COVID-19
Home COVID-19

Shangri-La Partners with Diversey to Upcycle 12,500kg of Hotel Linen into Reusable Face Masks
SINGAPORE—Vulnerable members in communities across 11 cities in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka will soon have greater access to reusable face masks with the regional Linens For Life Face Masks (L4LFM) partnership between Shangri-La Group and Diversey, a leading global hygiene solutions provider.
As part of the L4LFM program, the 12,500kg of used linen donated by 20 Shangri-La hotels will be repurposed into reusable fabric face masks by local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Colombo, Hambantota, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Surabaya, Jakarta, Manila, Singapore, Bangkok and Yangon. In some cities such as Yangon, Manila, Johor Bahru, Jakarta, Surabaya and Bangkok,...
Financial Model Makes LED Upgrade ‘No Brainer’
NATIONAL REPORT—At a time of low occupancies caused by COVID-19, spending money on upgrades other than those related to cleaning and maintenance is likely not a priority. At least one company, however, is offering a “pay as you save” program that makes investing in LED lighting upgrades very enticing.
“Through our ‘pay as you save’ program, it is zero down with very low interest rates. In most cases reductions in lighting costs are greater than the cost of the new lighting,” says John Hutchcroft, V.P. of Field Development, YellowBlueLED. “For the most part they are immediately cash flow positive and...
Wynn Resorts Issues 2019 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report
LAS VEGAS—Wynn Resorts issued its 2019 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, providing a comprehensive view of the company’s commitment to responsible business practices, environmental protection, and social impact. Also detailed is Wynn Resorts’ industry-leading response to the COVID-19 pandemic, outlining steps the company took to protect the health and well-being of employees, first responders, medical professionals, and vital nonprofit organizations.
The report reflects the strong corporate values and core behaviors that govern Wynn Resorts’ business and guide the company’s commitment to solving complex social responsibility issues facing the hospitality industry. In the report’s forward, Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox...
P&G Professional Surveys Travelers, Diners Regarding Future Plans
CINCINNATI—Stay-at-home restrictions are being lifted across the country and more people will resume their routines of shopping at retail stores, traveling for work and fun, and eating out in restaurants. But as two new surveys from P&G Professional reveal, COVID-19 is still top of mind for consumers and it will be critical for businesses to reassure their guests that it is safe to return. Communicating that the space is cleaned and disinfected by brands they know, and trust will help instill this consumer confidence.
In May 2020, P&G Professional, the away from home division of Procter & Gamble, surveyed 850...
Bevi Now Offers Touchless Beverage Dispensing Feature
BOSTON—Bevi, a tech startup company that offers a suite of smart water coolers with still and sparkling flavors for commercial spaces, has announced a timely new touchless dispensing feature that provides users with a means to hydrate without using the machine’s touchscreen.
As offices and workplaces begin to reopen, health precautions around COVID are top of mind, and there are concerns about contacting appliances such as shared water coolers and refrigerators. A growing response has been to turn to single-use packaging and other environmentally unsustainable products. Bevi believes that people shouldn’t have to choose between sustainability and safety, so it’s...
Nuvola Launches Complimentary Hotel Health & Safety Tools
MIAMI—Nuvola, developers of hotel optimization and guest engagement software, announced a new StayClean initiative to provide hoteliers with tools designed to support post-COVID-19 hotel operations and enhance the guest experience. Checklists and Checkpoints, the first set of resources now available to prepare hotels for reopening, work together as a digital assistant in managing and implementing new cleaning protocols. Both modules are free to deploy through the end of 2020.
“Aiming to do our part as former hoteliers in helping the industry navigate the new state of travel, we saw the need to develop free and easy to use solutions to...
Green Seal Releases Safer Disinfecting Guidelines
WASHINGTON, D.C.—As businesses and schools consider COVID-19 disinfection regimens that expose building occupants to unnecessary health risks, Green Seal has released Guidelines for Safer COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfection that spell out effective and responsible cleaning practices for occupant health and safety during the pandemic.
These five best practices—intended for facility, property and housekeeping managers—are based on the latest scientific understanding of the COVID-19 virus and build on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency. They also reflect Green Seal’s expertise in setting science-based standards for cleaning products, principles, and practices that deliver uncompromising...
SASZONE M2 QR Code Technology Debuts in Vegas
LAS VEGAS—Now, restaurants, bar and other business owners can help keep employees and customers safe and healthy in a fun way using the latest technology from SASZONE, a new division of Plush Creative Agency, http://www.plushcalv.com/sas-zone. With demands to meet updated health guidelines, the team at Plush created MENU SQUARED using the latest QR code technology.
MENU SQUARED, or M2 QR Code Technology, removes the need for disposable menus, provides a simple solution for customers and offers new marketing opportunities to operators and suppliers.
“MENU SQUARED is a unique QR code system that is user-friendly, secure, easy for outlets and consumers to...
Pay Attention to, Participate in Tripadvisor’s Travel Safe Program
According to a recent study by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel platform, more than 9 out of 10 (92 percent) said cleanliness is the most important factor in selecting accommodations. Capitalizing on that trend, Tripadvisor has launched a new suite of “Travel Safe” tools to help consumers find, filter for, and validate health and safety information to feel more confident with their future travel choices across town and around the world. If your property is listed on TripAdvisor, you need to pay attention to and participate in Travel Safe.
Travel Safe features are available in all 49 markets where Tripadvisor...
Tripadvisor Launches ‘Travel Safe’ Tools, Making It Easy to Find Important Health & Safety Information
NEEDHAM, MASS.—Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel platform, launched a new suite of “Travel Safe” tools to help consumers find, filter for, and validate health and safety information to feel more confident with their future travel choices across town and around the world. Travel Safe features are available in all 49 markets where Tripadvisor operates, and more than 13,850 properties have already activated the feature set.
A recent study* from Tripadvisor found that for consumers thinking about future travel:
More than 9 out of 10 (92%) said cleanliness is the most important factor in selecting accommodations.
More than 8 in 10...