Hotels embrace FreshStay.com to let guests breathe easy

At a time when socially responsible travel is gaining traction, and more people than ever are taking their healthy habits on the road with them, the hospitality industry is seeing a tidal wave of hotels from around the globe choosing to go 100-percent smoke-free. Combining a network of 100% smoke-free hotels with an integrated booking technology, FreshStay.com makes it easy for "Frequent Breathers" to find the accommodations they desire and reserve them immediately.

FreshStay.com is an online directory of smoke-free hotels throughout the world, and is growing daily toward its goal of 10,000 properties listed by the end of 2009.

‘Clean air and healthy travel go hand-in-hand. As travelers have become more sophisticated in their choice of lodgings, hoteliers have found they can no longer take something as elemental as the air we breathe for granted,’ says Dave Janicke, the CBO ("Chief Breathing Officer," duh ) of FreshStay.

A new study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that cleaner air has added nearly five months to the average life expectancy in the United States. Between 1978 and 2001, Americans’ average life span increased almost three years to 77, and as much as 4.8 months of that can be attributed to cleaner air, according to researchers from Brigham Young University and Harvard School of Public Health.

When you also consider that smokers shorten their lives by an average of 10 years, it puts into perspective how important clean air can be to living a healthy, happy life.

FreshStay member partners have made the commitment to completely eliminate smoking from their guestrooms, dining facilities, meeting rooms and lobbies. Many of them have also implemented additional Indoor Air Quality Enhancements for the benefit of guests who suffer from allergies, asthma and other chemical sensitivities.

FreshStay also is reaching out to LOHAS – which stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. Lohasians, as they are often called, are a segment of the population focused on health and fitness, the environment, personal development, sustainable living and social justice.

‘Whether you suffer from allergies, are adamant about patronizing businesses that share your commitment to the environment, or you just can’t stand the smell of smoke, FreshStay.com is aligned to find you the accommodations you need where you need them,’ says Janicke. ‘We’re growing strong, and our reach is being felt around the globe.’

Global Reach

A loyal FreshStay member since December 2006, Royal Plaza on Scotts is the first 100% smoke-free hotel in Singapore. According to Patrick Fiat, General Manager of Royal Plaza on Scotts, the decision to go 100-percent smoke-free on premises was based on anticipated health benefits the move would provide the hotel’s guests and staff. It also was a logical, proactive step – since the Singapore Government already had banned smoking in public places in a few other areas.

"Going smoke-free has attracted a new pool of clientele, the non-smokers and health-conscious," says Lynn Tan, Director of Marketing Communications for the hotel. "We also have observed requests from smoking guests for non-smoking rooms. Our guests welcome the clean air that permeates our hotel 24 hours a day."

Royal Plaza on Scotts reinforces its nonsmoking policy to all guests, explaining the rules to all the guests prior to their stays and upon check-in since making the move. The hotel also has engaged innovative ways of displaying non-smoking signs on guestroom TVs and electronic signboards in the hotel to remind guests of the non-smoking policy.

Tan explains that the employees of the hotel also have been encouraged to quit smoking to ‘walk the talk.’ When the hotel went smoke-free, 96% of those staff who were smoking had successfully quit or had cut down has helped reduce the amount of money lost from healthcare costs, absenteeism and loss of productivity. The staff also has reported experiencing increased health benefits since voluntarily participating in the program.

This is important because, according to the 2007 survey findings commissioned by the Singapore Cancer Society and the National Cancer Centre (NCC), only five in 100 people in the country know breathing second-hand smoke puts them at risk of cancer.

"The hotel also benefited from monetary savings – money previously spent on the thorough cleaning required of smoking rooms, as the smoke stench and stains are the most difficult to remove," Tan adds. "This also hinders the hotel from selling the smoking rooms immediately to other guests with the longer cleaning process. Being smoke-free cuts the operation costs back by about $10,000 per month."

La Quinta Link

FreshStay.com has also added a number of member properties from La Quinta Inn & Suites to its listings. La Quinta’s from all over the country are embracing the smoke-free path as a way to offer a cleaner, more refreshing stays to their valued guests.

"We choose to be 100% smoke free to promote a healthier body and fresher environment," says D’Andre Holmes, General Manager of the La Quinta Inn & Suites – Houston/Normandy. "Since we have gone smoke free our guest response has really been great. They seem to be more appreciative of the new, fresher environment."

With a number of those properties recently undergoing renovations and updating their guestrooms, it made sense to protect their investments – while also boosting guest satisfaction – by eliminating the smells and property damage that comes from smoking.

"We choose to partner with FreshStay not only because you stand for our same beliefs in creating a healthier environment, but its reputation speaks for itself," says Holmes. "In the future I would like to see it in our plans to place air purifiers in our public access areas to improve our Indoor Air Quality."

PURE Air

One new FreshStay property that has implemented an Indoor Air Quality enhancement program is the Wyndham Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, utilizing Wyndham’s ClearAir guest rooms program for the first time just weeks ago.

Following a system designed by New York-based PURE Solutions NA, Wyndham ClearAir rooms undergo a multi-step cleaning process designed to remove up to 98 percent of allergens.

First, guestroom walls, carpeting, bedcovers and fabrics are sanitized and treated with a long-lasting microbial shield, making them free from odors and resistant to bacteria and viruses. Next, a medical-grade air purification system is installed.

Air-handling units and vents are deep-cleaned and equipped with PURE Solutions’ signature tea tree oil cartridge, which acts as a natural antiseptic and disinfectant to maintain sanitary conditions.

In hotel meeting rooms, air is purified at a greater intensity and filtrated eight times more frequently than standard air-handling systems. The goal is to achieve 99.9 percent effective treatment of air and surfaces.

"We recently converted 10 guestrooms to the CleanAir program," says Reaz Chowdhury, General Manager of Wyndham Las Colinas. "We’ve already had great comments from our guests, that they’ve really enjoyed a healthy, restful sleep. It’s especially great for people with allergies who are happy they aren’t up all night coughing."

Chowhury says both staff and guests can really feel the crisp, fresh air upon entering a PURE Room. The property has updated all its rooms with new flat-screen TVs, new bedding and added a restaurant and bar. Located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the Wyndham Los Colinas is the first hotel in the area to install CleanAir rooms.

"This is the perfect option for people who might be staying or visiting people in a nearby hospital, so that they know the room is going to be very clean and bacteria-free," he explains.

PURE Room is a partner of FreshStay parent Pineapple Hospitality. The PURE Room program includes, among other products and services:

• Treatment of all surfaces to minimize contaminants and irritants, mold spores, yeast, bacteria, pollen, dust, dust mites and chlorine, as well as their odors,
• Entire room allergy-friendly coverage – from the ceiling, walls and all else in between, to the room’s water and air,Cleaning and disinfecting of air-handling units and replacement of filters as needed,
• Cleaning of carpeting and upholstery with PUREClean, the knock-out punch for dirt, bacteria and mold, and PUREShield, a bacteriostatic barrier,
• A one-time high-Ozone shock treatment for mold and bacteria elimination in every nook and cranny,
• An electronic air purifier that serves as a quiet, 24-hour-a-day defense against potentially dangerous airborne particles such as volatile organic chemicals, bacteria, allergens, mold spores, pollen, fine dust and dust mites,
• Allergy-friendly, soft micro-fiber mattress and pillow encasements,
• A black light inspection,
• For hotels with a chlorine issue, a PURE showerhead with an activated charcoal filter to stop chlorine irritation at its source,
• Bi-Annual maintenance and recertification as PURE allergy-friendly rooms, and
• Training for associates including front desk, group sales and reservations staff on how to market PURE Rooms to their guests.

For more information, visit http://www.freshstay.com .