Cold Weather Preparedness

With the extreme cold weather back again please make sure you are reviewing this list yourself and reviewing it with your team.  Following these precautions is  very important so we do not have any more frozen pipe issues at any of our hotels.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

1. Rent all end rooms and the rooms beside the elevator shafts first. We must ensure heat is on in the end rooms to protect the interior portions of the hotel from the extreme cold.

2. In extreme cold situations, block off outside vents in all storage rooms, boiler rooms, elevator shafts, kitchen areas, laundry rooms, pool rooms, and any other area you may have that can be affected by outside air. Be sure to unblock these vents after a cold snap to ensure your property receives the proper ventilation again!

3. Almost all of the hotels have vents located behind the commercial dryers, ensure these vents are closed during extreme colds.  Many of these vents automatically open and close, please make sure they are functioning correctly and not staying open at all times. 

4. Please ensure that all public space thermostats are set at constant temperatures and not altered or turned off. All public space locations should have the same temperatures set on all thermostats to ensure the thermostats aren't battling with each other, this is something we should be maintaining year round and not just during the winter.

5. If your hallways have PTAC units at the end of the corridors and vending area, ensure they are operational with clean filters and set at constant temperatures.

6. If you have any rooms or corridors that are missing PTAC units, please make sure to cover the opening with thick plastic to keep the cold out.

7. If you have a back of the house space or closet that is lacking heat or has a non-functioning heater, please procure a baseboard heater to install in these spaces.  They are very low in cost and can be a life saver during extreme winter weather.

8. Open the doors to the stairwells on the first floor to allow the heat to rise through the stairwells on extremely cold nights only.

9. Ensure staff members at your property know where emergency shut-offs are located for water, gas, and power, in case there’s an emergency. Please place pictures of the shut offs from your hotel in the back off the spaces and ensure employees are being trained on these locations during orientation.

10. Ensure our walkways and driveways stay clean and clear of ice and accumulating snow. Start ordering salt/sand now and make sure you have a couple sturdy show shovels on hand.