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Health oriented travelers breathe
easier by booking
SAINT CHARLES, MISSOURI � MARCH 4, 2009 � 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. 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. And the No. 1 way these hotels can reach out to those health-conscious travelers is through FreshStay.com. FreshStay.com is the largest, easiest and most comprehensive online directory of smoke-free hotels in the world, and is growing daily toward its goal of 10,000 properties listed by the end of 2009. Combining a network of 100% smoke-free hotels with an integrated booking technology, FreshStay makes it easy for Frequent Breathers to find the accommodations they desire and reserve them immediately. �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) of FreshStay. 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
�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.
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.
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. Several La Quinta properties have joined FreshStay.com, including:
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:
Headquartered in Saint Charles, Missouri, Pineapple Hospitality� is The Co-Founder and Host of the ANNUAL GREEN HOSPITALITY CONFERENCE, an EPA ENERGY STAR� partner bringing fresh ideas to hospitality guests� doors and owner/operators� bottom lines � including FreshStay® (www.freshstay.com), EcoRooms & EcoSuites (www.EcoRooms.com) Environmentally Sensitive Amenities�, EO®, Neutrogena® and greenSPA� amenities and AVIVA dispensers, Energy Efficient Lighting and Controls, Custom Linen & Towel Re-Use Programs, Green Key Cards, Energy Management Systems and Controls, High Performance showerheads, the Nature�s Mist� deodorization system, Zero Odor, and dozens of other products and programs. For more information, please visit www.pineapplehospitality.net, or call us at 636-922-2285. FreshStay® is a registered trademark of Pineapple Hospitality, Inc.
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A
loyal FreshStay member since December 2006, Royal Plaza on Scotts is the
first 100% smoke-free hotel in Singapore. According to Patrick Fiat (pictured
at the left), 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.
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.
�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.�