MONTEBELLO, CALIF.—In keeping with its commitment to safety, performance and sustainability, ALLIED Hospitality—the hospitality bedding division of ALLIED Feather + Down, a family-owned global manufacturer of luxury bedding products—is announcing a new partnership with FUZE technology, available in 2021 to all hospitality bedding partners. While the global COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the hospitality industry as a whole, there will come a time in the near future when business and leisure travel resumes. And like never before, the needs of the post-pandemic traveler will place an emphasis on cleanliness and safety, as hotel bedding can almost literally become a matter of...

HORSHAM, PENN.—In response to the pandemic, Germany has enacted an Occupational Health and Safety Rule that now requires disposable paper or textile towels to be available for guest use. It also discourages the use of warm air dryers for hand drying due to concerns around the spread of COVID-19. To increase consumer confidence about using public restrooms, Sofidel, a leading global provider of paper for hygienic and domestic use, released three recommendations for enhancing restroom hygiene. “Businesses are now facing higher cleanliness standards, and in some countries, like Germany, specific restroom hygiene requirements are emerging,” said Fabio Vitali, Vice President,...

PLANO, TEXAS—Aimbridge Hospitality, the leading, global, third-party hotel management company, has earned the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Maintenance at an initial 96 hotels across North America. The company has enrolled an additional 209 hotels to pursue the rating, bringing the total number of its properties in the program to 305 initially, with the goal to grow the number of enrolled hotels in the near future. “Aimbridge Hospitality is pleased to bring the benefits of the WELL Health-Safety Rating to hundreds of our hotels, leveraging our scale and expertise to deliver a comprehensive and rigorous approach to wellness,...

NEW YORK—In recognition of its technological advances and the potential for immediate real-world impact, the new CLOi Autonomous UV-C Robot from LG Business Solutions was featured at The Paley Center’s Best of CES 2021 product showcase and panel discussion. The robot is designed to efficiently disinfect various commercial environments using UV-C light and was one of only four products selected for demonstration by the Paley Media Council from among thousands introduced at Digital CES 2021. According to Jeffrey Weiland, LG Business Solutions USA’s robotics team lead, “This special recognition validates LG’s dedication and determination to rapidly develop this vital public...

I recently reported on two mattress makers and their inclusion of certain additives to make their mattresses anti-bacterial and anti-microbial—certainly positive attributes for mattresses to have given their use in hotels over the years by so many people. Of course, the elephant in the room given COVID-19 was whether either of the companies’ mattresses were also anti-viral. One of the companies mentioned in my article was Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB). At the time I wrote my article I was unable to reach the folks at SSB. Well, I did finally get a chance to chat with them yesterday. In a press...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added a GenEon video to the Vendor Videos section of its website. GenEon is a visionary corporation that believes that on-site generation (OSG) of electrolyzed water is the future of beyond-green cleaning. The company’s five systems, from a home unit to commercial, high-volume models, produce cleaners, a heavy-duty degreaser, sanitizer, and disinfectant that are effective, safer, sustainable, and chemical-free. On-site production eliminates repetitive ordering and significantly reduces cost and waste. Made from just water, select minerals and electricity, all products are safe for skin, eyes and lungs, pets, plants, and planet. The company’s portable...

CHEVY CHASE, MD.—PM Hotel Group hotels from coast to coast adjusted their exterior light to glow amber last Tuesday evening to support the National Covid Memorial installed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. At 5:30 p.m. every hotel in the PM Hotel Group portfolio from New York City to Portland, Ore., accompanied iconic buildings across the United States to light the night amber in honor of the 400,000 Americans who have been lost to Covid. “Every American has been impacted by the pandemic. Honoring the lost family, friends, team members and neighbors is part of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Assn. (AHLA) released “AHLA’s State of the Hotel Industry 2021” outlining the forecasted state of the hotel industry in 2021 and into the immediate future. The report examines the high-level economics of the hotel industry’s recovery, the specific impact on and eventual return of business travel, and consumer travel sentiments. The pandemic has been devastating to the hospitality industry workforce, which is down nearly 4 million jobs compared to the same time in 2019. While some 200,000 jobs are expected to be filled this year, overall, the accommodations sector faces an 18.9 percent unemployment rate, according...

NEW YORK—The Academy for Hospitality Arts (AHA) has launched COVID-19 safety training courses to help hospitality workers prepare for re-openings. Foodservice professionals can now ensure hotels and restaurants reopen and remain open safely. Even while vaccine distribution is underway, COVID-19 remains an issue for dining establishments. The AHA has been working behind the scenes to: educate service industry workers on how to mitigate the spread of the virus; train front-of-house management with the highest standards of safety, sanitation, and compliance; and make sure restaurants, hotels, and events can re-open and remain open safely. The AHA has overhauled its education to meet...

NATIONAL REPORT—As concern about COVID-19 has skyrocketed, so too has interest in wellness and one of the places that interest has been focused is the guestroom—specifically the mattress. Any company today must be careful about its anti-viral/anti-bacterial/anti-microbial claims but at least two mattress companies are offering options that include at least one or more of the above “anti” properties. The first company, Corsicana Mattress Co., is offering its Copper ProTech collection to the hospitality market. Corsicana, one of the top few mattress makers in the United States, has nine mattresses and a topper engineered with copper-infused foam. The copper included...