It was a little more than 11 years ago that I first wrote about the “Make a Green Choice” program that had been rolled out at a couple of hotels in Seattle and Kauai. For those of you not familiar with Make a Green Choice, it gave guests the option of opting out of housekeeping for a day or more. At the time, in exchange for doing that, guests were given either a $5 gift card for the hotel’s restaurants or the option of receiving 500 Starpoints as part of Starwood’s loyalty program. I applauded the program at the...

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—CIRQ+ founders dreamed of a world where people can work and live safely, allowing a nation hard-hit by the pandemic to return to the life they knew, and today that dream becomes a reality with the launch of CIRQ+CLEAN. Developed by cloud-based platform CIRQ+ in response to the impact of the global COVID crisis, the CIRQ+CLEAN is a first of its kind solution—a touchless sterilization innovation that dispenses an EPA-registered fluid through an in-room autonomous, connected IoT robot, the Cbot. The all-natural, non-toxic disinfecting solution has the most up-to-date approvals by the EPA for use against Sars-CoV-2, the...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added Spectrum UVC to its Green Product & Service Directory in the Cleaning & Maintenance/UV Disinfection category. Spectrum UVC is revolutionizing sanitation standards for residential and commercial spaces by utilizing the power UV light disinfection, eliminating 99.9 percent of all viruses, bacteria, and pathogens in the safest manner possible to both humans and the environment. The company’s 850M9 is lighter and more mobile than competing units but is at the same time more powerful for better disinfection in less time. The units are user friendly. When guests feel safe occupancy increases. Decrease turnaround time. Proven...

PHUKET, THAILAND—Outrigger Hotels and Resorts is inviting up to 1,500 Hawaii nurses and respiratory therapists to enjoy a stress-free, cost-free stay in Waikiki as a way for the hospitality brand to show its appreciation for the frontline healthcare heroes. Eligible individuals must book by Sept. 30, 2020 to take advantage of this offer and stay dates can be anytime from September 15, 2020 to January 31, 2021 with some restrictions. “During this COVID-19 pandemic, Hawaii is indebted to the medical professionals who serve selflessly to help ensure the wellbeing of our island community,” said Sean Dee, EVP and CMO at...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International announced that Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas will open their doors on September 30, completing the reopening of all of its properties around the world following closures earlier this year amid the Covid-19 crisis. Upon reopening, Park MGM/NoMad will be The Strip’s first fully smoke-free casino resort. “Opening Park MGM and NoMad represent significant milestones, as they are the last of our properties to welcome back employees and guests alike,” said Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts CEO and President. “The last six months have presented extraordinary challenges and I could not be prouder of the MGM...

NEW YORK—Ace Hotel has teamed up with Noshinku to elevate the hand sanitizer experience for their guests. Noshinku is a premium hand sanitizer brand that doesn’t just kill germs but also treats skin gently and smells great. Ace has installed Noshinku’s signature sleek dispensers in multiple locations throughout the public spaces in its U.S. properties, including New York, Chicago, Downtown Los Angeles, and New Orleans. In doing so, the hotel brand is treating hand sanitizer as a premium amenity that elevates the overall guest experience, and not just a generic necessity. “We’re thrilled that Ace chose us, and recognizes that elegance...

ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF.—Notu Design has unveiled Notu One, an all-in-one, pill-shaped no-touch tool for opening doors, signing receipts and using touchscreens. Notu Design is a fresh new brand from the innovative design team at Gruv Inc. They are behind the globally-distributed brands Gruv Gear and Krane. The ergonomic design of the Notu One is easy to grip and feels comfortable in the hand while addressing the issue of contamination from exposed surfaces such as door handles, pens and public touchscreens. A clever magnetic-mounted hook slides out quickly to open doors and slides right back into the aluminum casing, keeping hands...

Temperature is but one of the measurements for determining whether a guest or employee is ill with COVID-19. That is why it should not be relied on entirely for any diagnosis. In looking for technology that tells you more than temperature, you may want to check out a company called binah.ai LTD. Its contactless app technology enables the extraction of a large set of vital signs and mental stress measurements based on the analysis of a video taken with any device equipped with a camera (smartphone, tablet, kiosk, in-car camera and many more). Binah.ai’s solution applies a unique mix...

LONDON—A devastating $155 billion looks set to be lost from the U.S. economy due to the collapse of international travel during 2020, according to latest research conducted by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, says the massive decline in the number of international travelers and tourists visiting the United States due to the COVID-19 pandemic, could result in international visitor spending dropping by a staggering 79 percent. This catastrophic loss to the American economy equates to a shortfall of $425 million a day, or nearly $3 billion a week, to the...

JOHNSON CITY, TENN.—Unscrupulous sellers across the country are falsely claiming both commercial and in-home air purification systems kill coronavirus. While air purification technologies, including GreenTech Environmental’s proprietary methods, have been used successfully to curb the spread of viruses including SARS and even Ebola, no air purification system has published results of singular and scientific testing against the coronavirus. As the United States grapples with reopening plans for schools, restaurants, hotels, and entertainment facilities, GreenTech Environmental is urging air purification buyers, including commercial and consumer buyers, to use air purification as part of a comprehensive mitigation strategy rather than the singular...