FIRST LOOK: Sofitel Philadelphia previews safety procedures ahead of reopening

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- From the plexiglass at concierge to contactless check-in, and the frequent cleaning of high traffic areas, Sofitel Philadelphia is gearing up to reopen its doors on August 6, after the pandemic forced them to go dark for four months.

"We want to show the guests that if they come and stay with us, that it's totally safe," said Attila Szabo, director of operations at Sofitel.

Szabo gave Action News a first look at what guests can expect, including sanitizing elevator buttons every 15 minutes, limiting the capacity in common areas, and how to safely clean guests' rooms.

Once a guest checks out from the hotel, the room they were staying in goes off the grid for 48 hours, giving the cleaning staff ample time to disinfect door handles, bathrooms, and change linens.

It's no secret Philadelphia's hotel industry has been hit hard by the pandemic--a loss of $3.7 billion from more than 2 million hotel stays from March to June.

This past week, occupancy in Center City is below 30%, a third of what it was this time last year, according to city officials.

"We are heartbroken. Whatever happens around the hotel industry is really sad, but I also feel that this virus will not go away anytime soon, so we have to learn how to deal with it," he said.