CINCINNATI—Standard Textile, a global manufacturer of healthcare, hospitality, and consumer products, and Cleveland Clinic will collaborate to produce a non-medical grade, reusable face mask that is designed for comfort and customization. Standard Textile will sell the face masks on its consumer website, standardtextilehome.com. On the forefront of biomedical research, Cleveland Clinic is leading a number of research projects related to COVID-19. Cleveland Clinic formed a multidisciplinary committee to evaluate therapies for mild to severe cases of the disease, with the goal of supporting trials that are scientifically sound and prioritizing those with the potential for significant impact on clinical care. In...

In this, my last column of 2020, I would like to thank Green Lodging News readers, advertisers, guest columnists, public relations representatives, and others for their support during this unprecedented year. This year, to be able to say your business survived, is an accomplishment. My heart goes out to all of you who lost your business or jobs in 2020. My wish for everyone in our industry is for a much healthier and safer 2021. No matter what my website article tracking data says, COVID-19 was of course the story of the year in 2020—how our industry was hurt by...

SAN DIEGO—CALI, the omni-channel sustainable building products company, is launching a new collection of cork flooring—CALI cork. The fresh, four-sku line-up ushers in an improved generation of cork while remaining true to the material’s renewable and planet-safe roots. A high resistance finish and water-resistant construction make CALI cork a more durable upgrade from the cork planks of yesteryear. Plus, a 15-year residential and five-year commercial warranty make this collection an attractive option for storefronts and fitness studios. VIDEO: See and learn more about CALI cork. Cork is naturally renewable; the material is trimmed from the bark of the cork oak tree and regenerates without harming the plant or surrounding environment. The cork in this flooring is also recycled, demonstrating cork’s ability to be reprocessed over and over for different uses. Customers looking to purchase responsibly and opt...

ADAMSVILLE, TENN.—With decades of experience developing ozone technology, the team at Quail Systems introduces the latest addition to its family of products designed to offer a sanitizing solution that uses ozone to safely eliminate microbial contaminants including the common cold, the flu, and SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19. In a matter of minutes, Vortex provides a quick, powerful blast of ozone in an unoccupied space for the most effective, efficient sanitization possible without leaving any harmful residue. Vortex features include an automated timer, four heavy-duty wheels for easy movement between rooms, and a 20-foot retractable power cord. The Vortex is made...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added Donastar Enterprises LLC to its Green Product & Service Directory in the Cleaning & Maintenance/Ozonated Water category. Donastar is a North American leader of hot and cold beverage service and installations. Donastar is working with Enozo (see video). The Enozo is a perfect way for any business to stop using plastic bottles and aerosol cans. The EnozoPRO is a portable spray bottle that replaces six cleaning products and kills 99.9 percent of all viruses and bacteria including the virus that causes COVID-19.* One need only fill it up with tap water and then recharge...

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF.—Forbes Travel Guide (“FTG”), a global authority on genuine Five-Star service, and Sharecare, the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place, announced that Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage is the only resort casino in the United States to successfully become Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED. The newly established Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED with Forbes Travel Guide badge is addressing the critical need to establish confidence with guests and travel planners in the age of COVID-19. The recognition seal will be on display throughout Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa and on the...

In next week’s column I will be highlighting the 10 most read Green Lodging News articles of 2020. It will be interesting to see how many had to do with COVID-19. While the article I just posted on Hotel Marcel may not make it because of its posting late in the year, it certainly deserves consideration as one of the most important hotel stories of both this year and 2021. Be sure to read the article. Hotel Marcel is the project of architect Bruce Becker, Founder and Director of Becker + Becker, Westport, Conn. Becker purchased the New Haven, Conn. building...

NEW HAVEN, CONN.—When the Hotel Marcel opens next summer in New Haven, Conn., it will be a shining example of sustainability and what every hotel could and should be. The 165-room boutique hotel will be the result of the renovated Armstrong Rubber Company Building, aka Pirelli Building, originally designed by Marcel Breuer in 1967. It will be run by 100 percent solar power, meet net-zero energy standards, and will target LEED Platinum certification. There will be many other bells and whistles that will make the building highly efficient. Hotel Marcel is the project of Bruce Becker, Founder and Director of...

Tourism may have a big impact on the air quality of popular destinations, but it works the other way around, with pollution having potentially harmful effects on the competitiveness of chosen destinations—as reported in a study by C. Eusebio and colleagues. Whether your B&B accommodation is located in a busy city center or it is ensconced in a natural zone, there is plenty you can do to make it more appealing to health-conscious travelers. The Environmental Protection Agency has warned that many homes have air pollution levels that are two to five times higher than the air outside. The good...

If real, achievable, disinfection measures increase confidence, the public will return. People are placing health as a top priority. Almost 85 percent make their travel decisions based on health safety. Some 40 percent are unsatisfied with the communications they’re currently receiving about safety protocols according to PWC. Half of consumers are also willing to pay extra for more safety. To get the public back, business has to have high level safety protocols and make people aware of them. The devastation to the hospitality industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic is illustrated in a survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association...