MARIETTA, GA.—Formaldehyde is an important chemical used widely by industry to manufacture building materials and numerous household products. It is also a by-product of combustion and certain other natural processes. Because it is so common, there is a tendency not to give the impact of formaldehyde exposure a second thought. Every so often, however, the results of a new study, such as the Sierra Club’s recent investigation of the trailers used by the Federal Energy Management Assn. (FEMA) to house tens of thousands of Gulf Coast residents left homeless after Hurricane Katrina, serve as an important reminder of...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Westin Hotels & Resorts is marking the six-month milestone of its smoke-free conversion in North America with Breathing Lights installations in its lobbies nationwide. The artistically designed projections count the number of fresh breaths taken by each Westin guest each day. The design can be viewed by guests and visitors to Westin lobbies nationwide, or by visiting www.westin.com/breathe. Westin became the first major hotel chain to convert all of its smoking rooms in North America to smoke-free late last year, investing more than $3 million in its initiative. The move comes as part of Westin’s...

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIF.—Offering a completely smoke-free environment is poised to become the latest differentiator in the competitive hotel industry, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. The study found that 79 percent of hotel guests prefer a smoke-free environment that exceeds the boundaries of their guestroom. While guests of luxury hotels (Four Seasons, etc.) are most likely to prefer a nonsmoking environment, upscale hotels (Hilton, Westin, Marriott, etc.) have been quicker to adopt this policy. Marriott International Inc., for example, recently announced that all of its lodging brands in the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Marriott International Inc. announced that all of the company’s lodging brands in the United States and Canada will become 100 percent smoke free beginning in September 2006. This represents the lodging industry’s largest move to a nonsmoking environment, with more than 2,300 hotels and corporate apartments and nearly 400,000 guest rooms under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites and Marriott ExecuStay brands. “Creating a smoke-free environment demonstrates a new level of service and care for our guests and associates,” says J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and c.e.o. of...

WATERLOO, IA—Heartland Inns of America, LLC, with 19 locations in Iowa and Wisconsin, announced that it will be the first moderately-priced hotel chain of its size to implement a 100 percent, smoke-free policy. In response to growing guest demand for comfortable, quality accommodations in a healthy, smoke-free environment, effective immediately all 19 Heartland Inn facilities will be 100 percent smoke free, including all guestrooms and public areas. “Now guests can sleep and breathe easier in every room at every Heartland Inn,” says Barb Cullinan, director of operations at Heartland Inns of America. “Our operating philosophy has always been ‘do right’ when...

NATIONAL REPORT—Why be concerned about indoor air quality (IAQ)? It has been well documented that indoor air contaminants can cause physiological and physical changes in humans including nose, throat and skin irritation, allergic reactions, respiratory problems such as asthma, and even infections. Poor IAQ also has been shown to damage building materials, furnishings and equipment. For example, walls, furnishings and paintings can become coated with residue fumes from cars and trucks, tobacco smoke, fireplaces, cooking fumes and odors, and even candles over time. Some contaminants can even change the electrical nature of components in electronic equipment. ...

HOUSTON—An increasing number of hoteliers are choosing to set their properties apart by becoming nonsmoking facilities. There are many advantages to making the change: • Providing a healthier atmosphere for guests and staff; • Protecting bathroom counters from burns, carpet from holes, etc.; • Extending the life of soft goods, carpet and interior paint of the property; • Shortening the time it takes housekeepers to clean a room; and • Creating a special marketing niche for your property. The Groveland Hotel near Yosemite National Park has been smoke free for the last 12 years since Peggy Mosley...

NATIONAL REPORT—Patty Griffin, a nonsmoker, recently found herself staying in a smoking room in a hotel in Texas. It wasn’t her first choice, but it was what was available. The smoking odor didn’t hit her hard, however, until she got home and unpacked. “I took out a cotton nightgown, and I couldn’t believe how much it smelled like smoke,” says Griffin, president and founder of the 300-member Green Hotels Assn., Houston, Texas. Certainly, hotels and motels are becoming more accommodating to nonsmokers such as Griffin who don’t want to smell stale smoke or be exposed to its health risks. In...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—In less than half a year, FreshStay—lodging’s fastest-growing online network of smoke-free properties—has united 247 nonsmoking hospitality establishments located in 192 cities in nine nations. Most recently, FreshStay welcomed the 21c Museum Hotel as a member—making Kentucky the 48th state to join the FreshStay organization. “Now that the 21c Museum Hotel—a one-of-a-kind boutique property in Louisville featuring original artwork throughout it—has joined FreshStay, our members represent 48 of the 50 states,” says Ray Burger, founder of FreshStay. “Once smoke-free properties in Arkansas and Mississippi join our online union—and we’re working on those two now—we’ll have a...

NATIONAL REPORT—Old habits die hard. Most of us in the United States were raised in houses that used upright vacuum cleaners. Chances are your mother used an upright at home, and your grandmother before her. Now, you use an upright, not just at home, but also at your job. A recent survey by “Sanitary Maintenance” magazine found that 80 percent of cleaning equipment distributors named uprights as their company’s best-selling item. The alternative to uprights, canister vacuums, accounted for just 2 percent of sales. The situation is completely different in the rest of the world, where canister...