I have reported many times over the years—especially during the height of COVID-19—about the impact of indoor air quality (IAQ) on the guest experience. (See the IAQ section of Green Lodging News.) According to EPA, there are a lot of elements of a hotel space that can negatively impact IAQ—everything from carbon monoxide to pesticides to cleaning products to what is off-gassed by pressed wood products. Hoteliers often fail to provide the level of IAQ that guests deserve. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 8 percent of the U.S. population has asthma. An estimated...

DALLAS—Embassy Suites by Hilton Dallas Galleria, a premier hotel located near the Galleria in Dallas, is excited to announce the expansion of its wellness services with the addition of select guestrooms and meeting spaces outfitted with advanced air purification technology. The improvements are part of the hotel’s ongoing commitment to supporting guests’ well-being, particularly business travelers and corporate groups seeking cleaner, more health-conscious environments. In collaboration with Pure Wellness, a leading provider of turnkey antiviral, antimicrobial, and hypoallergenic solutions, Embassy Suites by Hilton Dallas Galleria now offers 10 guestrooms and recently renovated meeting spaces, including a ballroom and two board rooms...

NATIONAL REPORT—Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) from allergens, mold, mildew, viruses, bacteria, cigarette smoke, marijuana smoke, vaping, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and more can easily result in a negative experience for your guests, harsh reviews of your property, and unexpected time, labor and dollars spent addressing the source(s) of the problem. Being proactive about IAQ can prevent a lot of headaches—literally—and even result in a higher room rate if you utilize one of the programs available from the companies in lodging that specialize in helping with TRevPAR (Total Revenue Per Available Room). Each company is unique in its approach....

DES PLAINES, ILL.—As water safety regulations continue to evolve across the U.S., Chicago Faucets is hosting a new, expert-led webinar on June 19 at 11 a.m. CST designed to help facility managers in healthcare and other regulated environments stay ahead of compliance challenges. Click here to register. The webinar will be presented by Spenser Johnson, Director of Water Safety and Management at Barclay Water Management, Inc. It is titled “Navigating Evolving Water Management Regulations: Ensuring Compliance & Public Safety,” and will offer vital insights into developing and maintaining effective Water Management Programs (WMPs) that align with national standards and state-specific mandates. Legionella Looms Everywhere, New Regulations Coming Up Healthcare facilities,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) announced that Knauf Insulation, Inc. has expanded its portfolio of products that have earned the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification. The newly Certified Knauf Performance+ insulation products include the Performance+ Earthwool 1000˚ Pipe Insulation, Pipe & Tank Insulation, and KwikFlex Pipe & Tank Insulation with Ecose. These additions build on Knauf’s previously Certified HVAC and residential insulation products, making the Performance+ portfolio an ideal solution for a wide range of building environments. “Expanding our portfolio of Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certified products to include pipe and tank insulation reinforces our belief that every part...

Since I first entered the lodging industry in 1989, I have come across thousands of new products and technologies. It must have been around 2002 that I first encountered Excel Hand Dryer’s XLERATOR Hand Dryer. I will never forget the first time I placed my hands below it. It was unlike any other hand dryer experience I had up until that time. The air power seemed jet engine strong and unforgettable. I walked away impressed, knowing that company owner Denis Gagnon and his son William had a winner on their hands. I suspect you have experienced one of the XLERATOR Hand...

EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS.—For almost a quarter of a century, Excel Hand Dryer Inc. has been producing XLERATOR Hand Dryers—a game changer in the hand drying space that dries hands completely in 10 seconds while using 80 percent less energy than conventional hand dryers. Excel Hand Dryer Executive Vice President and COO William Gagnon said there are now approximately one million XLERATOR Hand Dryers in use around the globe. “We just put 1,000 XLERATOR Hand Dryers in the largest airport in the world in Turkey,” Gagnon says. XLERATOR Hand Dryers can help facility managers save thousands of dollars annually by eliminating the...

LEBANON, N.H.—FreshAir Sensor, a leading innovator in indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, found that four out of five travelers have experienced discomfort due to exposure to cigarette or marijuana smoke, perceived chemicals, and other pernicious odors during their stay. More than 90 percent of respondents said they saw value in the ability to choose a room that hotels can guarantee to have a higher standard of air quality. These trends show a rising number of travelers who value enhanced indoor air quality (IAQ) as an integral feature of the guest experience—and they’re willing to pay more to get it. FreshAir...

Today’s design decisions for the hospitality industry, and the built environment generally, will have an impact on human health, ecosystem health, and planetary health for generations. So, it’s important that “cost” is appropriately defined and understood. This is made more complicated by a lack of published information (the majority of products used in the built environment do not fully disclose their contents and only a small minority of HPDs are prepared by an independent third party) and the prevalence of greenwashing. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC or simply “vinyl”) is very familiar to many designers and has been for decades, so understandably,...

LEBANON, N.H.—FreshAir Sensor, a leading innovator in indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, announced it is partnering with the Curator Hotel & Resort Collection to elevate guest experiences and open new revenue paths for Curator properties by enhancing IAQ through molecular air quality monitoring technology. The new partnership enables Curator member properties to ensure higher standards of air quality for guestroom environments and allows them to drive new revenue streams with the new FreshAir Certified solution. Under the partnership, Curator member hotels across the portfolio will have access to preferred terms and choose to implement FreshAir Sensor’s proprietary indoor air quality solutions to...