When you think of desirable hotel amenities, easy check-in, fresh linens, and room service are some of the first things that come to mind. But one amenity that often goes without consideration, which can be very noticeable if lacking, is clean air.
In the hotel and hospitality industries, cleanliness isn’t just a perk – it’s essential, especially for the air that your patrons breathe in. Clean air, climate control and comfort rank high on guests’ concerns when choosing a hotel to stay in. Visitors can spend up to 90% of their time indoors, so high indoor air quality (IAQ) can make or break a hotel’s reputation, especially in cities with elevated levels of air pollution.
While this can be a challenge for regular hotels, some hotels with casinos face an even larger problem by having to combat the lingering smell of cigarette smoke produced by its gambling patrons. While most large U.S. cities have passed laws that prohibit smoking inside, places like Las Vegas still have to deal with this extra air pollutant problem in their indoor bars and casinos.
Challenges Hotels and Casinos Face for Maintaining Indoor Air Quality
Managing the air quality in your hotel or casino can be a complicated challenge. There are a diverse set of requirements for each public space in a hotel. It is not just the individual guest rooms that must be considered, but all the spaces that patrons may occupy, including the lobby, bars, the garage, congress facilities, banquet halls, casinos and more.
Each area provides its own unique challenge to keep the air quality at peak levels. On top of that, there is an ever-growing public concern and demands for allergy and asthma friendly accommodations. No guest is too small or less important than another when it comes to indoor air quality.
Arguably one of the most difficult parts in dealing with indoor air quality for hotels and casinos is managing the multitude of sources that can produce particulate pollution. A steady flow of particulate pollution, chemicals, gases and other contaminants can be drawn in from outside, corridors, bars, casinos, restaurants and areas undergoing maintenance right into the rooms of your guests.
Couple these issues with the fact that most U.S. hospitality establishments do not provide rooms with windows that open to let air in, leaving the guest to rely solely on the hotel’s indoor commercial air filtration systems to protect them from unwanted odors.
The problem is not merely about discomfort either. Odors from cleaning agents, cigarette smoke from bars and casinos, water damage, and fumes from chemicals used in renovation can cause air-quality problems that directly impact guests’ comfort and health. The presence of mold and bacteria in ductwork and behind walls, as well as off-gassing from carpets and furniture in the rooms themselves can be a persistent problem for your patrons.
Benefits of Improving the Air Quality Inside Your Establishment
Efficient industrial air filters and air purifiers for hotels do more than simply filter out the air. They capture and eliminate contaminants ranging from odors, dust particles, allergens and bacteria to dangerous gases, chemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Not only do they deliver clean air for high indoor air quality, but they help building owners reduce their energy consumption and overall carbon footprint.
In today’s world, who doesn’t want to reduce their carbon footprint and save money on energy bills every month? Air-conditioning and air comfort management can make up 15–20% of the total cost of running a hotel. Instead of cutting back on outdoor air volume, using energy-efficient air filters will improve indoor air quality and can save on overall costs.
If your concern is more focused on creating loyal customers and earning better feedback ratings, hotel guests need to be productive at meetings and be able to enjoy their leisure time. Clean air will help ensure their comfort, health and loyalty. This is also true in the case of your employees. Focusing on good indoor air quality will provide a healthy work environment for all of your staff, which will not only raise morale, but will also protect your employees from catching airborne infections, greatly reducing the use of sick time and increasing overall productivity.
Improving the indoor air quality in your establishment can also save time and money on cleaning costs. Proper industrial air filters and air purifiers will capture dust and prevent it from settling. Your rooms and common areas will be cleaner for longer and require less cleaning overall, saving you on the cleaning labor costs and supplies.
Strategies for Improving your Indoor Air Quality
Here are some of the most practical things you can do to improve your overall indoor air quality in your hotel or casino:
Maintain Your Air Filters
First and foremost, purchase and install a proper, high-quality air filter for your industrial air filtration system. Once you have the proper unit working, it is important to maintain or replace your air filter on a regular basis. Because of the high volume and traffic of different people through your guest rooms, it is imperative to check your air filters on a regular basis to make sure they are not clogged or moldy and are still operating at peak levels.
Refusing to do so can cause dust particles (and other unsavory particulate matter) to be released back into the airstream. This can lead to guest complaints and bad reviews for your establishment. We recommend you check your filter and clean or replace it every two months at maximum.
Control Temperature and Humidity
Most of the heating ventilation and air conditioning thermostats can only control the temperature of the air. If a room gets too cold or hot, the life expectancy of the system can drop. It also creates perfect conditions for mold to rear its ugly head. Removing excess humidity from the air by using dehumidifiers or changing the thermostat so it can control both temperature and humidity can effectively solve this problem.
Prevention
In order to improve indoor air quality, it’s crucial to implement regular routines to prevent sources of poor air quality from getting out of control. Dirty carpets and old furniture can be a source of the dust. Clean or remove these items regularly to prevent unnecessary dust from entering the air stream. When the paint on the wall starts to age, it can flake and enter the air. As a result, it has to be removed as soon as possible. These things may seem insignificant, but they can cause bad air quality if you ignore them.
Once these steps have been followed, employees will be healthier, guests will be more satisfied with their stay in the hotel and your business shall continue to thrive.
Advanced Filtration Concepts is a
Certified Veteran-Owned Small Business.
