Recently, a new category of surfacing materials hit the market, and represents what is truly next in engineered surfacing: sintered stone. Sintered stone is the moniker firms like Lapitec and Neolith have chosen to differentiate their products from traditional quartz materials. These products are superior in a myriad of ways: They are stain resistant, scratch resistant, as well as heat and frost resistant; They are ideal for outdoor use and do not fade or yellow like other materials; They can be used as exterior cladding, and in some cases reduce air pollution; and They are incredibly hard and impenetrable. Where...

ATLANTA—ASHRAE has published a revised edition of its standard that provides a more comprehensive approach to preventing the growth and spread of Legionella. ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2018, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems establishes minimum legionellosis risk management requirements for building water systems. The 2018 edition provides clarification of compliance requirements, as well as an update to enforceable, code-intended language to facilitate adoption of the standard for code and regulatory purposes. The standard was originally developed to help designers and building operators establish water management plans that include practices specific to the systems that exist in a particular building, campus or health care facility....

NATIONAL REPORT—A hotel sees thousands of guests from all walks of life come around to enjoy the scenery and relax away from home. These guests see plenty of germs too. The air in a hotel could be filled with pathogens, contagions, dust, dirt, sand, mold, bacteria, viruses, allergens or pollutants. But that is where air filters come in, cleaning up incoming airflow and keeping hotel rooms comfortable and clean. But how do these air filters keep a hotel so clean? And how do you keep them working at peak efficiency? How the Air Filters Work The air coming into a hotel...

NATIONAL REPORT—The Third Annual Green Lodging Trends Report Survey will close on August 17, 2018. You can participate in the survey by clicking here. There is no cost to participate. Tens of thousands of green lodging establishments around the planet are being encouraged to benchmark their sustainability practices by completing this survey which last year saw some 2,100 properties participating from 46 countries. The survey encompasses topics ranging from energy management to communication to Health & Wellness. The Green Lodging Trends Report Survey has the support of Green Lodging News, Green Key, Travelife, Green Key Global, Horwath HTL, Green Seal,...

NATIONAL REPORT—The Third Annual Green Lodging Trends Report Survey will be launched by Greenview on July 9, 2018. The survey will close on August 10, 2018. You can participate in the survey by clicking here. There is no cost to participate. Tens of thousands of green lodging establishments around the planet are being encouraged to benchmark their sustainability practices by completing this survey which last year saw some 2,100 properties participating from 46 countries. The survey encompasses topics ranging from energy management to communication to Health & Wellness. The Green Lodging Trends Report Survey has the support of Green Lodging...

HOUSTON—HITEC, the lodging industry’s leading technology trade show, was held at the LEED Silver George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston June 18 to 21. Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) just announced that the event broke barriers as the highest attended event in the association’s history with over 6,650 attendees. There were approximately 400 exhibitors, many of whom displayed their latest innovations to help reduce energy consumption in the guestroom. Other exhibitors concentrated on other aspects of sustainability—indoor air quality, for example. The following is a summary of the HITEC announcements having some type of “green” connection: Honeywell launched the...

Architects, designers, and contractors are now commonly engaged in new construction, renovation and redesign projects intended to have smallest environmental and climate footprint possible. The factors that contribute to “green buildings” are fairly intuitive: energy efficiency and alternative energy sources, reduced water consumption, utilization of recycled materials, and low-emitting building materials and maintenance products. Building codes, owner specifications, and market demand are driving this trend around the world. One of the cornerstones of this movement is the push for “healthy buildings,” addressing occupant health, comfort, and wellness. After all, the building’s primary function is to serve its occupants’ needs. As...

PULASKI, N.Y.—Founded in 2003 PURE is the global leading provider of healthy indoor spaces. PURE has partnered with industry leaders in hospitality, maritime, fitness, scholastic, office and residential applications in over 15 countries. The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) is a nonprofit organization, with a “mission to empower wellness worldwide by educating public and private sectors about preventative health and wellness.” Each year at the Global Wellness Summit, the GWI identifies new trends that will shape the future of the wellness industry. With technology changing how people travel, and what guests demand, hotels are seeking for ways to evolve. The PURE program...

LONDON—The World Green Building Council launched a new report highlighting tangible economic benefits of green building and showcasing improved occupant satisfaction when companies implement new health, wellbeing and productivity features in existing green structures. Doing Right by Planet and People: The Business Case for Health and Wellbeing in Green Building examines case studies of 11 facilities around the globe that have one or more green certifications including LEED, Green Star and BREEAM. The report evaluates health and wellbeing features that were integrated into the facilities, such as: enhanced fresh air ventilation, acoustic privacy, increase of daylight penetration and use of biophilic design elements such...

A guest’s stay at a five-star hotel ought to be an exciting and enjoyable experience. However, my own visit to one such top-tier hotel—during a vacation in Mexico some years ago—turned out to be a bit too exciting. Inside the first room that I was checked in to, the carpets and the air had such a moldy smell that I could barely breathe, let alone relax. I wound up sleeping on the balcony the first night I was there—before being transferred to another, cleaner room. I’m not the only one who has encountered this sort of problem. Poor air quality...