Every so often someone comes along in our industry with a grand idea to affect major change in hotel operations. I have been fortunate to meet Shawn Seipler, CEO of Clean the World, who has done so much to change the way our industry thinks and acts about soap and amenity waste. Shawn is based in Orlando. Another person I have met is also based in Florida but in Sarasota. His name is Richard Ferrell, and he is President of Purlin, LLC. I first wrote about Purlin in 2018. Richard’s vision is to dramatically change the way hoteliers think...

When cleaning your guestrooms after a guest has left pay special attention to the linens. In case you missed it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month released the results of some Chinese researchers indicating significant spread of the Coronavirus on sheets and pillow cases by presymptomatic travelers—a very good reason not to used shake linens upon removal from a bed. The researchers studied two travelers who had been transferred to a hotel for a 14-day quarantine. They stayed at the hotel for just one night before being transferred to a hospital after symptoms began to appear. Approximately three...

SARASOTA, FLA.—Purlin, LLC, maker of recyclable linens for the hospitality industry, has won the Lee School Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Hospitality category. The Lee Business School at UNLV and Ted and Doris Lee Family Foundation created a worldwide $1,000,000 Lee School Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurship with the goal of discovering and funding innovative technologies and solutions that make the food and beverage, hospitality, casino, sports and entertainment and travel industries a safe place for employees and guests in the post pandemic world. Purlin’s prize in the hospitality category is $250,000. There were 250 submissions from...

STOCKHOLM—Together with Stena Recycling, Electrolux has developed a vacuum cleaner made of 100 percent recycled and reused materials. The plastic and components originate from consumers’ electronic products, such as used hairdryers, vacuum cleaners, and computers. The project addresses some of today’s key recycling challenges while exploring circularity in household appliances. More than 400 million metric tons of plastic are produced globally every year, but less than 12 percent of this comes from recycled materials. Therefore, manufacturers have difficulty finding enough safe and consistently high-quality recycled material. As a pioneer, Electrolux was first in the industry in 2010 to raise awareness...

Cars, just like human beings, need regular maintenance and checkups occasionally. This is to improve and maintain vehicle performance. For most people, servicing and maintenance usually happen after every three months or 3,000 miles. Regular maintenance on hotel vehicles helps cut back on costs due to wear and tear. A smooth running and well-oiled machine is cheaper to run and also more reliable. Besides, regular car maintenance helps conserve the environment. It reduces the chances of oil spills or leaks from brake fluid or radiators. Vehicles owners can do this by properly disposing of materials such as engine oil and battery...

SAN IGNACIO, BELIZE—With Belize reopening for international travel on October 1, 2020, The Lodge at Chaa Creek is offering tips that help make arriving easy, and visiting carefree. Bryony Fleming Bradley, Chaa Creek’s Managing Director, said that Belize’s new entry requirements are designed to safeguard everyone’s health and safety, and help make “visiting here a breeze.” “These simple new requirements were put in place to protect travelers, hospitality workers and local communities, but they were also designed to be easy to follow, and help visitors enjoy the same exciting experiences and relaxed vacations Belize has always offered,” she said. The new health...

PARIS—Accor announced its continued action to lead the hospitality industry with the most stringent cleaning standards and operational procedures concentrated on guest safety. Following operational disruptions stemming from COVID-19, Accor has successfully reopened most of its hotels with 95 percent of them having already adopted the Group’s trusted ALLSAFE cleanliness and hygiene protocols jointly developed with Bureau Veritas. To date, Accor has successfully certified 65 percent of these hotels with the ALLSAFE label through a third-party review and accreditation process with professional auditors like Bureau Veritas, SGS, Clifton and Ecolab, and is working to have additional hotels independently verified...

NEW YORK—When Hotel Zena opened its doors this month in downtown Washington, D.C., Volara was there to get guests talking via Google Nest Hubs in each of its 191 guestrooms. Implementation of Volara’s contactless guest engagement and touchless room controls solution is part of a systemwide rollout by Viceroy Hotels & Resorts to voice-enable all guestrooms at its luxury boutique hotels. This is the fifth Viceroy hotel to add Volara-powered voice assistants to guestrooms, and the second property to feature Google’s Hotel Solution. Viceroy Los Cabos added Amazon Alexa devices powered by Volara in 2018, followed by Hotel Zetta San...

ATLANTA—Rats have taken to the streets of Chicago, yet again. Orkin released its Top 50 Rattiest Cities List, and for the sixth consecutive time, the Windy City takes the top spot. New to the Top 10 this year is Baltimore, taking the eighth spot, and moving into the Top 20 is San Diego, rising 13 spots to secure the #19 ranking. Orkin ranked metro regions by the number of new rodent treatments performed from September 1, 2019 to August 31, 2020. This ranking includes both residential and commercial treatments. 1. Chicago 26.  Raleigh, N.C. (-2) 2. Los Angeles 27.  Hartford, Conn. (-2) 3. New York 28. ...

NATIONAL REPORT—Deciding to close or remain open during a pandemic can be one of the most difficult decisions a hotel company will ever have to make, especially if multiple assets are involved. Many factors need to be analyzed, including the financial, brand, and human resources sides of the business to determine which action is the most fiscally responsible. At Sixty Hotels, we are “Always Open” to show our customers that we are there for them in good times and bad, no matter what. This is especially challenging considering that our hotels are in the heavily populated tourist destinations of...