Monthly Archives

October 2014

Hotels are getting creepy in time for Halloween

October 22, 2014

Hotels are getting creepy in time for Halloween

Double, double toil and trouble, witches brew and hotels bubble…over with creepy offerings. Halloween is just around the bend and, in honor of America’s favorite spooky holiday, this week’s blog is dedicated to all things creepy found in hotels around the world. Brace yourself, things are about to get chilling.

Interestingly, most of the disturbing hotel fun to be had takes place in the spa. But before we dive into the strange and eerie health sphere, let’s make our first stop at The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

The 1886 Crescent is famed to be America’s most haunted hotel, with a rich history of true deaths over its many years in service. Reports of roaming specters and strange noises are nothing short of plentiful here. Rather than scaring guests away, The 1886 Crescent has found a profitable way to make use of its haunted history with a slew of spooky activities from ghost tours to ghost hunting. And, for the truly daring, there’s the chance to sleep in the abandoned morgue.

Next up, we enter the spa of horrors. We guarantee these real-life treatments found in hotels from here to Tokyo will have you squirming in your seat.

Snail Facial – Yes, you read that correctly and it is just what it sounds like it would be – live, slimy snails dragging themselves across your face. You might be asking yourself why anyone would willing to place snails on their face, but with prices for the treatment reaching upwards of $240, there’s got to be something to it. If you truly want to reverse signs of aging, enthusiasts agree – there’s nothing like some good snail slime.

Leech Therapy – If snails had you going already, leeches are definitely going to put you over the top. Four words can sum this one up – live leeches, sucking blood. It makes us shiver. Celebs like Demi Moore swear by the treatment, said to be used as a natural detoxification. So, sure you might end up feeling younger and revitalized, but is it worth the cost?

Vampire Facial – How does having your blood sucked, separated, and pumped back into your face sound? Relaxing, revitalizing, terrifying, perhaps? We’re inclined to go with the latter. Made famous by Kim Kardashian, the vampire facial is thought to fight signs of aging with platelet-rich plasma found in the blood.  Some say there’s nothing like it. We say it’s the highlight of creepy spa treatments.

 

How is your venue celebrating Halloween this year? Share your plans and ideas in the comments!

Reducing your property’s operating costs makes perfect (water)sense

October 6, 2014

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its partners recently created an exciting program called the WaterSense® H2Otel Challenge to help hotels realize the benefits of saving water in their daily operations. By doing so, your property can…

  • Save on energy and operating costs
  • Reduce your community’s greenhouse gas emissions which contribute
    to climate change
  • Meet guests’ growing demand for green lodging practices while enhancing the guest experience with top-performing products

Beyond laundry

Many hotels already have water-saving programs for washing sheets and towels, but that’s only the beginning. Incorporating water-efficient products, processes and practices back of house, as well as in public areas, both inside and out can also save water and energy, and that means saving money, too.

The program offers a variety of ways for hotels to take the challenge and start saving.

For example, if making plumbing upgrades to restrooms, consider WaterSense®-labeled toilets, faucets and showerheads, like Sunbeam Hospitality’s new EPA WaterSense-certified showerheads. They are independently certified to use 20% less water than the federal standard and perform well to ensure guests’ satisfaction. Replacing existing showerheads with these models can save 4 gallons of water with every guest shower!

Double this savings by updating your faucets with a Sunbeam aerator and save up to
$17,300 a year!*

According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, instituting green towel and linen programs can reduce loads of laundry washed by 17%, saving water and energy.

A 400-room hotel in San Antonio, Texas, saves 7 million gallons of water and $35,000 in water and sewer bills each year and receives fewer maintenance calls from guests after updating guest room bath fixtures.

Dive in!

So, why wait? Join the WaterSense H2Otel Challenge today. By doing so, the EPA and its partners can provide you with all the tools you need to ACT

  • Assess your water use and savings opportunities
  • Change products or processes to incorporate best management practices
  • Track your results using ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager or another
    tracking tool

WaterSense is an EPA partnership program designed to help save water for future generations. To join the H2Otel Challenge, sign in here.

 *Sources: epa.gov; sunbeamhospitality.com; American Hotel and Lodging Association