When you’re in quarantine, mealtimes become a highlight of the day. Keeping this in mind, City Lodge Hotel Group has reimagined its food and beverage offering for its quarantine and essential services guests, while taking into account the need to serve nutritious food, and observe special protocols to keep guests and staff safe.
Tony Balabanoff, the divisional director: operations, adds: โOur menus have been developed on a 21-day cycle so as not to subject guests or staff to menu fatigue. Each meal includes hot and cold offerings: breakfast and dinner consist of three-course meals and lunch is a two-course meal, taking into account any religious, medical or allergy requirement.โ
“Our menus have been developed on a 21-day cycle so as not to subject guests or staff to menu fatigue.”
An example of the kinds of dishes on offer:
- Breakfast: Toasted muesli, fresh fruit and fruit yoghurt, savoury beef and egg cup OR peanut butter and banana oats. All breakfasts are served with toast and preserves. A balance of carbohydrates and protein is provided for a sustained release of energy throughout the day.
- Lunch: As starter, an olive and feta summer salad drizzled with a French vinaigrette served with a choice of butter chicken and turmeric basmati rice and fresh sambals OR tomato, mushroom and broccoli bake served with sautรฉed potatoes as a plant-based option. Focus is placed on a variety of vegetables with enough fibre to provide an array of nutrients to support the immune system.
- Dinner: As starter, a traditional Greek salad served with a choice of either grilled fish with lemon butter sauce, savoury rice and seasonal vegetables OR a vegetable-filled burrito. To end it off, a berry swirl sponge with fruit compote Is available as dessert. The right balance of nutrients is provided to assist in a good nightโs sleep.
All catering is produced by the City Lodge Hotel Groupโs beverage teams or produced and delivered by a professional catering company.
The group does not usually offer room service, but this has become a requirement to limit the potential spread of COVID-19. Staff wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) deliver meals to guests. All meals are presented in disposable containers, so guests can place them in a disposable bag once they are finished, and leave the bag outside their door. Staff then dispose of them responsibly.
“We remain hoteliers, even during the lockdown, and want to ensure that our guests are comfortable, happy and safe.”
Where trays are used, they are soaked in water hotter than 80 degrees Centigrade and then sprayed with a sanitising solution of Polycide (a very strong disinfectant cleaner) and left to dry. Measures are in place to prevent any cross-contamination between clean and dirty trays or surfaces.
Guests are welcome to order additional portions if they require, and snacks can also be ordered through reception. They can also buy other essential items from local supermarkets, to be delivered to the hotel โ where they are received according to strict protocols.
City Lodge Hotel Groupโs chief operating officer, Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, says, โWe remain hoteliers, even during the lockdown, and want to ensure that our guests are comfortable, happy and safe.โ
