CHICAGO—Hyatt announced a Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment to further enhance its operational guidance and resources around colleague and guest safety and peace of mind. The multi-layered commitment builds on Hyatt’s existing rigorous protocols and will include an accreditation process by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) at all hotels around the world, colleague training and support resources, and a cross-functional working group of medical experts and industry professionals that will contribute to various aspects of the hotel experience. “The world as we knew it has been fundamentally changed by COVID-19 and when we are all ready to travel again,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) launched “Safe Stay,” an initiative focused on enhanced hotel cleaning practices, social interactions, and workplace protocols to meet the new health and safety challenges and expectations presented by COVID-19. Safe Stay will seek to change hotel industry norms, behaviors and standards to ensure both hotel guests and employees are confident in the cleanliness and safety of hotels once travel resumes. “Every hotel guest and employee should know that their health and safety are our top priority,” said Chip Rogers, President and CEO of AHLA. “Safe Stay represents a new level of focus...

CHICAGO—The National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe team has released guidance to help restaurants restart when the nation begins reopening its businesses. Download the Restaurant Reopening Guidance. ServSafe partnered with the Food and Drug Administration, public health officials, industry representatives, academia, the Conference for Food Protection, and Ecolab Inc., to create protocols for restaurants to reopen safely. Additionally, the document incorporates recommendations from FDA’s just-released Best Practices for Retail Food Stores, Restaurants, and Food Pick-Up/Delivery Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The guidance offers instruction on how to begin serving customers in partial and full-service capacities. The Association encourages combining the guidelines with existing corporate policies,...

BARRIE, ONT.—Busch Systems introduces recycling and waste receptacles made with CuVerro Shield protection, a U.S. EPA and Health Canada PMRA registered antimicrobial solution that kills greater than 99.9 percent of bacteria* within two hours. CuVerro Shield by Aereus Technologies is an antimicrobial copper alloy solution that kills greater than 99.9 percent of bacteria* within two hours and continues to kill more than 99.9 percent of bacteria* even after repeated contamination. The coating is tarnish-resistant, will not wash off, wear away or oxidize. In addition, CuVerro Shield is made from up to 100 percent recycled copper material and is 100 percent...

BOCA RATON, FLA.—National Bio-Safe, which for over 35 years has been dealing with infectious disease, compromised physical locations, mold remediation and pathogens and which has developed protocols to provide the most up-to-date safety, cleaning procedures and products, announced the availability of its breakthrough cleaner Bio-Stop. Bio-Stop meets the CDC.gov recommendations as one of the ways to clean because its solution contains at least 70 percent alcohol, to disinfect commercial and residential spaces. “Bio-Stop has a fast-acting proprietary solution infused with 70 percent alcohol with the remainder being natural ingredients. Alcohol solutions with at least 70 percent are a critical choice,...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton announced a new program to deliver an industry-defining standard of cleanliness and disinfection in Hilton properties around the world. In a first for the hospitality business, Hilton will collaborate with RB, maker of Lysol and Dettol, and consult with Mayo Clinic to develop elevated processes and Team Member training to help Hilton guests enjoy an even cleaner and safer stay from check-in to check-out. Hilton CleanStay with Lysol protection, as the program will be called in North America, will be a rigorous system that incorporates RB’s trusted know-how and scientific approach to cleaning practices and product offerings. Experts...

HAMILTON, ONT.—Reduce the chances of slips and falls on surfaces throughout hotel settings with the new TracSafe Anti-Slip Sealer from Daich Coatings. With anti-slip ratings up to twice the OSHA standard, TracSafe provides aggressive anti-slip performance with all-weather durability for both interior and exterior areas around any hotel. New TracSafe Anti-Slip Sealer performs double-duty, as both a high performance clear coat that strengthens and protects surfaces, while also helping to protect the hotel guests and employees who walk on it from slip and fall mishaps. Its high-performance, odorless water-based technology bonds firmly to all types of flooring materials, from concrete,...

CARY, N.C.—Washington Representative Joe Fitzgibbon (D-34) joined the Association of Washington Cities and INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, in applauding Governor Inslee’s signing of HB 2565, a law intended to address the labeling of certain disposable wipes. The law, spearheaded by Rep. Fitzgibbon, Chairman of the Washington House Environment and Energy Committee, represents a months-long cooperative effort between a coalition of Washington wastewater and municipal sector stakeholders led by the Association of Washington Cities and INDA, the trade association representing the wipes industry. The groups came together to tackle the problem of consumers flushing baby wipes, surface cleaning...

WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.—While restaurants, gyms, schools and other buildings are closed indefinitely to prevent the spread of COVID-19, water left sitting in pipes could change in quality. It’s possible that water left sitting for long periods of time could contain excessive amounts of heavy metals and pathogens concentrated in pipes nationwide, say researchers who have begun a field study on the impact of a pandemic shutdown on buildings. Purdue engineering professor Andrew Whelton holds up a water sample from a building faucet. The pink color indicates the presence of chlorine, a disinfectant. Whelton’s team is investigating how water quality might change...

When you open your property again (I know some are still open), will it be certified clean to the level of standards that travelers in a COVID-19 world expect? I ask this because of several developments I came across this past week. First, Accor announced that it had joined forces with Bureau Veritas, a provider of testing, inspection and certification, to develop a label designed to certify that the appropriate safety standards and cleaning protocols have been achieved to allow businesses to reopen. The label will apply to Accor hotels in Europe and first to Accor hotels in France. The...