10 tips for staying overnight at a hotel when traveling during COVID-19 pandemic

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released its long-awaited tips for minimizing everyday risks of getting and spreading COVID-19, including tips for staying overnight at a hotel when traveling. 
In general, the CDC says, the more closely you interact with others and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread. Read about the 15 questions to ask yourself before venturing out during the COVID-19 pandemic here.
These are the CDC’s 10 for staying overnight at a hotel.
1. Check the hotel's COVID-19 prevention practices before you go.
2. Use options for online reservation and check-in, mobile room key, and contactless payment.
3. Before you go, call and ask if all staff are wearing cloth face coverings at work.
4. Look for any extra prevention practices being implemented by the hotel, such as plexiglass barriers at check-in counters, and physical distancing signs in the lobby.
5. Ask if the hotel has updated policies about cleaning and disinfecting or removing frequently touched surfaces and items (such as pens, room keys, tables, phones, doorknobs, light switches, elevator buttons, water fountains, ATMs/card payment stations, business center computers and printers, ice/vending machines, and remote controls).
6. Wear a cloth face covering in the lobby or other common areas.
7. Minimize use of areas that may lead to close contact (within 6 feet) with other people as much as possible, like break rooms, outside patios, inside lounging areas, dining areas/kitchens, game rooms, pools, hot tubs, saunas, spas, salons, and fitness centers.
8. Consider taking the stairs. Otherwise wait to use the elevator until you can either ride alone or only with people from your household.
9. Request contactless delivery for any room service order.
10. If you are considering cleaning your travel lodgings, see CDC’s guidance on how to clean and disinfect here.
For more information about safely planning travel during the COVID-19 outbreak, visit CDC’s Considerations for Travel in the US.