BIG SUR, CALIF.—Post Ranch Inn’s 40 rooms and suites on 100 acres of pristine Big Sur land ensure maximum guest privacy and natural social distancing. Many guestrooms are individual structures, with no interior corridors or elevators, and separate entrances. Guests rarely encounter others when walking the property or hiking the miles of dedicated trails. Post Ranch Inn has long been a leader in sustainable hospitality, including the importance of creating a healthy environment for guests and staff. In the wake of COVID-19, the management team, along with an advisory panel of experts, worked around the clock to reevaluate every aspect of...

NORTHBROOK, ILL.—Several new facilities around the world have achieved GBAC STAR facility accreditation from The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA. Designed to help facilities of all sizes develop a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention, GBAC STAR helps facilities better prepare for, respond to, and recover from biohazard situations like the novel coronavirus. “GBAC STAR continues to be a sought-after program because it offers credible third-party validation and provides organizations with a practical framework for cleaning, disinfection, and infection prevention,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “We are excited to welcome these organizations into the prestigious group of GBAC STAR-accredited facilities.” Hyatt Hotels...

NATIONAL REPORT—According to the recently released J.D. Power 2020 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study, meeting guest expectations for cleanliness continues to be a strong driver of guest satisfaction. “In fact, satisfaction with guestroom cleanliness has been climbing steadily for many years,” says Andrea Stokes, Hospitality Practice lead at J.D. Power. With guest attention to cleanliness at a hyper level due to COVID-19, making sure guests need not worry about lingering cigarette or marijuana odor is even more critical. As far as the hotel industry has come in banning indoor smoking (97 percent of hotel rooms are nonsmoking),...

Is it just me or shouldn’t have Accor already done this for guests and visitors? Global hospitality leader Accor announced that effective immediately, all guests and visitors at Accor properties across North & Central America are required to wear face coverings in all indoor public spaces to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Accor employees have already been required to wear masks, in addition to other preventive measures implemented as part of the Group’s global ALLSAFE cleanliness label and the region’s ‘ALL Safe & Well’ wellbeing platform. “We remain deeply committed to taking the necessary steps to protect the health and...

DELAVAN, WIS.—As hotels strategize to reopen and operate in today’s new COVID environment, hotel owners and managers are scrambling to upgrade their HVAC systems to provide a safer, healthier indoor environment for workers, tenants, customers and students. Onsite Utility Services Capital (OUS Capital) once again leads the market with an innovative solution that solves this problem by giving hotels the cleaner indoor air they need, while potentially reducing their overall energy costs—all without any investment, debt or risk. It is called Clean Air as a Service. Powered by Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization (NPBI), Clean Air as a Service works inside a building’s...

MALIBU, CALIF.—Malibu Beach Inn, the luxury boutique hotel nestled on the sands of the Pacific Ocean in the heart of Malibu, is recognized by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), receiving a Certificate of Accreditation, the GBAC STAR. The GBAC STAR, the gold standard of prepared facilities, acknowledges Malibu Beach Inn’s efforts to establish and maintain an infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks and establishes and maintains proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques, and work practices as well as highly informed cleaning professionals who are trained for outbreak and infectious disease preparation. “We aim to provide guests high-touch service in...

SEATTLE—As hotels and other businesses struggle to survive amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Safeology (www.safeology.com) has released a video demonstrating new technology that will allow them to safely reopen, stay open and return to a time of normalcy. The Safeology Tower leverages the science of UV light to inactivate a wide array of pathogens, including the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The UVC-disinfection product uses smart technology to eliminate up to 99.9 percent of pathogens. Using scientifically-proven technology, the Safeology UVC Light Tower quickly and safely eliminates up to 99.9 percent of surface pathogens—like the coronavirus—that are exposed to the Tower’s UVC light. Safeology UVC disinfecting...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Violet Defense, the only known manufacturer of pulsed Xenon UV disinfection devices that can be installed and operated autonomously, has announced that its technology has been independently validated to kill up to 99.99 percent of Human coronavirus, strain 229E, an accepted testing surrogate for the SARS-COV-2 virus, at a distance of 2 meters. “Our goal as a company has always been to help protect the everyday places where people live, work, and play by providing clinical level disinfection from harmful germs at a cost-effective price point. This is more important than ever during this pandemic, as we try to...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—With the onset of COVID-19, doors have become the untouchables yet somehow you have got to make your way through as unscathed as possible. Fortunately, myriad suppliers are offering innovative devices to make the door experience as virus and touch free as possible. Examples of the devices include a simple key made of antimicrobial brass that you use to push a door open, a no-touch door pull handle that allows one to use one’s wrist or bottom of one’s arm to open a door, a door handle cuff utilized by resting ones forearm into the cuff and pressing...

FORT WASHINGTON, PENN.—Sofidel, a leading global provider of paper for hygienic and domestic use, launched its Papernet Heavenly Soft Door Tissue and Defend Tech hand towel dispensers. With heightened concerns around hygiene in public facilities—particularly in restrooms—the Door Tissue promotes cleanliness by turning restroom doors into touchless exits and eliminating contact with other high-traffic touchpoints such as elevator buttons. The Defend Tech dispensers feature unique silver-ion technology that repels germs and helps further reduce the risk of contaminated hands and surfaces. “Some customers form perceptions of a business based on the level of hygiene in the facility, especially its restrooms,” said Fabio Vitali, Vice President, Marketing, Sofidel America. “Solutions like our Door Tissue and the Defend Tech dispensers allow businesses to help customers feel safe and stay clean.” Paired with a waste receptacle, the Door Tissue can reduce touchpoints in a variety of environments. Restaurants, retailers, office...