Resort Owner Expands Upon Allergen Free Guestroom Concept

Whatever you wish to call them--PURE Rooms, allergy-friendly rooms, ABC “Purity +” Rooms, etc.--guestrooms that feature air purification systems are becoming more common. I wrote about them this past week in a feature article and in my weekly column. In some cases, these special rooms include much more than air purification systems--for example, mattress and pillow encasements, showerhead filter, etc. The ultimate goal with these rooms is to provide a haven safe from allergens and other airborne or surface-borne items that negatively impact those with allergies or chemical sensitivities. Of course these rooms are also attractive to those that just plain want a guestroom that is cleaner than others. Guests are paying more to stay in these types of rooms--up to $24 more per night--and they should given the extra costs involved.

Up until this point I had only heard of hotels participating in pure air programs offered by companies like Pure Solutions or UV Flu Technology. Because the allergy-friendly room concept is rather new to the industry, hoteliers have been relying on the experts to set up these rooms. That is understandable and wise given the fact that the already established companies know what works and what does not work when it comes to setting up and marketing the rooms. After my column on air purified guestrooms ran yesterday however, I heard from a resort owner who had explored the programs offered by other companies but then decided to come up with her own allergen free room concept. She said it cost more than what other companies were offering but it was worth it.

One section of rooms at her resort now includes hardwood floors, leather furniture, HEPA air purifiers, encasements on mattresses and pillows, and chlorine filters on showerheads. "The rooms physically look different from our other rooms and we only charge $10 per night more for guests wishing to reserve an allergen free room," she says. "We have had great success and our guests love the rooms." I have met this resort owner before and know she is passionate about the environment. Hats off to her for taking a great idea and expanding upon it. I know her staff uses green cleaning products in guestrooms to ensure that the allergen free rooms remain that way.

If you could create an allergen free room from scratch, what would it look like? I like the fact that the resort owner I mentioned has eliminated carpet. Please leave your comments here.