NEW YORK—MCOMS, acknowledging the recent COVID-19 challenges that have come to shape again the hospitality industry, has designed some innovative solutions to enable hoteliers to provide tailor made guest interactive services to mobile devices, and communicate directly with their guests. With the recent Corona virus global outbreak, the public has become increasingly concerned with public health, hotel room cleanliness and sanitation. Through MCOMS’ HOTstream Mobile solution, guests have access to multiple features and services, eliminating the need to contact the hotel staff directly. Features of the solution include the ability to make reservations to hotel facilities, restaurants, spa or golf, order...

TORONTO—Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has entered into a collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, the global division of health care and research leader Johns Hopkins Medicine, to validate its new global health and safety program, Lead With Care, and provide ongoing, real-time guidance on the evolving COVID-19 situation. Grounded in the principles of care, trust and service, the Lead With Care program will be reviewed and validated by Johns Hopkins Medicine experts and implemented by teams at Four Seasons properties around the world. “Within this new environment, our singular goal is to provide guests, residents and employees with the confidence and...

NATIONAL REPORT—One of the main ways to slow the spread of COVID-19 is through the wearing of face masks. Face masks prevent you from spreading respiratory droplets and help reduce, but not eliminate, the wearer’s exposure to airborne particles. In recent months, many suppliers have emerged selling different types of masks. A review of supplier sites found at least a half-dozen different mask types. Ray Burger, President of Pineapple Hospitality, a company currently selling several mask varieties, says his customers are primarily buying 3-ply and KN95 for non-medical use masks. Both N95 and KN95 masks are available in the marketplace...

TORRANCE, CALIF.—Mockett’s new Door Handle Cuff offers a hygienic approach to opening traditional interior doors to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. Simply rest your forearm into the cuff and press down on the door handle and push or pull to minimize possible contact through contamination. Easy-to-install forearm shield slips over the handle and is screwed into place. New health and safety considerations in design are shaping our collective conscious of our relationship with hardware and how we operate it. DHC1 is a quick and easy way to retrofit door handles and keep any health-related concerns at bay...

As the economy continues to open, the competition to capture the attention of travelers will intensify. “Instead of location, location, location, it is now perhaps cleanliness, sanitization, and security, or piece of mind,” Ray Burger, President of Pineapple Hospitality, told me this past week. The companies and hotels that best tell that story are going to put the most heads in beds. One of the best ways to tell your story is to visually depict what changes you have made in operations by video. “If you want to have your market share, produce a video and put it on your...

NEEDHAM, MASS.—Reopenings have started across all 50 states, and in a matter of weeks, many commercial buildings, including office buildings, hotels and restaurants, will become active again after weeks of being closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Triple Clear Water Solutions, a leader in commercial water filtration with patented technologies that deliver safe, clean and filtered water, offers the following tips for building managers, business owners and real estate developers to ward off potentially harmful drinking water conditions. “Buildings that were closed or operating at reduced occupancy for the last few months due to Coronavirus restrictions create the perfect environment...

ROCKVILLE, MD.—Minibar Systems presents the microSURE family of persistent sanitizers and disinfectants that use unique mechanical-kill spikes that act as a barrier to provide better protection against germs and viruses beyond hand washing and chemical-kill alcohol based products. The 8-HOUR Defense hand sanitizer has proven up to 8 hours of defense against germs when properly used and will not crack, dry or burn skin. microSURE All Purpose Cleaner and Disinfectant provides nanotechnology micro-crystalline structure for revolutionary surface protection with an EPA registered mechanical-kill device that kills germs, viruses and other harmful microorganisms including Coronavirus and prevents future contamination—the surfaces continue...

DALLAS—G6 Hospitality, the parent company for the Motel 6 and Studio 6 brands, has launched “Clean@6,” a comprehensive initiative designed to ensure that guests feel confident when staying at any of the brands’ nearly 1,400 locations across the United States and Canada. Recognizing the need for even greater vigilance related to cleanliness, disinfection and sanitization as the country continues to navigate the impact of COVID-19, the company has undertaken a comprehensive approach to protect against the spread of viruses by partnering with a renowned combination of medical advisors, industrial cleaning providers and housekeeping specialists. “We want Motel 6 and Studio 6...

Some random thoughts about a couple of matters after another interesting news week: A subtle but potentially significant change in how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discusses the importance of surface touching in the spread of COVID-19. Whereas it previously mentioned surface touching in the same breath as person-to-person contact, the CDC now lists touching infected surfaces under a section entitled, “The virus does not spread easily in other ways.” In a nutshell, touching surfaces or objects is now not thought to be a main way the virus spreads. “It may be possible that a person can...

SOLON, OHIO—The month of May has been declared “National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month” by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to raise awareness about the effects of these diseases. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans, on average, spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, where the concentrations of some pollutants are often two to five times higher than typical outdoor concentrations. Tarkett, a worldwide leader in innovative and sustainable flooring, understands the impact this can have on the health and wellness of those with asthma and allergies and remains the only flooring...