COVID-19 Safety Precautions
[Updated June 8, 2021]
As of May 28, 2021, the state of New Jersey lifted all mask mandates for those who are vaccinated. As a result, we are no longer requiring masks to be worn by our vaccinated guests indoors or outdoors. And as of June 8, our staff will no longer be required to wear face coverings when interacting with guests. We ask that you respect the decisions of other guests who may feel more comfortable wearing masks at this time, and we encourage the use of common sense when sharing our common spaces. We will continue to monitor the situation and modify our policies as appropriate as the summer continues. Thank you for your support and understanding during these ever-changing times.
The Mission Inn is currently open and welcoming guests to Cape May. We will continue to take extra safety precautions to ensure the well-being of our guests, our staff, and ourselves. We thank you for your ongoing support during the COVID-19 situation, and we can’t wait to see all of you back in Cape May as soon as you’re ready.
At The Mission Inn, your health and safety has been, and will continue to be, our top priority! We have researched and implemented new cleaning guidelines from leading safety organizations. This includes the CDC, the New Jersey and Cape May County Health Departments, and hospitality organizations such as the American Hospitality and Lodging Association (AHLP), and Association of Lodging Professionals. And based on their recommendations, we have expanded our already stringent housekeeping practices to help ensure your well-being and peace-of-mind during your next visit.
We also continue to evolve the entire guest experience from check-in to check-out. And we have introduced some changes to help ensure peace-of-mind during your stay with us. While these changes are necessary for now, the hallmarks of The Mission Inn experience – casual elegance, superb service, and of course, delicious food from Chef Leslie – will remain as we continue to offer our guests exceptional hospitality in every way possible.
Cleaning Guidelines & Certifications
We want you to be assured that your health and safety has been, and will continue to be, our top priority! To that end, The Mission Inn has developed an enhanced standard of health and safety protocols. These have been developed based on insight and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New Jersey and Cape May County Health Departments. In addition, information from national and regional lodging and hospitality organizations were consulted. These included the Association of Lodging Professionals, the American Hotels & Lodging Association, and the NJ Restaurant & Hospitality Association.
We have also taken additional steps to partner with the following certified cleaning programs:
Cleaning Product Information
We are committed to using safe, effective, and eco-friendly products at The Mission Inn. To that end, we have carefully researched and selected the following CDC-recommended cleaning and sanitizing products to use. While many businesses are not inclined to share this level of detail, we feel that it is important to be completely transparent with our guests about the products we are using. We encourage you to learn more by clicking on the specific product links.
Hand Sanitizers
- G Clean: This foaming hand sanitizer with two active germ-killing ingredients (70% Isopropyl Alcohol, and Benzalkonium Chloride) plus added moisturizers can be found in our common spaces. It is a medical grade product that is made in the USA by Green Earth Technologies, based in Mount Laurel, NJ. (Click here to learn more.)
- DS Laboratories: This alcohol-based hand sanitizer with 62% Ethanol plus added moisturizers can also be found around the inn for guests to use. For each sale of a hand sanitizer, US-based DS Laboratories donates free of charge one hand sanitizer to healthcare personnel and those in need. (Click here to learn more.)
Primary Cleaning Products
- Pathfinder 360: This hospital-grade multi-surface cleaner and disinfectant is used to clean most hard surfaces around the inn. (Click here to learn more.)
- Benzarid: This is an EPA-certified, hospital-grade cleaning product that is made in the USA by Naturasil. It is an odorless, colorless, non-staining disinfectant. And it sanitizes against viruses (including the Human Corona Virus), bacteria, molds, and bedbugs. This will be applied with an electrostatic sprayer to in all surfaces (porous and non-porous) in our guest rooms prior to check-in. It is also used on the outdoor patio furniture and our bikes and beach equipment. (Click here to learn more.)
- Lysol Antibacterial Kitchen Cleaner: This all-purpose kitchen cleaner kills 99.9% of all viruses and bacteria. It is used on our countertops, sinks, and stovetops in our kitchen areas.
- Disinfectant Wipes: We make use of various disinfectant wipes as part of our cleaning protocol. All wipes are CDC compliant and EPA recommended.
- Laundry: As always, all guest linens and towels will be washed on the highest level of heat and appropriate detergents will be used to ensure proper sanitization.
Pre-Arrival Safety Precautions
In order to help you make the most of your visit, we have expanded our pre-arrival routine:
- All guests will receive a new digital “Welcome Kit” via email two days before they arrive. This will contain important information for your visit along with local travel tips.
- We will continue to reach out to our guests by phone the day before their scheduled reservation to confirm arrival time. During this conversation, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about your visit.
- Your second deposit payment will be automatically processed on the day of your arrival. This will be charged using whatever credit card we have on file for you. By doing this proactive process, we will eliminate the need to handle credit cards during check-in. If you would like to use a different form of payment, please let us know before you arrive.
- When packing for your trip, please be sure to bring your personal face coverings and other self-care items you may need during your stay. Keep in mind that businesses in town may have limited availability of these items.
Check-In/Check-Out Safety Precautions
Before and after your stay, we will be taking extra steps to ensure that your arrival and departure are as safe and contactless as possible. To ensure your safety upon arrival, we have put the following check-in procedures in place:
- Check-in time has been moved back to start at 4 pm. This allows our staff more time to clean each room before you arrive. We will now welcome guests to check-in anytime between 4 pm and 6 pm.
- Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate early check-ins at this time.
- We also are unable to accommodate special requests prior to check-in. This includes the use of beach tags and/or beach equipment, the outdoor shower or bikes, or the storage of luggage.
To ensure your safety when you depart, we have put the following check-out procedures in place:
- Check-out time remains at 11 am the day of your departure. We kindly ask that you adhere to this policy as it allows our staff adequate time to clean the rooms before our next guests arrive.
- We have placed a check-out container near the front door. Please place your room keys in that container when you are ready to depart. All keys will be cleaned and sanitized before reuse.
- We are unable to accommodate special requests after check-out. This includes the use of beach tags and/or beach equipment, the outdoor shower or bikes, or the storage of luggage.
Guest Rooms
During your stay, we will take every precaution possible to limit possible exposure for both you and our staff. For this reason, we have temporarily suspended our practice of automatically refreshing guest rooms during breakfast. However, if you are staying with us for three or more nights, we will gladly refresh your room upon request. And we have taken the following steps to ensure that your stay is comfortable:
Guest Amenities
- You will find an extra set of towels in your room. If you need additional clean towels during your stay, please place the used towels your room’s basket and leave it outside your door when you to breakfast so that they can be replaced.
- All decorative pillows, rugs, and throw blankets were removed from guest rooms.
- Complimentary personal hygiene items (Q-tips, shower caps, etc…) were removed from guest rooms. These are now available upon request.
- Bath robes were removed from guest rooms. These are now available upon request.
Room Cleaning and Safety Precautions
- Guest rooms will be ventilated during and after cleaning.
- Remotes, hair dryers, and irons will be cleaned and sanitized before every check-in.
- Remotes will be shrink-wrapped after being sanitized so that they can be easily cleaned.
- All guest rooms will be cleaned with a electrostatic sprayer and an EPA-certified, hospital-grade disinfectant before every check-in.
- AC units in the guest rooms have been professionally serviced, cleaned, and disinfected.
- Air purifiers with HEPA filters and internal UVC lights have been added to each room’s AC unit.
- An additional air purification system has been installed in each room’s air conditioning units.
Common Spaces
At The Mission Inn we are lucky to have large common spaces, both indoors and outside, for our guests to enjoy. This allows you to spread out and relax while complying with social distancing guidelines. To ensure your safety, we have implemented the following new procedures for our common spaces:
- Signs have been posted to inform our guests how to prevent the spread of germs.
- We clean and sanitize all high-touch surfaces and high-traffic floors throughout the day, using a two-step process: soap and hot water, followed by a disinfectant.
- Alcohol-based wipes and sanitizer stations are provided for guests in our common spaces.
- Guests are encouraged to practice social distancing and wear face coverings when they are in our common spaces with other guests present.
- We have temporarily closed the public restroom in our main hallway.
Guest Amenities
For the health and safety of our guests, we have temporarily modified some of our guest amenities. We apologize for any inconvenience these changes may cause and look forward to the time when we can reinstate these amenities. As of May 28, 2021, the following changes will be in effect until further notice:
Beach Service
- We will continue to provide complimentary beach tags for guests. Due to the potential contamination of shared beach tags, we will be providing them in a disposable plastic bag that can be replaced at the end of your stay.
- PLEASE NOTE: This year the city of Cape May drastically increased the cost of beach tags for us to share with guests. We will continue to offer this amenity to our guests, but because of the cost of these “corporate” beach tags, if you lose them you will be charged $105 per tag to cover the cost of replacement.
- Our complimentary beach service is back for summer 2021! This provides guests with two chairs and an umbrella set up by a third-party service. If you’d prefer, we also provide self-serve beach chairs and umbrellas, available for guests in our garage. Our chairs and umbrellas will be cleaned and sanitized every night.
- Guests are allowed to use the outdoor shower, but please use the nearby hand sanitizer station for your safety and convenience.
Outdoor Amenities
- Seating areas on the back patio have been rearranged to encourage social distancing.
- We provide complimentary beach bikes and locks for guests. However, we ask that you park any bikes that you use in the driveway. Do not put them back in the garage of the bike rack. We will clean them thoroughly at the end of each day.
Indoor Amenities
- Our wooden puzzles for guest use have returned! Please use the available hand sanitizer provided before you begin working on the puzzle.
- A refrigerator, coffee machine, and water cooler are available in our solarium for guests to use. However, we ask that you use the provided sanitizing wipes before and after you touch any of these appliances. We will also clean them thoroughly throughout the day.
Food Sanitation and Safety Precautions
The dining experience has always been an important part of your stay at The Mission Inn. While we will continue to deliver on our promise of healthy, delicious, and unique food, we will be making a few modifications to ensure the health and safety of our guests. The following temporary changes are in effect, until further notice:
Breakfast Safety Precautions
- During breakfast, we ask guests to abide by social distancing guidelines. To assist in this effort, we will ensure that tables are adequately spaced for safe outdoor dining.
- In the case of inclement weather during breakfast, guests will be asked to sign up for one of two seating times (8 am, or 9 am) to allow for safe spacing during indoor dining.
- If you are not comfortable dining in our breakfast areas, we will provide an option for “grab-and-go” breakfasts upon request the night before. We kindly ask that you do not eat these in your guest room, as we are not cleaning the room during your stay.
- We ask that guests refrain from placing personal belongings on the table during breakfast. This includes face masks, cell phones, tablets, laptops, and books.
- All of our staff will wear face coverings during breakfast service.
Happy Hour Safety Precautions
- Our signature homemade Oatmeal, Raisin, Coconut cookies are still available for guests to enjoy. But they will now be individually wrapped before being placed into an “open air” cookie container.
- Our popular afternoon happy hour has been modified. We now provide pre-made snacks for each room available in the guest refrigerator. Guests will find containers waiting for them in the fridge anytime after 11 am.
Click here to learn more about The Mission Inn’s gourmet breakfasts. Or click here to learn about our afternoon snacks.
Our Staff
At The Mission Inn, our staff is part of our family. And we have taken this opportunity to reevaluate safety guidelines for our staff. And, as a result, we have implemented additional steps to ensure their well-being and that of our guests, including:
- All staff are required to stay home if they are not feeling well.
- All staff are required to submit to a health screening at the start of their shift. This will include having their temperatures taken.
- All housekeeping staff are required to wear disposable gloves and face masks when cleaning the inn.
- As usual, all staff are required to wash their hands frequently with soap and water.
- We have placed new signage in the kitchen and cleaning areas to remind staff to avoid touching their faces. Additional signs address the proper way to wear, handle and dispose of personal protective equipment.
Whether you’ve visited Cape May a hundred times or are just planning your first stay in our historic seaside town, you are part of the Cape May community and The Mission Inn family. If you have any questions about our updated protocols, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@missioninn.net. And until we can meet in person again, stay safe wherever you are!
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© 2021 The Mission Inn | Cape May's Premier Bed & Breakfast |
All Rights Reserved
Call 609-884-8380 or email info@missioninn.net for Questions and Reservations.
Call 609-884-8380 or email info@missioninn.net for Questions and Reservations.
