HONOLULU—Outrigger Hospitality Group announced its commitment to providing an elevated standard of cleanliness and safety in preparation for the anticipated re-opening of its domestic and international beach resort properties. Outrigger’s Clean Commitment guidelines were designed in consultation with healthcare leaders and developed with Ecolab. It also meets the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Stay Safe enhanced industry-wide hotel cleaning standards as well as the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA) COVID-19 Health, Safety & Security Standards. The global platform incorporates state-of-the-art technology, cleaning products and procedures in compliance with the latest COVID-19 codes, regulations and brand standards. The program applies to all...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has released four new Safety First Pilot Credits in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The credits outline sustainable best practices that align with public health and industry guidelines related to cleaning and disinfecting, workplace re-occupancy, HVAC and plumbing operations. The credits can be used by LEED projects that are certified or are undergoing certification. The Safety First credits are part of USGBC’s economic recovery strategy released last month, which focuses on sustainable solutions to rebuild a stronger and healthier economy by prioritizing healthy people in healthy places. The credits were created...

Here is a challenge for all of you: Given the current pandemic, still try your hardest to do things in a sustainable manner—focusing on worker and guest safety, energy and water conservation, waste reduction, and enhancing, not worsening indoor air quality. With each step you take to stop COVID-19, ask yourself if you are helping or hindering environmental protection. I know it will not be an easy thing to do, or even accomplishable in some cases, given the severity of the virus. This past week I heard from Allied Feather + Down. The maker of bedding is now manufacturing reusable...

NATIONAL REPORT—While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is most concerned about the spread of COVID-19 through the air, it can also be spread by touching a recently affected surface and then one’s mouth, nose or eyes. Because of this, hand sanitizer has become a necessity in hotels—in guestrooms, entrances, and lobby areas, and elsewhere where guests and employees travel on property. While initially a challenge to find, hand sanitizer has become readily available to the lodging industry. Even brewers and distillers are making it. Not all hand sanitizers are the same—the percentage of alcohol content can...

MONTEBELLO, CALIF.—Before the onset of a global COVID-19 pandemic, Allied Feather & Down and Allied Home were focused, as they had been for 30 years, on creating a more sustainable supply chain and a cleaner home. As Allied shifted its bedding production in its Commerce, Calif., manufacturing facility to produce facemasks in early March, the family owned company began to realize just how big this need was going to be on a global scale. While the response focused at first on healthcare workers and disenfranchised populations such as those experiencing homelessness, the pandemic response has highlighted just how many people are...

Norwalk, Conn.—HEI Hotels & Resorts, a leading hospitality investment and management company, has completed a comprehensive initiative to protect the health and safety of hotel guests and workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A combination of new standard operating procedures, alterations to hotel spaces, and the purchase of disinfecting technology and personal protective equipment has been undertaken to support proper social distancing and hygienic practices at HEI’s portfolio of more than 80 independent and branded hotels. “There is no greater priority than the health and safety of our hotel guests and associates,” said HEI Hotels & Resorts CEO + Managing Partner,...

RIVIERA BEACH, SINGER ISLAND, FLA.—Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa has earned Green Key Global’s ultimate honor: a 4 Green Keys rating. It is the first hotel in Palm Beach County to achieve the designation, which is reserved for hotels that show national industry leadership and commitment to protecting the environment through wide-ranging policies and practices. Coupled with Marriott’s Commitment to Clean, spearheaded by the Marriott Cleanliness Council, the resort is committed to providing guests with a safe environment that aligns with expert protocols for working to defeat COVID-19. Green Key Global is a leading international environmental...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News welcome Minibar Systems Worldwide to its Green Product & Service Directory in the “Hand Sanitizer” category. microSURE persistent nano-technology germ killing products go to war on 99.99 percent of harmful microorganisms. When applied, a barrier of crystal killing spikes bonds to hands and surfaces creating a lasting barrier that stays working long after it is applied—for eight hours or more. As germs come into contact with surfaces they are punctured by the killing spikes on contact and die. This results in a mechanical kill—allowing the surface of an object to destroy the cell walls. This...

BRADENTON, FLA.—As restaurants, hotels and other businesses begin reopening around the country, EnviroLogik—a leading service company providing comprehensive hygiene, drain line and odor control solutions—is expanding on its safe and environmentally-friendly service offerings to include several disinfecting options. These disinfectants, B CleanM and B SanitizedM, are specifically designed to treat against the spread of viruses—including COVID-19. “Business owners and consumers are more conscious than ever about the health and safety standards of the facilities they operate and visit,” said CEO Aziz Tejpar. “At EnviroLogik, we are committed to helping local businesses get back to work as safely as possible. On...

WISCONSIN DELLS, WIS.—Industries across the globe need to adapt to the new standards to address cleanliness and hotels are no exception. Hygienic standards will be a top priority for hotel guests when they return, and current operational protocols will need to evolve to meet guest expectations to ensure they are safe and healthy. Developers of the Plungepacker are announcing their hygienic transporting device for toilet plungers which can help stop the spread of viruses and bacteria. They make the process of transporting a plunger throughout a property more professional and hygienic. The device also allows for easy disinfection of the...