ATLANTA—Forbes Travel Guide, the global authority on genuine Five-Star service, and Sharecare, the digital health company that helps people manage all their health in one place, announced the first hotels in the world to successfully become Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED with Forbes Travel Guide. Also listed at www.forbestravelguide.com/verified, they are: Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage (Rancho Mirage, Calif.) Atlantis, The Palm (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) Auberge du Soleil (Rutherford, Calif.) Baccarat Hotel New York (New York) Boston Harbor Hotel (Boston) Carillon Miami Wellness Resort (Miami) City of Dreams –  Nüwa Manila (Manila, Philippines) Crown Towers Melbourne (Melbourne, Australia) Drake Bay Getaway Resort (Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica) The Goring Hotel (London) Fairmont...

NATIONAL REPORT—For safe, non-toxic cleaning you cannot get much better than water—but it first must be converted to aqueous ozone. The cleaning and disinfection properties of ozone have been known for a long time, but it has often been inconvenient to access. At least two companies have recently introduced sleek rechargeable, reusable spray bottles, however, that make using aqueous ozone portable and easy. The first company is Donastar Enterprises, LLC. Its EnozoPRO, after an AC charge, detaches from its base and kills 99.9 percent of most harmful bacteria and viruses on hard surfaces in 30 seconds.* “Ozone is capable of...

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA.—Carrier Global Corp., a leading global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions, announced that its OptiClean Dual-Mode Air Scrubber & Negative Air Machine has been named as one of TIME’s 100 Best Inventions of 2020. The OptiClean was developed through rapid innovation in early 2020 to help support infectious isolation rooms in hospitals. TIME featured OptiClean in the Medical Care category of its prestigious annual list that recognizes 100 ground-breaking inventions that are making the world better and smarter. “We are honored the OptiClean is being recognized by TIME for a product...

AVON, CONN.—iCleanse, the leader in chemical-free UV-C disinfection technology for over ten years, announced the Swift and Swift Mini, two new patented chemical-free UV-C disinfection products for mobile devices and other personal items for use in hospitals, government buildings, and other businesses. Like the original popular Swift XL disinfection unit, but with a much smaller footprint, the Swift and Swift Mini kills 99.99 percent of pathogens, like COVID-19, in as little as 30 seconds. At two-thirds the size of the Swift XL, the Swift and Swift mini are much more portable and versatile for hospitals and businesses that don’t...

DALLAS—Aimbridge Hospitality, the leading, global, third-party hotel management company, announced a collaboration with the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), enrolling the first 100 portfolio hotels in the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management, building a foundation for enrolling additional properties from Aimbridge’s vast portfolio. This collaboration will advance health and safety in the hospitality sector, address the challenges and expectations presented by COVID-19, and create well environments for productive associates and satisfying guest experiences now and in the future. As a global, third-party operator, Aimbridge is uniquely positioned to comprehensively address COVID-19 concerns for their properties, with a...

CINCINNATI—In an effort to enhance hand hygiene and combat the spread of infection, Hydro Systems, a world leader in chemical dispensing equipment, software and services, added a touchless, automatic hand soap and sanitizer dispenser to its product catalog. The sleek and simple design makes the dispenser a perfect fit for all types of facilities. “We recognize that cleanliness is more important than ever. Adding a hand soap and sanitizer dispenser to our offering enables our customers to source a wide range of reliable dispensers from Hydro Systems,” said Matt Hayas, Global Product Manager, Hydro Systems. “Our goal was to deliver...

TRENTON, N.J.—Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has proven crucial in stemming the tide of COVID-19 but this surge in production has led to littered PPE covering streets and literally flooding marine habitats. To address this separate unintended public health crisis as well as the threat PPE poses to the environment as plastic pollution, TerraCycle Regulated Waste’s line of EasyPak Containers, an easy-to-use recycling solution for single-use gloves and masks, is poised to help business owners make an impact in time for the holiday rush. Designed as a recycling system for businesses in need of a turn-key solution for hazardous waste disposal, the PPE EasyPak...

Ingrained within hotel companies’ corporate social responsibility programs is the support of local, small businesses. One of the groups hit hardest by the pandemic is small-business suppliers—businesses often located close to the hotels they supply. At this difficult time, please go the extra mile to support these types of businesses. They typically are more vulnerable to failure when the economy takes a dive. One story that caught my eye in the past few weeks is Hyatt’s rollout of its Hyatt Loves Local initiative, a global effort by Hyatt hotels to uplift and collaborate with small businesses that have been impacted...

ATLANTA—Since the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic early in 2020, we’ve relied on doctors, nurses, grocery store clerks, nonprofit workers and other essential workers more than ever. They have kept our communities healthy, fed, sheltered and safe while having to take additional precautions to look after their own wellbeing. As a company committed to True Hospitality, IHG Hotels & Resorts has spent the last few months recognizing and celebrating these people to say “Thank You” for their work. Catherine Dolton, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “We issued a call for nominations of workers who went...

FOREST, VA.—NanoTouch Materials, a leading provider of self-cleaning surfaces that transform dirty, high-traffic touchpoints into continuously self-cleaning surfaces, announced that John Harris, former Carlyle Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, has joined the firm as an investor and senior advisor. From 1997 to 2007, Harris served as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer at Carlyle, a global private equity firm based in Washington, D.C., that currently manages more than $200 billion in assets. A partner of the firm and member of the firm’s Management Committee and Operating Committee, he also served as Managing Director and Senior Advisor from 2008 to...