. The hotel can put all these plans into action, but it’s up to us, the guests, to comply.
In addition to this being the cleanest and safest experience we’ve ever had, it was also one of the most welcoming. The staff were super warm and friendly. We had a gorgeous balcony with a view of the pool, plus they gave us a cute welcome basket with all the essentials for a fun pool day. My kids LOVED those special touches.
If you’re thinking of visiting any theme parks, the MOC is just a short drive from all of them, and is a great and safe choice for you and your family. Make sure you check out their Friday night movies by the pool, and every Saturday they have a Culinary 360 Experience poolside, serving up eats and cocktails from around the world.
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Xo,
Elena