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COVID-19

COVID-19, caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, has hammered the lodging industry harder than any event ever before. Every element of a hotel’s operation has been impacted—from cleaning & maintenance to food and beverage. Many hotel companies are responding aggressively with revamped operations plans. What we all can agree on is that hotels may never be the same again. This area of Green Lodging News highlights the latest news and trends. Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

COVID-19

Home COVID-19
COVID-19, caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, has hammered the lodging industry harder than any event ever before. Every element of a hotel’s operation has been impacted—from cleaning & maintenance to food and beverage. Many hotel companies are responding aggressively with revamped operations plans. What we all can agree on is that hotels may never be the same again. This area of Green Lodging News highlights the latest news and trends. Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Green Lodging News Adds Spectrum UVC to Product Directory

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...

Outrigger Increases Room Donation to $500k for Hawaii State Nurses & Respiratory Therapists

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...

Park MGM/NoMad to be Las Vegas Strip’s Only Smoke-Free Casino-Resort

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...

Ace Hotel, Noshinku Team Up to Make Sanitizer Luxurious

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...

Notu Design Launches Ultimate No-Touch Tool

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...

Technology Goes Beyond Just Guest Temperature Reading

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...

United States Set to Lose $155 billion from Missing International Tourists & Visitors, says WTTC

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...

GreenTech Offers Advice on Virus, Air Purification

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...

AHLA Named One of ‘100 Associations That Will Save the World’

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) was named to a national list of “100 Associations That Will Save the World” in recognition of the association’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The list, compiled by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), recognizes AHLA and 18 other associations as leaders in the “Coronavirus Response” category. “We are honored by ASAE’s recognition of our team as one of the 100 associations that will save the world,” said Chip Rogers, President and CEO of AHLA. “In these unprecedented times, we are working night and day to support our members and help our...

CIRQ+ Announces Unveiling of New Touchless Sterilization Innovation

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—CIRQ+ announced the unveiling of a new Touchless Sterilization Innovation that will generate hope for a better, brighter and safer future for hotels, travelers, offices, businesses, schools and more. The global unveiling showcasing at multiple sites will be held on September 16 at 2 p.m. EST and streaming live. This event will be hosted by Anthony Melchiorri, star of Hotel Impossible and Glenn Haussman, host of the popular “No Vacancy” Podcast. Yani Deros, CEO and Founder of CIRQ+ will unveil the new breakthrough technology developed in response to the impact of the COVID crisis felt around the world. “This is...