WHAT BUSINESS TRAVELERS WANT
The nation’s business travelers are back on road and spending a lot of nights in hotels. A new survey from Harris Interactive for Best Western showed that three-fourths of U.S. business travelers said they expected to travel the same, if not more, this fall compared to last year. And perhaps in reaction to rising airfares and shrinking seat capacities, half of those surveyed said they’ll be traveling by car while 36% planned to fly for business trips.

The survey also revealed business travelers’ distain for extra charges and fees by hotels. About three-fourths of respondents expect parking to be included in a hotel’s rate, 65% expect free breakfast and eight out of 10 believe Internet access should be free at hotels. These same travelers aren’t very happy with the airlines: their leading travel pet peeves are flight delays (mentioned by 39% of respondents) and long security lines (32%). Other gripes include lack of quality sleep and lack of health food options (both 29%).

SAVING ON LIGHTING COSTS
Excluding labor, energy is typically the highest cost that hoteliers face and is the single fastest-growing operating cost in the hospitality industry. A large portion of a property’s energy costs is for lighting, representing almost a quarter of all electricity consumed in a typical hotel. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Lighting retrofits with LED luminaires can reduce electricity use by 50% or more. Parking structure energy use is surprisingly high. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), parking structures consume about the same amount of electricity per square foot as commercial buildings. And parking garage lighting is one of the largest expenses hoteliers face because they are illuminated 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A prime example, the 252-room W Dallas Victory Hotel and Residences anticipates a 39% annual energy savings and $44,000 annual reduced energy costs by installing 162 BetaLED luminaires in its underground parking structure. The property expects a return-on-investment in just over two years.

USING HEAT TO CONTROL PESTS
Recent research suggests bed bugs can carry bacteria harmful to humans. In June, the Natural Link Mold Lab in Reno, NV published a study showing bed bugs can transfer live staph cells from a culture to a sterile plate, demonstrating theirpotential as a vehicle for spreading bacteria. Another study, published in Canada in May, revealed scientists detected MRSA in bed bugs.

“While a bed bug doesn’t inject its saliva into the host as does a mosquito, its mandibles act like a pair of sharp forceps, piercing and tearing the skin, so the potential exists for surface bacteria to enter through the bite,” says Sean Abbott, Ph.D., senior biologist for Natural Link Mold Lab. “This evidence underscores the urgency for employing effective solutions against the pathogens sooner rather than later.”

The study examined the efficacy of high temperature treatment and determined not only were bed bugs eliminated at 122ºF, but so was all bacteria. One alternative for hoteliers utilizing this structural pasteurization and high temperature technique is from ThermaPure.