Battling Bedbugs on the Front Line

As staff entomologist and technical director of Lawrenceville, NJ-based Cooper Pest Solutions, Richard Cooper has witnessed the resurgence and rapid growth of the bed bug scourge that continues to plague the hospitality industry. Unfortunately, there's no end in sight.

While various theories have attributed the rise in the bed bug population to increasing international travel, changing pesticide practices and pesticide resistance, no one knows for sure the reason for the continuing spread.

One thing's for sure, says Cooper: “A lack of public awareness is contributing to the rapid spread of bedbugs. Two to three months might pass before people realize bedbugs are biting them. They don't see them until the population becomes large and by then it's hard to eliminate them.”

A primary refuge and incubator for bed bugs is a bed's mattress and box spring. “The box spring and mattress create major challenges,” says Cooper. “The box spring is a complicated environment, with wood framework, coils, insulation — many places for bed bugs to hide and thrive. One of the keys to managing bed bugs is taking the bed out of the equation by encasing the mattress and bedspring.”

Cooper turned to Protect-A-Bed and its bed bug proof and anti-allergy encasements, and now considers its products a key weapon in his arsenal to fight the pests for his hospitality clients.

The company's AllerZip product encases the mattress and two other products in jersey or non-woven material encase box springs. The mattress encasement features a cool and absorbent cotton terry surface, Miracle Membrane waterproof and bed bug barrier, waterproof polyester side and bottom, reinforced zipper on three sides with an allergen flap and Bug Lock seal.

“Every infestation is unique,” says Cooper. “It requires repeated visits for treatment and management. That's why encasements become so important in a pest control program. It's proactive and while it might not prevent bed bugs from coming into the environment, it will prevent them from infesting the bed.” Circle 75

Digital Thermostat

INNCOM's new patent-pending Enviro-Mode thermostat invites guests to participate in hotel sustainability programs. The addition of a green button on the e4 smart digital thermostat provides a simple, effective means for guests and housekeeping staff to activate a temperature setback. Beyond reducing energy, the unit provides an opportunity for hotels to promote themselves as being eco-friendly. Circle 76

Valet Stand

The Corby pants presser is a valet stand that eases pants back into shape and applies gentle heat to remove back-of-knee wrinkles and refresh creases. The stand is appreciated by guests who check-in late or depart early and don't have time to use valet service. Distributed by Jerdon Products. Circle 77

Faucets

The Fairmont Collection from Danze, Inc. features a moderate traditional expression with more timeless styling and now includes a single handle centerset faucet, single handle vessel filler faucet and two wall mount faucets with single handle and two handle options. Products are offered in a variety of finishes. Circle 78

SKY'S THE LIMIT WITH IQWARE

John Gordon runs a complicated blend of hotels and condo-hotels through Sky Resort Management, his portfolio of 12 properties, all but one of them in the Orlando area. That's why he needed a particularly sophisticated property management system and settled on IQWare.

“I specifically chose IQWare because of the technical advantages that their system offers and because of the user-friendly applications, ease of use, yield management techniques, owner-accounting capability — and, quite frankly, their can-do attitude,” says the president and CEO of Sky Resort.

“Dave Perkins and his team clearly understand and identify the needs of the condo-hotel industry,” he says. The IQWare product is “not a typical front-office property management system, and it has strong yield capabilities. In our business, that's extremely important because of the owner aspect.”

Besides Sky Resort's Orlando properties, the company also owns and operates a property in Hunstville, AL. IQWare helps put them all together, Gordon suggests.

“Above and beyond the technical aspects of IQWare and the overall can-do attitude, it was extremely important for me to find a system that would offer central reservation capabilities, as most of my properties are in the Orlando marketplace,” Gordon says. “IQWare's development team has provided a central reservation system that will meet my needs. From my perspective, other PMS systems that I have looked at are not going to be able to meet my technical requirements in providing a central reservation system.”

He has used other PMS systems, switching from one provider two years ago and from another just four months ago. Now he has integrated “all of our properties to the IQWare platform.

“I bought a system from IQWare that they're customizing for my properties,” Gordon says. “They're not going to put in a system that's one-size-fits-all.” Circle 79

Shower System

Symmons' Water Dance multi-head shower system is part of its Elements Line of bathroom fittings. The system combines adjustable showerheads, hand sprays and body sprays to deliver a customizable shower experience. Available in two style lines and three finishes, the system delivers 13 gallons of water per minute at 45 psi and includes a tri-mode showerhead, tri-mode hand spray/bar and tri-outlet diverter valve. Circle 80

ATMs

ATM is a premier provider of both traditional and contemporary designed cabinets to blend the ATM with a hotel's decor. Elegant Designs and Extraordinary Solutions are two of its offerings. Circle 81

Electric Chafing Dish

The Buffet Burner electric chafing dish heater from Pineapple Hospitality and Intracoastal Innovations provides a safe, environmentally responsible alternative to costly, open-flame canned fuels used to maintain food temperature in kitchens, buffets, serving lines and banquets. The Buffet Burner is made of heavy-gauge, polished stainless steel. Circle 82

Laundry Solutions

The Maytag Commercial Laundry Energy Advantage line now features top-load washers, multi-load soft-mount washers and multi-load dryers. The additions are designed to address energy cost concerns. Energy Advantage washers and dryers are available in several sizes and models while designed to lower energy costs. Circle 83

Spa Baths

Sanijet's Pipeless Spa Baths offer in-room spa-quality hydrotherapy, complete with personal massage settings, targeted hydrotherapy jets and soothing chromatherapy lighting. The baths eliminate the issue of problem pipes found in traditional piped whirlpools and air baths, which allow harmful deposits to collect, creating a breeding ground for infectious bacteria. Circle 84

Internet Marketing Services

SECURE-RES offers three new services to provide more visibility and online bookings for clients. Recognizing that public relations is an important marketing component for the hospitality industry, SECURE-RES offers optimized press releases to make the most of client credibility and visibility. A new link building program focused on reciprocal and inbound linking and hosted file extranet services is an easy, affordable way for clients to improve the relationship with their customers. Circle 85

Training on iPod

The AH&LA Educational Institute has collaborated with p.o.d. Training (Portable On-Demand Training) to enable hospitality employers to purchase a new training system designed to capture the attention of a new generation of workers. The Portable Hotel Trainer, available in both Full-Service and Limited Service versions, features content from EI's training videos, broken down into short segments ideal for pre-shift sessions, reinforcement and ongoing training. Circle 86

Umbrellas and Handbags

A line of creative and colorful umbrellas and handbags is available from Galleria Enterprises, Inc. Each fiberglass folding umbrella is packaged in a gift box, automatically opens and closes with the push of a button and opens to 48-inches. Stick umbrellas are made from a one-piece wood shaft and handle. Circle 87