With the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxing mask recommendations and various states and municipalities rolling back their own restrictions as more Americans get vaccinated, a varied landscape with differing levels of regulation has created a situation where it's often left hoteliers to determine themselves whether mask and social-distancing requirements are still needed on property.

Sanjay Rama, principal and president of Everwood Hospitality Partners, said his company's guiding principal among a sea of mixed messages is to always take the most conservative — i.e. most pro-mask and distancing — approach between the recommendations of the state and local governments and the hotel's brand. He said this line of thought is driven primarily by a desire to keep employees safe and comfortable.

To lift mask rules, "We're looking for a triple confirmation from the brand, state and local municipality," he said. "We'll be ready to take masks off quickly when all three layers are in sync, but until then, we still have a certain population that feel more safe with masks."

Rama said he's been pleasantly surprised by a lack of pushback from guests who might be seeing elsewhere that masks are a thing of the past or conversely guests not wearing masks when others are still more comfortable wearing them. He attributes that to masks still having a prevalent place across the travel journey for many.

"We haven't had a situation where a guest is concerned about another guest [wearing or not wearing a mask]," he said. "But airlines still require masks to travel."

He noted that while his company might be taking a more conservative approach compared to other hotel companies, broadly the hotel industry's approach to masks has been significantly more relaxed than airlines or even the now-returning cruise industry, which impacts guests' mentality.

"Travel is not a one-dimensional thing," he said. "Every guest is coming from somewhere and going somewhere. From that perspective, [hotel mask policies] are a lot more liberal."

Rama said he remains hopeful that a return to normalcy will happen sooner than many expect, but he believes guest and employee safety should remain at the forefront of hoteliers' planning. That includes keeping some pandemic-induced changes around cleaning, and his company continues to offer employees free weekly COVID-19 testing.

"There are certain things we'll continue to do beyond this, and have always been good practices," he said. "We've invested in electrostatic sprayers, and there's no reason to not keep using them."

Rama's company operates various brands, and he said luckily their guidance has been largely the same.

"All of our brands are working along the same line with masks still recommended for employees," he said. "I don't think it will be a point of contention until some brands starts to say employees are not allowed to wear masks, but there's no indication that will happen."

Here's what some of the major hotel companies have said about how their mask policies have adapted after the CDC changed its recommendations in early May:

"Like all Americans, we are excited for a return to normal life, which includes travel. The recent CDC guidelines for vaccinated Americans lifting certain face-covering restrictions was welcome news and should help speed up a much-needed recovery. As an industry, our primary concerns have always been guest and worker safety. Hotels rose to the challenge of the public health crisis through Safe Stay, an industrywide health and safety initiative established in cooperation with AHLA. Throughout the pandemic our Safe Stay guidelines continued to evolve to align with the current environment and CDC guidelines, and the same will be true as we work to reopen.

“In light of the recent CDC announcement that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in most settings, our Safe Stay guidelines will relax mask requirements for guests who are fully vaccinated. At this time, we are not asking hotels to require proof of vaccination status, but we do ask that all guests and workers, vaccinated or not, respect and honor these revised guidelines. Unvaccinated guests should wear face-coverings at all times and practice physical distancing.

“As we await further direction on how CDC guidance applies to business, hotel employees — who are the backbone of our industry — should continue to wear face-coverings indoors for the time being and follow local business and workplace guidance. For vaccinated employees working outside, or not in close contact with others, our guidelines will permit hotels to implement protocols easing face-covering requirements. Of course, all hotels are required to follow state and local requirements which may go beyond what is recommended by the CDC.

“The COVID-19 vaccine provides our nation and our industry hope for recovery after a devastating year. But, we expect further guidance from the CDC and public health experts to support our efforts to ensure the safety of our workforce, guests and the general public.

“In this spirit, as an industry we support innovative solutions to encourage our workforce and guests to get vaccinated, and call on all Americans to be vaccinated before removing face-coverings.

“Moving into the next stages of recovery and as vaccination rates continue to increase, we will carefully consider all new guidance in accordance with all applicable federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations. In the meantime, Safe Stay’s rigorous health and safety protocols will continue to help support peace of mind for travelers.” — Chip Rogers, president and CEO

"Based on the May 13, 2021 guidance from the [CDC] regarding public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people, face coverings are not a Choice Hotels brand standard for our independently owned and operated franchisees. However, our franchisees are expected to continue to comply with any applicable laws, including but not limited to state and local requirements and health ordinances, which may be more stringent than CDC guidance or Choice’s standard."

“We are continuing to look to CDC guidance, AHLA, regional regulations, and our brand requirements to shape our policy, and have provided operational training and execution tools to our boutique and independent hotels in executing our specific requirements. We are also encouraging all eligible associates to get vaccinated. We know that our guests’ comfort levels will be varied as pandemic regulations are lifted, so we will continue to support those who would prefer to remain cautious as well as those fully-vaccinated guests who are ready to remove their face coverings.” —Elie Khoury, executive vice president, operations

"AHLA recently updated their Safe Stay guidance. Our hotels adhere to brand standards, which are generally aligned with AHLA’s Safe Stay guidelines." —Kelly Clarke, vice president, investor relations

"Our strategy has been to follow the brand strategy, which is in turn dictated by the CDC.

"Hilton issued guidance based upon the CDC’s requirements and we have asked our non-Hilton assets to follow the same until additional guidance is received by the other brands.

"Our properties have also been reminded that the most important thing to remember is that we want our team members to be comfortable where they work and know that while we can provide guidance to our guests we must ensure that customer service remains an important part of this process. We do not want to get into confrontation with any guest over the mask requirements and have felt that the brands and our teams have handled it really well thus far whereas communication and kindness continue to be key elements." —Jason LaBarge, senior vice president, HP Hotels

"Most of the brands recently have updated their guidance and protocols, and HVMG adheres to their recommendations. Namely, guests who are vaccinated no longer are requested to wear masks indoors or out. We continue to require all associates wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, though vaccinated associates are not required to wear masks while working outside.

"When the appropriate situation arises, we encourage all unvaccinated guests to wear masks indoors. We anticipate that AHLA will update their recommendations shortly, which we imagine will mirror the updated brand standards. HVMG is in the process of updating its internal 'Trust & Preparedness Plan' now, which will make use of the findings and suggestions brought forth by the brands. I will also point out that HVMG will continue to defer to state and/or local authorities’ guidance, meaning that if area requirements are stricter, our hotels will follow those rules." —Matthew Woodruff, executive vice president, guest excellence, chief brand partner officer

"In light of the CDC's recommendation that fully vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a face covering in most settings – except where required by state, local and other laws — Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is updating its face covering policy for its U.S. hotels. Effective Monday, May 24:

"While we encourage all hotel guests to wear face coverings in public areas when social distancing is not feasible, guests who are fully vaccinated will not be required to do so unless mandated by local law. We are not asking hotels to require or request proof of guests’ vaccination status. Unvaccinated guests should wear face coverings and practice physical distancing at all times in public settings.

"All hotel team members, regardless of vaccination status, will continue to be required to wear face coverings while on property.
These changes take into account direct feedback we’ve collected from stakeholders — including our franchisees and front-line hotel teams — as well as the latest CDC guidance and AHLA’s revised “Safe Stay” guidelines. We continue to monitor this situation closely and will adapt our policies further as needed. The health and safety of guests and team members remains our highest priority."

“All of our hotels are branded, and we are following each individual brands' direction. We have not made any changes that have superseded those guidelines.” —Charles Talbert, corporate communications director

"Guided by our purpose — to care for people so they can be their best — and through our Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment, Hyatt continues to review COVID-19 mandates and guidelines in consideration of federal and local mandates, guidance from health authorities, as well as medical expert and industry guidance. The health and well-being of guests and colleagues, who are the heart of our business, remains a top priority, as we continue to move through the phases of COVID-19 recovery.

"In light of relaxed CDC and AHLA face coverings guidance for vaccinated people, and after considerable review, we have determined the best approach for our business and recovery is to update our face coverings mandate for fully vaccinated guests and colleagues at Hyatt hotels in the U.S.

"Effective immediately, Hyatt hotels in the U.S. will encourage guests to wear face coverings on property where social distancing is not feasible. However, aligned with the CDC’s new guidance, face coverings are no longer required indoors or outdoors for guests who are fully vaccinated. Face coverings are still required for non-vaccinated guests in all indoor public areas of hotels, as well as outdoors where social distancing is not feasible — with some limited exceptions.

"All hotel colleagues are still required to wear face masks indoors. We will ease face-coverings requirements for fully vaccinated colleagues working outside who are not in close contact with others.

All hotels are required to follow state and local requirements, if stricter than Hyatt’s recommended guidance.

"As we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic recovery together, Hyatt continues to lead with care, creativity and flexibility, offering guests peace of mind for when they’re ready to travel again. We are hopeful that this guidance, combined with vaccination distribution, will help boost people’s confidence around travel and will be an important step to getting the hospitality industry back on track."

"At our U.S. hotels, guests who are fully vaccinated are no longer required to wear face coverings or follow social distancing, unless mandated by a local jurisdiction or state."