The Hotel Bed Bug Authority

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Hello Everyone

This month’s edition of The Hotel Bed Bug Authority focuses on the unique challenges the hospitality industry is facing leading up to the upcoming Holiday travel season. The ongoing labor shortage in hospitality should keep GMs wary of potential bed bug activity placing further strain on their already over-extended staff. Protecting your staff from bed bugs is just as important as keeping guests safe. We will examine the impact that technology and other streamlined solutions can have on staff retention. The Hotel Bed Authority will also discuss the latest news impacting the hospitality industry including an announcement from Allergy Technologies regarding its relationship with Hilton Supply Management.

The hospitality industry was heavily impacted by the effects of the COVID pandemic, with a 9.4% decline from February 2020 to September 2021, according to an article published earlier this month via Barron’s. There are several theories as to why hotels are struggling to fill open positions. Cornell University Professor David Sherwyn believes the cause is due to customer-facing workers fearing the Delta COVID variant. RBC Capital Markets Chief Economist Tom Porcell, on the other hand, believes the shortage is due to the availability of pandemic recovery unemployment paychecks. Although there is no consensus on the cause of the labor shortage, retaining your hard-working staff should be a key priority.

Your hotel staff constantly put themselves at risk for bed bug exposure, from housekeepers changing linens to front desk personnel checking-in guests. There is a real risk of having your staff miss a shift because they must have their homes treated for bed bugs. Losing staff time to bed bugs compounds the labor shortage issue. The solution is implementing a preventive program designed to stop bed bug infestations before they establish. The benefits of prevention are not just limited to increasing your RevPAR or preserving your online reputation – your staff will be protected, and their time usage maximized rather than dealing with bed bug-related issues. To learn more about the ‘Power of Prevention’ with ActiveGuard, email info@allergytechnologies.com or visit hotelbedbugprevention.com.

A recent Hotel Business article highlighted a major incentive for retaining workers through a survey of staff - better technology that makes their job easier. The article mentions that 50% of hotel employees would switch jobs to a competing hotel if provided better technology. The technology upgrade example featured in the article was something as simple as implementing a more technologically advanced communication device rather than the more commonly used walkie-talkie units. This sentiment is extended to other tech updates in hotels, such as updated check-in systems and improving guest Wi-Fi systems. Employees seek out job openings at hotels that offer these systems because efficient systems make executing their role much easier. 88% of employees surveyed said they seek better tech because it increases customer satisfaction. Happy guests make for happy employees, especially since guest satisfaction is an important performance metric in the industry.

One of the benefits of upgrading your tech and overall infrastructure is increased efficiency. These increases in efficiency will yield a positive impact on your P&L. Higher guest satisfaction ratings will lead to more bookings. As a prime example, implementing a bed bug prevention system will keep more rooms available for occupancy. Remember…your reliance on encasements as a preventive is limited solely to bedding protection against spills and stains. They offer no benefit to the guest as far a controlling or preventing a bed bug infestation. Consider replacing any worn out mattress encasements with active mattress liners. These guest-centric liners will provide consistent long term bed bug prevention without the maintenance requirements of encasements. Saving staff time by avoiding constantly repairing and replacing encasements, while enjoying the benefits of actual bed bug prevention, allows your staff to provide a better guest experience.

One of the themes of The Hotel Bed Bug Authority is the need to protect to protect stakeholders from bed bug related lawsuits. Unfortunately for an MGM property in Tunica, Mississippi, they were sued for $3 million by a guest who claims to have been bitten by bed bugs during two separate stays. The plaintiff claims her experience with bed bugs caused her to suffer “physical and emotional injury.” This lawsuit is a sobering reminder of how much a hotel risks when choosing a reactive (and archaic) bed bug strategy. A preventive program should feature a standard operating procedure including staff training by licensed pest management professionals, well-documented periodic inspections, robust and well-articulated bed bug complaint policies, and the hotel-wide use of preventive technologies like ActiveGuard Mattress Liners. Protecting stakeholders from high legal expenses and avoiding the irreparable reputational harm from negative social media posts is well worth establishing a comprehensive bed bug prevention strategy. If you would like to learn more about creating a preventive program that will protect your guests, your staff and stakeholders, email info@allergytechnologies.com or visit hotelbedbugprevention.com.

Allergy Technologies, the manufacturer of ActiveGuard Mattress Liners, is in process of re-invigorating their year’s long relationship as a supply partner with Hilton Supply Management, the global supply chain partner for over 6,000 Hilton and non-Hilton branded properties. ActiveGuard liners kill bed bugs in or on mattresses and box springs and are a key part of any successful preventive program. Maintenance-free and non-disruptive to hotel operations, the liners work 24/7 for two years, protecting guests and staff from bed bug infestations. To learn more about ActiveGuard Mattress Liners, visit allergytechnologies.com.

ActiveGuard Mattress Liners are covered under U.S. Patents 5,916,580, 6,214,365, 6,440,438 and pending patents. ActiveGuard's formulation represents a unique and proprietary delivery system that offers sustained bioavailability of permethrin for two years. Allergy Technologies is a subsidiary of A. Carey Co. LLC, which focuses on using philanthropy as a core business strategy for its businesses. Through its Philanprofit (SM) strategy, a portion of all ActiveGuard proceeds go to help fund inner-city homeless and women's shelters and asthma clinics.

ActiveGuard Mattress Liners kill bed bugs. Published research supports that after short exposure to ActiveGuard of only 10 min, bed bugs regardless of their level of resistance, begin to show significant reductions in feeding (biting) and a dramatic inability to lay eggs. Real world consequences of this data include discontinuation of population growth thereby preventing progression of an incident to an infestation.

If you are seeking a pro-active preventative approach, ActiveGuard should be considered as the centerpiece of your long term solution to keep from being infested! As part of a comprehensive strategy for treating an active bed bug infestation, ActiveGuard is an excellent choice for use as the final step in treating the mattress and box spring sleeping area. These liners' two-year ability to keep on killing bed bugs provides for continual prevention and control against any adult bed bugs, nymphs or eggs missed during initial treatment and any bed bugs re-introduced after treatment has been concluded.

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