ATLANTA—Kimberly-Clark Filtration has introduced a new filtration media that delivers MERV 13 performance for LEED Certified buildings. The media was developed in response to the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) standards for ASHRAE 52.2, MERV 13 filtration performance in LEED new construction and major renovation projects. The new media, Intrepid 513H, can be used in 2-inch and 4-inch pleated filters that are suited for virtually any commercial HVAC system. Before this new media was introduced, most 2-inch and 4-inch pleated filters were limited to MERV 8 or MERV 11 performance, which provides less efficient capture of airborne particles than MERV...

OURAY, COLO.—Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs, an independently-owned resort in Ouray, Colo., has replaced all of its bedding encasements with CleanBrands’ CleanRest line of products. With a spate of recent bedbug outbreaks in the rocky mountain region, Box Canyon’s owners decided it was in their guests’ best interest to create as inhospitable an atmosphere as possible for the bugs. Karen Avery, co-owner of Box Canyon, began researching different products after reading about hotels in the region battling infestations. “We felt it was not only necessary for our guests,” said Avery, “but was also a legitimate business expense. If...

BOSTON—The Seaport Hotel announced the implementation of an innovative, chlorine-reducing water treatment system to its indoor pool, making Seaport the first hotel in the United States to utilize this green technology. “At Seaport, we believe in providing guests with a safe and healthy, luxury experience while minimizing our impact on the environment,” said Matthew V. Moore, Seaport director of rooms and environmental programs. “With that in mind, the latest addition to our property’s extensive green program will reduce our use of chemicals and provide a superior pool experience.” Indoor pools, such as Seaport’s, especially benefit from this system provided by Grander...

DAVIE, FLA.—With both the environment and the economy weighing heavily on most hotel owner/operators today, the timing is ideal for the introduction of a new air-conditioning process that not only eliminates wasted energy usage but also results in better indoor air quality. This treatment process is being introduced by ChemTron, an industry leader in providing energy efficiency. One of the best ideas for quick cost savings is cleaning and maintaining air conditioners. Air-conditioning represents 50 to 70 percent of a hotel’s total utility bill. ChemTron has been working for 20 years to perfect a cleaning process that makes money for...

NATIONAL REPORT—Here’s a riddle for you: They are hitchhikers you would never want to pick up. To them, we look like Big Macs on stilts. If they reproduced as fast as rabbits, we would all be better off. What are they? Bedbugs. They are spreading like wildfire across the country, with hot spots in New York City and states such as Florida, Texas and Ohio. They are also living large in the Southwest. One motel owner in New Mexico is paying $63,000 to get rid of them. How bad is it in New York? Last year, there were almost...

TAMPA, FLA.—Patricia L. Roberts, president of Global PBS, Inc., has been issued a U.S. Patent for a Polymodal Biological Detection System. Besides improving targeted pest detection, it greatly enhances pesticide reduction efforts. A Gainesville, Fla., USDA entomologist is coordinating with scientists and engineers at North Carolina State University on developing Global PBS’ prototype bed bug sensor for the hospitality industry. Global PBS is also planning a rodent sensor for food storage and kitchen areas. Future considerations include mole crickets and grub detection for the turfgrass industry, and spittlebugs, coffee borers, and pine beetles for forestry and agriculture. Many other applications...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes RMB Group, LLC as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. RMB Group’s Rest Easy bedbug spray is a green, all-natural spray used to kill and repel bedbugs and other small insects such as dust mites. Rest Easy is ideal for hotels and motels. It is cinnamon scented and includes natural essential oils. Rest Easy is available in up to one-gallon containers. It kills 90 percent of bedbugs within five seconds of contact and the rest within 30 minutes. The product provides a repellency effect for as...

PITTSBURGH—Hotels and other multi-unit facilities battling bedbugs now have an effective, chemical-free alternative with the ThermEx Heat Remediation Solution developed by Chromalox, a leading manufacturer of electric heat and control products, and Massey Services, a leading service provider in the pest management industry. Research shows that heat is more effective than traditional pest management approaches in eliminating bedbugs, because they hide in cracks and crevices and do not come in contact with residual products. However, bedbugs are vulnerable to high temperatures sustained over a short period of time. ThermEx Heat Remediation Solution includes a Chromalox custom heating unit and comprehensive...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Eco Drain Dragon as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Eco Drain Dragon offers a chemical-free way to unclog drains. It attaches to a wet vacuum and instantly sucks the clog into the vacuum. Unlike chemicals, it produces no heat or gases to irritate the skin, eyes or lungs. Eco Drain Dragon works quickly—typically less than a minute—and produces no messy splash. For additional information, call (717) 248-0600, e-mail ferguson@pa.net, or go to www.ecodraindragon.com.

LANSING, MICH.—The new textbook, Managing Housekeeping Operations, Revised Third Edition, represents a collaboration between the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) and The Rooms Chronicle (TRC), a leading hotel rooms management publication and website. The book includes articles written by Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News. The revised housekeeping book was co-authored by TRC’s founder, Aleta A. Nitschke, CHA, and TRC’s executive editor, William D. Frye, Ph.D., CHE, associate professor, College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Niagara University. The book includes housekeeping operations-related content and excerpts from more than 100 The Rooms Chronicle articles, with content...