ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Catalytic PURE AIR as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. The Catalytic PURE AIR purifier uses eco-friendly PCO (photo catalytic oxidation) technology and HEPA filtration to reduce airborne contaminants and odors. These air purifiers are currently being used in hotel rooms, meeting spaces and public areas in major hotels to keep guests breathing easier. Improving indoor air quality is a trend of keen interest to guests with respiratory issues and operators focused on wellness. Call (800) 989-8299 or (775) 391-3188, or e-mail jim@catalyticpureair.com for more information.

On January 30, 2014, the U.S. Federal News Service and the University of California at Riverside issued the following alert: “Do not smoke and do not allow yourself to be exposed to smoke, because secondhand smoke and thirdhand smoke are just as deadly as firsthand smoke. While firsthand smoke refers to the smoke inhaled by a smoker and secondhand smoke to the exhaled smoke and other substances emanating from a burning cigarette that can get inhaled by others, thirdhand smoke is the secondhand smoke that gets left on the surfaces of objects, ages over time, and becomes progressively more toxic.” This...

In a conversation with a representative of a leading maker of portable air purifiers, I was told that most portable air purifiers today are very similar when it comes to removing air particles. A better than 99 percent particle reduction rate is common, he told me. It is when you get beyond particle reduction that you find most differences among purifiers, as I learned when researching for the article I posted this past week on Green Lodging News. I suspect very few of you offer guestrooms with portable air purifiers included. Vinny Lobdell Jr., President of HealthWay | PURE Global,...

NATIONAL REPORT—The degree of air quality in the guestroom, in most cases, is a mystery and goes unmeasured. Yet guests and employees are typically exposed to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dust, dander, pollen, dirt tracked in from shoes, combustion products, biological particles from mold and more. According to the E.P.A., indoor air quality can be two to five times—and occasionally up to 100 times—more polluted than outside air. Sometimes the pollutants go undetected by guestroom visitors. Other times odors emerge and make issues obvious. Oftentimes, those with allergy or chemical sensitivities are impacted most and notice first. Vinny Lobdell Jr.,...

MARKHAM, ON.—HiGarden Inc. introduces its initial models of Living Furniture, a furniture line incorporating both living plants and fish cohabitating in self-sustaining indoor eco-systems. After years of research and development, HiGarden Inc. will launch its unique VIGA Vertical Indoor Gardening and Aquaculture system at Toronto’s Interior Design Show 2017. VIGA is a new technology incorporating the principles of Regenerative Design, or Living Design. Regenerative Design is derived from the philosophy of biomimicry, human developed technologies which attempt to emulate natural living systems. At IDS2017, HiGarden will be exhibiting two pieces of Living Furniture—its VIGA Desktop and VIGA Bookcase. Both models incorporate...

Choice Hotels International made it official this past week. According to the company, its Comfort Inn brand has joined Comfort Suites in offering guests 100 percent smoke-free rooms at its more than 1,800 franchised hotels across the U.S. and Canada. Comfort is now the largest hotel brand to allow travelers to enjoy a smoke-free stay, the company says. That is good news for travelers staying at Comforts and even better news for those workers who previously still had to deal with second-hand and third-hand smoke. It amazes me, given what we know about the ill effects of smoking, that many hotels still allow...

ROCKVILLE, MD.—Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced that Comfort Inn has joined Comfort Suites in offering guests 100 percent smoke-free rooms at its more than 1,800 franchised hotels across the United States and Canada. Comfort is now the largest hotel brand to allow travelers to enjoy a smoke-free stay. “The Comfort brand has staying power because we always keep the wants and needs of travelers top of mind,” said Anne Smith, Vice President of Brand Strategy for Choice Hotels. “We continue to take a series of bold steps to make the Comfort guest experience better than ever, and becoming the largest...

Hotel venues of all types contain many plug-in refrigeration and freezer units (“coolers”).  Examples include plug-in refrigerators and freezers in kitchen/foodservice areas, vending machines, ice machines, beverage merchandisers, and the like. These appliances contain a condenser coil unit that is responsible for rejecting to the atmosphere the heat that is extracted from the enclosure being cooled. To do this job effectively, these coils need to have good airflow so that good heat transfer is achieved. Unfortunately, since the coils are exposed to the atmosphere, they become progressively clogged with dust and other debris over time (see photo at right...

ODESSA, FLA. & SINGAPORE—Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, and Greenview, a leader in advancing hotel sustainability, have released the Green Lodging Trends Report 2016. The report details the results of the first annual Green Lodging Survey conducted earlier this year and is available at no cost by clicking here. The report is based on data from more than 2,000 hotels in 44 countries and covers topics ranging from air quality to energy management to staff involvement. The report includes results of more than 100 questions asked in 11 categories. Supporters of this year’s survey include The Arbor...

ARLINGTON, VA.—Schupp Companies announced that it has achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification for its Hyatt Place Courthouse development in Arlington, Va. Schupp pursued LEED as part of its commitment to sustainability with attention to reduced energy and water consumption, and a focus on optimal air quality to enhance the guest experience. Located at 2401 Wilson Blvd., the new Hyatt Place Arlington Courthouse is situated in close proximity to the metro, allowing for community connectivity. At 93,000 square feet, the hotel features approximately 1,200 square feet of street-level retail space, including a bar and café on the first...