COVID-19 Update from Greenlake Guest House

Background-COVID-19 in Seattle:

Here in Seattle, we’ve been feeling the effects of the COVID-19 impact since the end of February. Since then, the virus has become a worldwide pandemic. Seattle schools are currently are closed through June. Restaurants are open, but are now limited to take out and delivery options. Only essential travel is recommended at this time and many attractions and businesses are temporarily closed until May 4.

How We Are Responding to the Pandemic (updated 4-23-20):

We are here, but are not hosting guests until mid May. In order to do our part to “flatten the curve,” of infection rates, we are practicing CDC recommended practices including social distancing and frequently washing our hands. We ask any guest who feels ill to please stay home.

As a former RN, Julie has always been diligent about working with our staff to keep guests safe by maintaining good hygiene and sanitation standards throughout the property while cooking and cleaning. As a licensed B&B, we are regularly inspected by the health department and follow their recommendations. The COVID-19 outbreak has helped us look even more closely at our processes and please rest assured that we will continue to meet or exceed the highest standards recommended by Public Health and the CDC to help keep you safe.

Safety First Amenities during COVID pandemic:

• Fortunately, our property is small and guests have less exposure to others than they would have at a bigger hotel.
• Guests  normally sit at well-spaced, individual tables rather than in a group at breakfast.
• To comply with COVID-19 restrictions in place by our governor, we are currently able to offer a fresh, high quality continental breakfast packed ahead of time and waiting in the guest refrigerator. You may enjoy your homemade breakfast at your leisure in your room or outside on the patio or in a quiet nook in the common areas.
• For safety reasons, we will wear a mask & gloves when preparing your food and taking care of you.
• We plan to offer a seated, hot breakfast option in the dining room when it is safe to do so and COVID-19 dining restrictions are lifted.
• We are doing extra cleaning between guests and extra sanitizing of surfaces throughout the day in common areas.
• During May and June and as needed through 2020, we are limiting the number of rooms available for reservations to allow more social distancing on the property.
• Wine Hour is currently on hold, but we are offering a complimentary bottle of wine and a snack plate including our famous homemade cookies upon arrival.
• We are currently offering self- check in, which is the same procedure we have always offered for late arrivals (Of course, we live here and are available to answer questions in person or by phone, text, or email too).
• Daily Housekeeping is only available upon request for the safety of our guests and staff. We will coordinate with you to exchange towels, replenish supplies, and remove trash as needed.
• In addition, our Ravenna room on the main floor now offers a private entrance and dedicated outdoor seating on the back patio.

More Flexible Cancellation Policy:

In the meantime, we recognize that travel plans may need to change suddenly at this time. To add less uncertainty, we have updated our cancellation policies to make them more flexible until at least July 1, 2020.

• We will charge the first night of your stay at the time of reservation.
• We will charge the remainder of your balance 24 hours (vs 7 days) prior to arrival.
• For cancellations made less than 24 hours prior to arrival, we will refund any nights that we are able to re-book.

Thank You for your Support:

We are thankful for our loyal and supportive guests. Many of you have been staying with us for years while visiting local friends and family or here working on business. We appreciate you and miss seeing you. We are taking time now to work on maintenance and improvements to the property while business is slow. We are sorry to say that we had to temporarily lay off our staff, but we hope to bring them back in a few weeks when business picks up again.

To be honest, this is a very tough time for us as a small business, as it is for many of you. If you are in a position to help us, please consider making a reservation or purchasing a gift certificate for a future stay now.  We also suggest ordering some of our amazingly soft and durable Comphy sheets to enjoy at home (we offer free shipping on the sheets). If you had a great experience here, please tell your friends and family or write a review.

In the meantime, please stay safe. We know this pandemic won’t last forever, and we look forward to seeing you in the future at Greenlake Guest House.