The Importance of Indoor Air Quality in Hotels

The quality of the air in the hotel industry is often something that is a hot topic of interest when it comes to indoor air quality in commercial environments. The hotel industry has a particularly high bar to meet when it comes to the overall experience of Customers that walk in and out of their establishments – as competition is high and Customer experience is everything. When it comes to the factors considered in the overall Customer experience in a hotel the main things that are considered is cleanliness, service, ambiance, and quality of the environment – including the indoor air quality that is present in this environment where people are occupants of for a duration of time during their stay.

When it comes to improving and/or maintaining quality indoor air within a large commercial space it can require the use of effective, intensive equipment to properly filter and clean this air space. However, over the years with the development of new and improved technology it has become tremendously easier to integrate air quality control solutions into these environments to provide a proper air quality in this contained environment.

In this article we are going to learn more about the hotel industries air quality problems and discuss the best indoor air quality solutions to integrate into this large commercial environment.  

Air Pollution in Hotels

Indoor air quality is very important within the hotel industry since poor indoor air can have an adverse impact on both the staff, guests, and Customers that enter into these premises and occupy the environment for days on end. The legal responsibility of the hotel(s) is to ensure that the environment is both safe for employees and Customers when they are residing in this indoor space, or else they may face legal ramifications in some extreme cases. When it comes to the indoor air quality within a hotel the major components within this environment that must be paid close attention to is proper ventilation, maintenance of boilers and heating systems, and the integration of air quality solutions to help mitigate those potential airborne pollutants present in the indoor air of the hotel.

When it comes to indoor air quality in hotels, some Customers may complain about stuffy rooms that exacerbate allergy symptoms, rooms that have problems with the air conditioning/heating system, and even rooms that Customers may find mold growth within this enclosed environment. If any of these environmental conditions are present within the indoor space of your hotel room this can have a drastic impact on the overall Customer experience and lead to the loss of business in the long run.

Below we are going to talk more about the different environmental conditions and airborne contaminants that may be found in a hotel room or space and how they can impact the overall IAQ.

1. Pollutants

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indoor air quality is often 2 to 5 times more polluted than that of outdoor air and included in this pollution is a variety of pollutants such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and indoor particulate matter. These airborne pollutants can be produced into the environment from many sources inside of a hotel room such as the furniture in the room, the cleaning products used to disinfect the environment, and even brought in from occupants on their clothing, luggage, etc. These pollutants can have a potentially adverse reaction on human health when ingested into the human body – these symptoms can range from acute to severe depending on the amount of exposure.

2. Humidity

Humidity in an indoor environment refers to the amount of moisture or water vapor in the air and is measured by percent relative humidity. Inside of a hotel room the ambient temperature in the space can heavily influence the humidity that is present in the space. Typically, indoor humidity should fall between 30 to 50% humidity levels, and when it falls above or below these standards it will result in high or low humidity in the indoor air. Additionally, humidity may also influence the potential for mildew and mold growth in the space – when the moisture and humidity levels are high it will exacerbate the growth of mildew/mold in the environment.

3. Renovations

When renovations are going on within an indoor environment that you are exposed to, the heightened risks of airborne pollutants hanging in the air is more likely than in environments where no renovations are occurring. During the renovation process in a hotel, there will be dust, chemicals, and a variety of other pollutants produced into the air that can taint the indoor air quality. There are a variety of chemicals that are used in the manufacturing of building materials such as volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde. When these chemicals are used in the building materials installed during renovations they will begin to off-gas into the air and lead to a volatile indoor air space in the environment.

4. Mold in Hotel Rooms

If you have ever walked into a hotel room to feel the unpleasant conditions of humidity and moisture in the air than it may be possible that mold has developed in the room of this hotel. As we discussed previously, when humidity levels are high in the indoor space of a hotel room it will lead to the exacerbation of mold growth on the surfaces in this environment. The temperature in the hotel room can play a major role in the progression of mold. The walls and surfaces in this environment are constantly exposed to changing temperatures and this will allow for the mold to further develop on the surfaces in the hotel. When mold grows in this indoor space it can significantly affect the health of those that are exposed to the mold and its spores – and it can even lead to certain health issues and ailments down the road with further exposure to this growing indoor fungus.

Air Filtration Technology for Hotel Industry

The hospitality industry has dramatically improved its overall awareness of air quality issues that have a direct impact on the comfort of guests and their health when exposed to these environments for longer durations of time. When it comes to controlling and maintaining the indoor air quality inside of a commercial space like a hotel, this will involve the use of high-quality air purification methods to filter the air and remove those harmful pollutants that can contaminant the indoor air space of the environment. Some of the most common types of air quality solutions used in commercial spaces includes HVAC filters and stand-alone air purifiers that can easily be placed in the environment to begin working on cleaning the indoor air space.

Hotel Air Purifier

The OdorKlenz-Air for HVAC Filter, along with the OdorKlenz Air Purifier are both revolutionary air quality solutions that can be used in the hospitality industry for air quality control and maintenance. The OdorKlenz® engineered odor control and chemical solution is becoming a popular air quality solution for hotels/apartments/molds/dorms that can easily be placed in these environments. The proprietary OdorKlenz® materials consist of safe, earth minerals that allow for containment and neutralization of a broad spectrum of noxious and toxic chemicals and odors from an indoor environment. These proven and tested OdorKlenz® materials are highly efficient “adsorptive neutralizers” for chemicals making them not only competitively advantageous, but very commercially attractive.

The OdorKlenz Mobile Air System utilizes a two-stage filtration technology that uses the proprietary OdorKlenz® earth mineral technology, along with a HEPA filter for fine particulate removal larger than 0.3 microns in size at a 99.99 percent efficiency. OdorKlenz has been third-party tested by some of the leading laboratories around the world including Battelle Memorial Institute, Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC), Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and others. In addition, the OdorKlenz technology has undergone extensive in-house testing against a broad spectrum of noxious and toxic chemicals and odors, including the OdorKlenz materials effectiveness in commercial industries for odor control.