CLEANLINESS IS TOPS
Perhaps surprisingly, consumers value cleanliness over security is selecting a hotel, according to a study commissioned by the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. In the survey of 1,000 people, 43% ranked cleanliness of a hotel as their top priority, followed by security (11%), price (23%) and location (19%).
The study, which was conducted in June, showed that 84% of Americans wouldn’t refrain from traveling for business on the 10^th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Fewer than 20% were fearful of flying on that day, and just 16% say they worry about flying on a national holiday.

HOTELS ARE BUZZING
An increasing number of hotels see the value of beekeeping, both as a source of honey for food & beverage and spa operations, but also to help pollinate on-premise gardens. Here’s a sample of what some hotels are doing:
• The InterContinental New York Barclay in Manhattan last month installed four colonies of honeybees on the hotel’s 15^th floor rooftop garden. The hotel hired a local beekeeper to care for the colonies and instruct the hotel’s executive chef and other staff members on the art of beekeeping. The hotel will use the honey in a variety of ways—from culinary items at the hotel restaurant to candles for guest amenities. The bees are also expected to pollinate the property’s herb and fruit garden as well as flowers in the neighborhood surrounding the hotel.
•The on-site apiary at Grande Lakes Orlando is part of the two-hotel (JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton) complex’s efforts to use local ingredients and to connect with area farmers. The honey produced by the operation is used by the hotels’ culinary team and in honey-infused spa treatments at the Ritz-Carlton Spa. The hotels have two beehives with plans to add two more next year. Another batch of honey harvested this month will be used to make mead, an ancient beverage made with honey.
• Last spring, the Seaport Hotel in Boston installed two hives to produce honey for recipes in the property’s two f&b outlets. In addition, hotel management hopes the apiary gives bees a safe environment to boost their population. In recent years, many bee operations have been threatened by the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder.

AN ECO-FRIENDLY DIP
The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in suburban Chicago has a saltwater swimming pool that provides a double benefit. Management says the mineral content of the pool water is less irritating to skin than chlorine and is recommended for those who are pregnant, suffer stiff joints and ache from overworked muscles. The mineral pool is also kinder to the environment than typical chlorine pools, which contain 200 to 400 times higher levels of chemicals.