NATIONAL REPORT—For hoteliers, customers are the No. 1 priority. After all, how they feel about their stay can have a huge impact, both on whether they return or recommend to others. Subsequently, focusing on guest satisfaction is paramount and there are many factors to consider, including facilities, cleanliness and comfort. Another is odour control and air pollution. Maintaining high air quality is an ongoing concern and an issue that requires continual management. This is because poor quality air can contain a huge range of pollutants, allergens and chemicals, from germs and pollen to remnants from harsh cleaning products. All of...

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—Bigger, more powerful and with the capability to deliver conditioned outside air, Friedrich Air Conditioning Co., a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of air conditioners and other home environment products, is now offering its award-winning VRP (Variable Refrigerant Packaged) Heat Pump system in a larger three-ton size. Originally available in one or two-ton capacities typically used for lodging and hospitality properties, Friedrich is debuting the larger capacity VRP as the ultimate solution for multi-family and other light-commercial applications at the 2019 AHR Expo in Atlanta, January 14 to 16, 2019. The expanded Friedrich VRP line up is based on the company’s...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company, has received a Gold recertification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program for the company’s headquarters in Parsippany, N.J. The recertification designates Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ corporate campus as one of the highest-performing green buildings in the country, reflecting the company’s commitment to minimizing its environmental footprint. LEED is a third-party certification program and premier benchmark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. It uses a point system to determine the environmental merits of a building, with four levels of...

NEW YORK—A solar powered USB charging station. An electric bicycle lending program. A one hundred percent recyclable wine glass. A system that integrates an alarm clock, HVAC and lighting controls, Wi-Fi and more into a single unified platform. A salad-making robot (vending machine) named “Sally” that delivers eight-component meals in seconds. These are just some of the products that were introduced at HX: The Hotel Experience and Boutique Design New York (BDNY). Both events were held November 11 to 12 at the Javits Center in New York City. It would be impossible to list all the eco-friendly products and...

Two recent hotel emergencies highlight the importance of placing carbon monoxide detectors throughout an entire hotel building—not just in guestroom areas. First, last Friday morning, a Jacksonville, N.C. Holiday Inn Express was evacuated after a carbon monoxide leak. Sixteen people required medical treatment at a local hospital. The cause of the leak is yet to be determined. Some of those evacuated were homeowners displaced after Hurricane Florence. Yesterday morning, emergency crews evacuated a portion of the Westin Hotel in downtown Nashville after a carbon monoxide leak was detected in the building. According to fire officials, the leak sickened 14 people, and...

LOS ANGELES—In the Los Angeles offices of Cuningham Group architecture firm, natural daylight streams in through four skylights and floor-to-ceiling glass walls, while discreet vents manage the flow of fresh air. Individual offices are set in upcycled shipping containers, with a central indoor garden that filters the air and enhances the space with morale-boosting greenery. “Sustainability in the office has advanced by leaps and bounds in the last five or ten years,” says Stuart Finnie, Head of Design at Tétris. “Design measures that can enhance a firm’s environmental credentials are coming to the top of every client’s wish list.” Common eco-friendly measures include the...

BOSTON—Airfree, a leading provider of air purifying technology and innovative solutions for indoor atmospheres, announced that the company will be offering a week-long Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale price on one of its top selling air purifiers. The sale price will begin at 12.01 a.m. EST on Friday, November 16, 2018 and will end on Monday, November 26, 2018 at 23:59 p.m. EST. Consumers can find this price by shopping online at major retailers like: Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot, Wayfair, Amazon, Walmart and by visiting their website at Airfree.com. A complete list of participating websites can be...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—Ashford Inc. and Pure Wellness Rooms announced that hospitality industry veteran Larry Hall joined Pure Wellness as its new CEO. Hall is taking the helm of Pure Wellness at a time when there is growing demand for health and wellness offerings in the hospitality industry. With a solid foundation in place, Hall will focus on driving significant growth for Pure Wellness as the company further solidifies its market position as a leading provider of wellness-oriented hotel rooms in the United States. Hall brings over three decades of leadership experience in global hospitality and service-based organizations. He has a solid...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—According to a new survey released from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), employees who work in LEED-certified green buildings are happier, healthier and more productive than employees in conventional and non-LEED buildings. The survey also shows that most office workers want to work for companies that are value-oriented, take stances on important issues like sustainability, and do their part for making a positive difference in the world. In fact, 84 percent of respondents prefer to work for a company that has a strong, concrete mission and positive values. “Employees know that green building programs like LEED help companies...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—The Specialty Interiors business of Milliken & Company, a leading global innovation company with textile, specialty chemical and floor covering manufacturing expertise, has secured several new key placements for its eco-elegant performance upholstery fabric, Breathe by Milliken. For Fall Market, Four Seasons has expanded its Breathe line to include a new cotton fabric called Loft and added several new colors in Everyday Twill. Breathe by Milliken will also be displayed by several new companies. Among these are Younger Furniture, EJ Victor, and Bauhaus. Younger will feature Textured and Amalfi, a cotton-linen blend in several shades and EJ Victor will...