NATIONAL REPORT—According to the American Hotel & Lodging Assn., there are approximately 4.4 million guestrooms in the United States. It is pretty safe to assume there is at least one mattress in each room. Assuming a thickness of 12 inches per mattress, the industry’s mattresses, stacked on top of one another, would reach 636 miles into the sky. With mattresses replaced every seven years, on average, it is obvious the lodging industry has a huge waste management issue on its hands. Where do mattresses go when they are no longer useable? Most end up in landfills. Liability and hygiene issues...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Orbeco Inc. as a Green Product Directory partner. Orbeco is a producer of natural cleaning products for surfaces, flooring and carpeting. The company’s mission is to keep hotel properties as clean as possible—naturally. Orbeco believes it is important to create a safe work environment for housekeepers as well as a healthier environment for guests by using non-toxic, efficient cleaning products. Orbeco’s products include Evolut-ION floor/surface cleaner, carpet cleaner, carpet odor neutralizer, and spotter. Go to www.orbeco.net, call (415) 292-7749, or e-mail pierre@orbeco.net.

DUNEDIN, FLA.—Mintek Mobile Data Solutions, a leading provider of turnkey, automated preventive maintenance (PM) systems, introduced WinTrack PM for the Windows Mobile platform at HITEC. The lodging industry’s annual technology exposition and conference was held June 25-28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. WinTrack PM is the cornerstone of Mintek’s Lodging Asset Management Suite, which also includes the Web-based Maintenance Portal, Asset Director and Alerts. WinTrack PM software incorporates handheld devices and bar coding to add efficiencies to PM, rounds, inspections and work order processes. “Our new version of WinTrack PM will be Web-based, which will offer greater security,...

LIVERMORE, CALIF.—Drainbo has introduced its non-toxic, chemical-free, and all-natural drain cleaner called Drainbo. Available direct to hotels and restaurants, Drainbo has been specially formulated to keep local water systems, lakes and oceans free of the fats, oils, and greases (FOG) that are increasingly degrading them each and every day. Traditional chemical-laden drain cleaners used by most consumers to clear clogged pipes are among the most hazardous products on the market today, and not just because they pose a grave threat to children and pets if improperly stored. In fact, chemical drain cleaners end up not only corroding drain...

BOSTON—Hyatt Harborside at Boston’s Logan International Airport recently upgraded its pool water treatment system as part of their commitment to the environment as well as customer loyalty/satisfaction. Ecolab’s Pure Comfort Saline System offers an alternative to the traditional bleach sanitizer. The overall result is an improvement in water quality through elimination of eye irritation, dry skin and excessive chlorine odor. Numerous meeting planners have stressed this initiative, one of many taken by Hyatt Harborside at Boston’s Logan International Airport in efforts to improve energy efficiency and the environment, as being significant motivation behind their choosing this hotel...

OAKVILLE, ONT.—Howard Johnson Canada announced that it will become the first mid-market hotel brand within Canada to provide a 100 percent smoke-free guest experience. Each of their 3,500 guestrooms across Canada will become 100 percent smoke free by September 1, 2007. This change comes with the support of Howard Johnson’s franchisees. “This move is in reaction to the input and opinions of our franchise family and hotel guests,” says Glen Blake, president of Howard Johnson Canada Franchise Systems Limited. “Based on our research, we know this move will result in a cleaner, healthier and more family friendly...

ATLANTA—With concern for our nation’s environment and conservation of its natural resources on the rise, today’s travelers want a safer, more healthy and sustainable experience while on the road. Now, two hotel chains—America’s Best Inns & Suites and Country Hearth Inns—will feature a green initiative known as EcoRooms with products that are energy efficient, water efficient, waste reducing, and non-toxic and/or biodegradable. The systemwide program was announced by America’s Best Franchising Inc., franchisor of the hotel brands. “EcoRooms are more comfortable for guests and more cost-effective for hotels,” says Doug Collins, chairman and CEO of America’s Best Franchising...

DUNEDIN, FLA.—Mintek Mobile Data Solutions, a developer of turn-key solutions for city utilities, lodging and cable companies, announced that it is celebrating its 20th year in business. For two decades, Mintek has specialized in automated systems that incorporate bar coding and mobile devices to provide oversight of processes such as preventive maintenance and warehouse inventory tracking. “It is with great pride that we announce our 20th anniversary,” says Jim Hutton, President of Dunedin, Fla.-based Mintek. “It is a landmark worth celebrating. Mintek has reached 20 years because it has always given its customers what they want: the most...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Better Living as a Green Product Directory partner. Holiday Island, Ark.-based Better Living is a provider of U.S.-made Sun Aire Ductless Furnaces and Sun Aire Air Purifiers. The energy-efficient Ductless Furnace can heat an area of up to 500 square feet economically with clean, comfortable radiant heat. The Sun Aire Air Purifier safely eliminates airborne bacteria and viruses, mold spores, and pet/smoke/ammonia odors using a natural sunlight process. The purifiers are made from brushed stainless steel and include a lifetime/washable 0.5 micron pre-filter. They weigh just...

A hotel housekeeper, ignoring the strong odors that filled the guestroom as she worked, always scrubbed the shower stalls with a commercial cleaner she had used for years. The housekeeper liked the product because it was powerful and effective, cutting her cleaning time considerably. However, one day she began coughing uncontrollably. It was then that she wondered if this “tried and true” product might be more harmful to her health than she ever thought. In addition, she realized that although she had read the directions on how to use the product, she never read anything more on the label such...