GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND, THE BAHAMAS—As a result of increasing demand from guests, Pelican Bay at Lucaya is now a smoke-free resort and has converted all of its smoking rooms into nonsmoking accommodations. The decision to go smoke free comes as Pelican Bay stays true to its promise to be an island oasis for guests. “The feedback from our guests regarding this decision has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Magnus Alnebeck, Pelican Bay’s general manager. “The number of nonsmoking hotels continues to increase as the marketplace demands it.” In addition to the new smoke-free policy, Pelican Bay has also...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Queenaire Technologies, Ashburn, Va., as a Founding Sponsor. Queenaire, with a management team with more than 30 years in the ozone industry, provides ozone generating products that deodorize and eliminate odors safely and effectively. The company sells five different machines for different size rooms and applications. Queenaire also produces the Newaire Plugin, a portable plug-in unit that can deodorize rooms up to 500 square feet in size. All of Queenaire’s products are ideal for eliminating in-room odors caused by smoke, mold and mildew, pets, and other sources....

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y.—NYLO, a new lifestyle hotel brand, is the first hotel of its kind to commit to providing PURE Allergy Friendly Rooms as part of its overall brand strategy. The company recently announced it partnership with Pure Solutions. “We’re proud to work with this market leader in improving indoor air quality for the comfort of our guests,” says John Russell, c.e.o. of NYLO. NYLO is planning to break ground next month on its first property in Plano, Texas. Shortly after, properties will be popping up in other suburban and secondary markets, such as Warwick, Rhode Island....

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. unveiled its new extended-stay hotel brand: Element, a brand extension of Westin Hotels & Resorts. The Element name, new logo and website were unveiled last week at the 2006 Lodging Conference in Phoenix. “With Westin, we recreated the upper-upscale segment in the hotel industry,” says Starwood’s Chief Executive Officer Steven J. Heyer. “Strategically, Element fits into this mold. It is about creating a new category from the ground up. We know that Starwood’s guests are hungry for a new kind of extended-stay experience, and Element fills this white space in our portfolio...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Westin Hotels & Resorts has teamed with celebrity jewelry designer Mauri Pioppo to create a talisman necklace in support of smoke-free living. The Renewal Talisman will raise awareness of the benefits of going smoke-free, especially for women and girls, and provide a tangible way for women to share their support for a smoke-free lifestyle with their loved ones. Westin created the piece to celebrate its own commitment to breathing free, made in December 2005 when it announced it would become the first major hotel chain in North America to go smoke-free. While women are embracing...

NATIONAL REPORT—Your guests may shower in it without thinking about it, but is chlorinated water really good for them? Guests with chemical sensitivities would quickly say no but other travelers are beginning to feel the same way. Increasingly, guests are seeking out hotels that offer chlorine-free, filtered shower water. According to one industry expert, some guests even travel with their own showerheads in case filtered water is not available. If you think of shower filters as an unnecessary capital expense, you may want to reconsider. Many hotels are charging premium rates for rooms that offer filtered shower water as part...

BURBANK, CALIF.—Steril-Aire Inc. has published a new application bulletin describing how its multi-patented UVC technology can protect offices, stores and other commercial buildings while reducing costs. The bulletin, titled “UVC and Commercial Buildings,” explains how UVC devices installed in the air handling systems can result in a wide range of benefits, including mold and microbial control, enhanced indoor air quality, and energy and maintenance savings. The bulletin includes an overview of UVC features and benefits, a four-year cost-saving example, and product information on the different types of UVC devices for commercial HVAC applications. Customer testimonials are also included....

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The latest American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) and Smith Travel Research 2006 Lodging Survey provides valuable insight into industry availability of liquid soap dispensers, recycling programs, air purifiers, energy management sensors, linen/towel reuse programs and nonsmoking rooms. A total of 42,407 hotels were polled and twenty-one percent (9,300 hotels) responded to the survey that wrapped up the first quarter of this year. Survey results were released earlier this summer. The survey was funded by AH&LEF, the nonprofit affiliate of AH&LA, and tracked the size, scope and emerging trends of the U.S. lodging industry. The AH&LA...

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has partnered with DadePaper Co. to help Florida’s lodging industry improve indoor air quality in hotels and motels across the state. The partnership is the latest component of DEP’s Green Lodging initiative, which encourages hotels and motels to adopt cost-saving green practices that conserve energy, reduce water consumption, protect air quality and reduce waste. “By participating in the Green Lodging Program, DadePaper becomes an example and leader within the lodging industry,” says DEP Secretary Colleen M. Castille. “Their environmental commitment serves as a challenge to hotels, suppliers, trade associations and...

SPRINGFIELD, MO.—Less than two years after opening as the first all nonsmoking hotel in Missouri’s third-largest city, Springfield’s Krystal Aire Inn & Suites recently introduced yet another amenity designed to provide guests with even greater comfort during their stays—specially designed light bulbs that eliminate airborne odors. The Fresh Bulb light bulbs, developed by Aurora, Ohio-based Technical Consumer Products and introduced to the hospitality industry earlier this year by St. Charles, Mo.-based Pineapple Hospitality Inc., are titanium dioxide-coated fluorescent light bulbs that consume one-fourth the wattage of a regular light bulb—cutting lighting costs by as much as 77 percent....