LOS ANGELES—ICERA has unveiled the latest iteration of one of its most popular one-piece toilets—the Canto. A sleek new look gives a modern twist to this transitional model with a sculptural silhouette that is softened by smooth curves at the base and a lid shape that mirrors the lines of the matching Canto vanity. It pairs comfort and function with a clean, sophisticated design aesthetic. The Canto includes all ICERA’s signature plumbing technology, including the EcoQuattro flushing system that combines flushing power, exceptional cleanliness, and minimal water usage. As a high-efficiency toilet consuming only 1.28 gallons per flush, the Canto...

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—CIRQ+ has expanded its unified system capabilities to deliver an advanced Smart Technology Platform. CIRQ+ is the only patented modular Smart Device in the hospitality industry. The award-winning and future-proof platform has been engineered to enhance guest experience, improve hotel efficiencies, reduce energy consumption and lower operating costs. “With our ultra-modern design, the first multimodal interfaces and voice combinations, CIRQ+ has now elevated the standard for Smart Room controls by continuing to consolidate numerous products into a unified IoT solution that sets itself apart from the competition,” said Yani Deros, CEO and co-founder of CIRQ+. “Hotels striving to catch up...

ATLANTA—Honeywell, a global leader in connected buildings, announced enhancements to its INNCOM INNcontrol 5 (IC5) Energy Management and Guestroom Control System that will allow multi-property scalability for full portfolio management. Honeywell also launched a new mid-market product offering to make cost-effective, simplified energy management available to a wider range of properties. The IC5 system lets operators monitor and manage energy and guestroom controls for an entire hotel property—and now across an entire hotel portfolio—in real time to identify and resolve issues before they affect guests, track energy usage, and deliver better operational efficiency. IC5 collects guestroom data and presents it...

BOULDER, COLO.—Eco-Products announced that it is increasing its use of post-consumer recycled plastic and has become an “APR Recycling Demand Champion.” The designation is part of a campaign—launched by the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) in 2017—to expand market demand for recycled resins and improve recycling in North America. Without companies committing to use post-consumer content in products and packaging, the recycling industry can face challenges in making the economics work. Demand Champions are “forward-thinking, proactive organizations (that) are playing a prominent role in expanding the market for mixed residential plastics,” according to the APR website. “This is all part of our...

SAN FRANCISCO—Kure Products is launching into the hotel shower dispenser market just as California Assembly Bill No. 1162 makes progress toward banning small amenity bottles from hotel rooms by 2023. Following the lead of Santa Cruz County, California law makers intent on reducing plastics have focused on single-use bottles of bath products as more than 500,000 amenity bottles end up in North American landfills every day. By switching from small bottles to bulk amenity dispensers, a 100-room hotel can save more than 1,000 pounds of plastic every year. Catering to luxury hoteliers and discerning guests, Kure dispensers stand out for...

DELAVAN, WIS.—Alternative Utility Services, Inc. announces new expert Energy Benchmarking and Analysis Services to companies, buildings, facilities and institutions across America. As energy efficiency continues to rapidly become a priority for cities and local governments, the demand for qualified and talented Energy Benchmarking services has grown exponentially. This new highly anticipated program now delivers the Energy Benchmarking and analysis services that buildings, facilities, and institutions nationwide have been searching for. “Our expert Energy Benchmarking program is a testament to our long history of helping companies and institutions achieve success in saving energy, reducing costs and improving building performance,” says Jenna Buehre,...

RED BANK, N.J.—LowTides Ocean Products introduced its eco-friendly beach chair. Lightweight, durable, and easy to fold, LowTides OP beach chairs are available in eight stylish designs for adults and four fun ones for kids. The Kickstarter campaign, which launches with a funding goal of $30,000, features limited Early Bird Specials of $49 (kids chairs) and $69 (adult chairs), as well as several other rewards for backers. LowTides OP beach chairs incorporate 2.5lbs of upcycled ocean bound plastic from at risk coastal areas in the products design. Ocean bound plastic is different from other recycled plastic. LowTides OP’s supply chain sources single...

NEW YORK—Colgate has found a way to make the toothpaste you rely on for a healthier smile a part of the solution for a healthier planet. Colgate has finalized the design of a first-of-its kind recyclable toothpaste tube. The Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) last week announced its recognition of the new tube—an essential step in bringing it to the public. The Colgate design is the first oral care or personal care tube to earn APR recognition for recyclability. Under development for more than five years, the tube will debut under the company’s Tom’s of Maine brand in the United...

MINNEAPOLIS—At HITEC Minneapolis, Volara is partnering with CIRQ+ to augment the company’s new multimodal interface system that includes a guest Opt-in capability that takes voice privacy and security in the guestroom to new levels. Volara’s conversation-management software and secure integrations will enable guests to use voice to communicate through the CIRQ+ Smart platform, an embedded room control and energy-management system, while enhancing the guests’ stay with optimized comfort and convenience. Now, when guests enter their hotel rooms, they can speak commands to the CIRQ+ supported voice assistant selected by the hotel (Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or IBM Watson) to control...

SALEM, ORE.—Onity, a global leader in electronic locking, access control, and mobile key solutions for the hospitality industry, is simplifying today’s connected room architecture by melding connectivity, door locks, and smart devices into a new, mobile-centric approach for smart hotel rooms. “As a leader in mobile credentialing, Onity continues to advance its hotel access solutions to offer a simple approach to the future of the connected-guest experience,” said Fayyad Sbaihat, President, Onity and Supra. “We are set to provide an easy, flexible path to in-room connectivity.” Based on the latest DirectKey mobile access system and Trillium door locks, Onity’s smart guestroom...