It has been said that “crisis breeds innovation.” That has certainly been true in our industry and others since the onset of the pandemic. One of the innovations I have been seeing more often in recent months is portable or even robotic ultraviolet (UV) light machines that can be used by housekeepers or others in maintenance for guestrooms and public areas. They tend to use UVC light as compared to UVA or UVB. UVC light has a wavelength range of 100 to 280 nanometers (nm) and is widely acknowledged as the most effective light to eradicate germs. The machines...

PALMA, SPAIN—Bureau Veritas, a market leader in inspection, certification and testing, has completed the certification of the Meliá Hotels International ‘Stay Safe with Meliá’ program of preventative measures to combat COVID-19 and has also confirmed a level of compliance of 100 percent in company hotels. At the launch of the program in May, Meliá announced it was working with Bureau Veritas to guarantee compliance with the most rigorous health and safety standards. Bureau Veritas certified the suitability of the program, and after having completed an audit in a large sample of hotels, has now certified the correct adaptation of operating...

NATIONAL REPORT—Earlier this year the Westin Houston Medical Center announced it was using LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots to sanitize and disinfect its guestrooms and common areas to help combat the threat of coronavirus. The robots use intense germicidal UV light to disinfect rooms by quickly destroying microscopic bacteria and viruses that may be missed during the manual cleaning process. Operated by hotel staff, the robot uses pulsed xenon (a noble gas) to create intense broad-spectrum UV light. The room disinfection technology was provided by Xenex Disinfection Services. Xenex Disinfection Services is just one of a number of companies now selling UV...

PITTSBURGH, PA.—Safe Space Technologies, a Pittsburgh-based robotics company manufacturing intelligent UVC disinfection products that provide safer everyday environments, announced its line of UVC Disinfection Solutions. Using cutting edge technology, the company offers products that require less time, labor and lower overall costs compared to manual disinfection methods that introduce the element of human error. “By harnessing the disinfection properties of UVC light we are giving customers a more efficient path towards disinfection services,” said Chris Proud, Safe Space Technologies CEO. “In a time when many businesses are required to thoroughly disinfect their environments on a level they have never had...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released an analysis on the economic and human struggle  of the hotel industry six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, with millions of employees still furloughed or laid off and travel demand lagging far behind normal levels. Key findings of the report include: Four out of 10 hotel employees are still not working. Almost two-thirds (65 percent) of hotels remain at or below 50 percent occupancy, which is below the threshold at which most hotels can break even and pay debt. Consumer travel remains at all-time low, with only 33 percent of...

NORTHBROOK, ILL.—With a shared commitment to the safety and performance of electrical lighting, UL, a leading global safety science company, the American Lighting Assn. (ALA) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Assn. (NEMA) have released a new position paper due to an increased demand for sanitizing and germicidal capabilities in the face of COVID-19. The position paper has two goals: to bring attention to ultraviolet light device safety risks; and to help manufacturers, retailers and consumers understand which devices are safe and under what conditions they can be operated safely. The paper, “Ultraviolet-C (UVC) Germicidal Devices: What Consumers Need To Know,” provides a deeper look at...

READING, PENN.—Business leaders are faced with an onslaught of new decisions to keep their customers and employees safe from the spread of COVID-19. Ambius, known for its commitment to helping organizations promote healthy spaces through interior landscaping and scenting solutions, launched Hygiene360, a suite of full-service solutions that tackle the spread of germs on surfaces, person-to-person and in the air. “On top of trying to get their businesses back open during this pandemic, business leaders are looking for ways to give their employees and customers the peace of mind that their health and safety are a top priority,” said John...

WATERBURY, CONN.—The World Health Organization has declared a pandemic as COVID-19 rapidly spreads across the world. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends frequent handwashing for at least 20 seconds with soap and water to protect against COVID-19. Eemax tankless electric water heaters can help to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by making comfortable handwashing available to all. “Eemax water heating equipment is vital for health and safety, particularly for water heating, disinfecting homes, food and medical sanitation, handwashing, and emergency eye and drench showers for oil, gas and chemical industries and the military,” said Jens Bolleyer,...

ENCINITAS, CALIF.—A year after receiving Platinum WELL Certification for her Inn at Moonlight Beach—the first lodging establishment in the world to do so—owner Shangwen Chiu Kennedy has no regrets about the investment. Well Certification is a result of the International WELL Building Institute’s collaboration with Green Business Certification Inc. According to the Institute, there are currently 4,421 projects encompassing over 623 million square feet that are applying WELL across 63 countries. There is at least one additional Well hotel project. The boutique Inn at Moonlight Beach consists of five modern suites, 10 distinct gardens, and an owner’s quarters. The Inn...

HOUSTON—Houston’s GEORGE R. BROWN Convention Center announced they are deploying inventor and CEO Monzer Hourani’s Integrated Viral Protection Air Biodefence Filtration System at Avenida Houston. “The time for action is now, and helping our hometown reopen in record timing with this proven science that kills COVID-19 is so important to me as we use Houston-based research to help lead us out of this crisis and get us back to business,” said Monzer Hourani, inventor, and founder of IVP. Integrated Viral Protection’s S1 model is an affordable, mobile, plug-and-purify device proven to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 (99.999%), anthrax spores (99.8%) and other airborne contaminants...