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in-room compendiums and menus , and allows guests to ask questions about local sights and nearby resources .

IN THE WORKS But like a number of other hoteliers , Portland , Oregon-based Provenance was already headed down the digital path well before the pandemic hit .

“ We began working on this last September ( 2019 ),” says Director of Marketing Jay Bowen about the homegrown application . The goal , which predated the pandemic , was to provide a more personalized conversation with the guest before they arrived , while they were on the property , and after check-out .

According to Bowen , this push was in service of Providence ’ s commitment to sustainability . “ That would have happened regardless of COVID-19 ,” she says .

Along with guest-facing features , the app will ultimately help make backof-house operations paperless , too . Housekeeping will use it for scheduling and maintenance requests , including sending images of problems to the relevant departments .

“ We plan to utilize its functionality to streamline back of house processes ,” says Shannon Overholser , media relations manager . “ It ’ s something we ’ ve just started to engage with and are looking to integrate more in our day-to-day operations for housekeeping and more .”

In addition to its smartphone app , Provenance has moved to a contactless check-in process including single-use , eco-friendly paper key cards .

Providing a personalized guest experience , even with new protocols around

social distancing and mask-wearing , has gone well , according to Chief Marketing Officer Ralph Aruzza .

“ There ’ s been virtually no pushback ,” Aruzza says . The brand has added questions in its post-stay survey and is allowing guests to voice their opinions about the hotel ’ s touchless technologies and other issues .

“ Our business was on track in Q1 , and we were doing well ,” says Aruzza , adding that the brand is monitoring search traffic and its competitors . “ We have no more and no less ” information than anyone else in the industry , he says .

CHANGING RULES Like other hospitality brands , Provenance ’ s leadership is watching state government responses to the coronavirus pandemic very closely . About a possible retrenching of social-distancing mandates affecting travel , Aruzza says , “ We ’ re all concerned .”

Interviews with Providence Hotels were conducted at the end of June . In the first week of July , California Governor Gavin Newsom , in response to a concerning single-day number of deaths due to coronavirus , Newsom announced a rolling back of business openings . He ordered all counties in the state to close all bars and the indoor operations at businesses including restaurants , wineries and movie theaters .

Asked about those more recent rules , Provenance says its properties in the state are open and adhering to socialdistancing guidelines , although the Villa Royale ’ s restaurant is limited to outdoor dining .

“ Our research suggests that recovery to pre-COVID-19 levels could take until 2023 — or later ,” consultancy McKinsey wrote in a June report about the hospitality industry .

Regarding technology to address coronavirus , McKinsey cited robotics and touchless technology , and noted the stringent safety measures put in place by some hotel chains in China . Measures there have included requiring guests to provide proof ( via a QR code ) that they have not been in contact with infected people , and measuring guests ’ body temperature at check-in , anytime they enter and exit the hotel during their stay , and at check-out .

“ For Western hotels to adopt the same standards would of course require changes in government policy and public-health approaches ,” McKinsey ’ s survey pointed out .

In its April Consumer Leisure Travel Survey , McKinsey surveyed 3,498 travelers from five countries . One question : “ Actions hotels could take to help protect guests from coronavirus that would make you more likely to stay at a hotel for leisure ?” Intense room cleaning was by far the leader — but respondents placed “ Completely automated / touch-free check-in process ” near the bottom of the list .