Clean Machine

In the first of a series of features looking at how the hospitality industry can respond to a new standard of health security, we take a look at the products bridging the gap between design and hygiene.

Of the many new normals set to emerge from the Coronavirus pandemic, the raising of cleanliness and hygiene standards to meet the levels expected by returning guests will be most pressing to address. After months of lockdown, unprecedented development after unprecedented development, and wall-to-wall news coverage, the task for hotels will be to ease the anxieties of guests and reassure them that their public and private spaces are clean and safe.

But as long as there have been hotels, there have been questions regarding their cleanliness: Who was the last person to sleep in this bed? How much time and effort was really spent cleaning all 300 guestrooms? How many people have used the remote control since it was last disinfected? Often, all it takes is a simple blacklight for most guests to never see a hotel room in the same way again, and these concerns will only be amplified by a global pandemic.

In its wake, one of the earliest steps taken by the industry was for the major brands to announce partnerships and programmes outlining their hygiene strategies. Marriott International showcased its use of electrostatic spray technology with hospital-grade disinfection capabilities recommended by the World Health Organisation; Hilton Worldwide has collaborated with RB – the maker of Lysol and Dettol products – and the Mayo Clinic to further develop the group’s housekeeping processes; Radisson Hotel Group teamed up with inspection and certification company SGS; IHG partnered with experts to unveil new science-led protocols; Accor and Bureau Veritas launched a safety label to support the return to business; and Four Seasons revealed that John Hopkins Medicine International will be guiding and validating its Lead With Care programme.

With more people aware of bacterial presence, health security and proper cleaning methods than ever, hotels must react accordingly; the bar has been raised in this sense, and how far a project can prove its credentials could end up driving revenue through a second, third or tenth wave. Whilst each partnership and programme will produce a variety of results, the common goal is to set medically-advised standards that can be verifiably met and communicated to guests. And even if a hotel boasted high standards pre-pandemic, it will now

need to ensure it meets the many certifiable criteria being set, and then shout about it from the rooftops.

In this sense, recovery for the hospitality market will be tied to physical action and design intervention as closely as it is messaging efforts. As such, it’s the big players – with economy of scale and a sizeable marketing budget – that are more likely to appeal to guests when choosing a place to stay; Airbnbs and small, family-run guesthouses could well suffer.

Beyond certificates however, guests will be looking for visible signs of cleanliness, though it may be unwise to lean too heavily on the sanitised healthcare aesthetic – for the sake of both guest comfort and the integrity of the designed experience. For almost every property, this will mean a reassessing of its components, as well as the design scheme they are placed within, not only to meet the new normal head on, but to ensure a degree of safeguarding for the future.

In the first of a series of features exploring the products and suppliers bridging the gap between hygiene and design, we take a look at one of the most visible aspects of design in the hard and soft surfaces that coat a project.

Clockwise from top left: LG Hausys’ HI-MACS; the Traveller Collection from Brentano; Tedlar’s bacteria-resistant AvantGarde wallcovering; Drapilux’s Bioaktic-clad textiles; Sekers fabrics treated with SafeFront and Aquaclean finishes

THE SCIENCE OF COMFORT Designed with both interior aesthetics and premium standards of hygiene in mind, LG Hausys’ HI-MACS surface could now prove as essential to the hotel interior market as it does the healthcare sector. Resistant to dirt, viruses, bacteria and multiple chemical agents, the 15-year guaranteed material can be applied to walls, furnishings and worktops alike with a near-seamless, non-porous cover. Tests carried out in accordance with US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines show that HIMACS can be decontaminated in 30 seconds after contact with the HIV virus using a solution of bleach or isopropyl alcohol, whilst European Standard trials demonstrated a resistance to staphylococcus aureus bacteria.

EXPERT APPROVED For guests returning to hotels following the Covid-19 pandemic, safety will be key, though any interventions in this sense should not sacrifice design integrity. Tedlar’s AvantGarde collection of wallcoverings – resistant to mould, mildew and bacteria growth thanks to the brand’s signature film – allows designers to create coherent schemes that bring together laboratory-tested function with visuals inspired by the natural patterns of travertine and ivory. Tests have shown the treatment does not support or provide nutrients that assist in bacteria growth including E. coli, whilst the collection’s Greenguard Gold stamp certifies its ability to improve indoor air quality. PROTECT AND SERVE Along with specialised flame-retardant, air purifying and soundproofing fabrics, Drapilux’s core range also features the healthcare-oriented Bioaktiv textile – clad in a bioactive substance agent that works to break down residual germs and bacteria. Safe for human skin, the function extends beyond healthcare environments by way of design options including subtle transparents, delicate florals and bolder stripe and block colourways. Reducing bacteria by over 99%, the Bioaktiv finish was recently applied to a protective face mask designed by Drapilux following the outbreak.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Cleanliness anxieties will be most prominent in enclosed interior spaces, so returning guests may feel more comfortable taking to rooftops, terraces and outdoor areas whilst social distancing measures remain. In this sense, a hotel’s exterior areas may prove valuable to leverage whilst interiors are altered. Brentano’s Traveller Collection of fabrics and textiles are suitable for both, with the new Himalaya, Andes, Giza and Pyrenees additions all finished with a bacteria-resistant and bleach-cleanable treatment. Inspired by the aesthetics of adventure and exploration, the range’s durable woven fabrics allow designers to incorporate distinctive texture without having to worry about germ build-up across the knitted surface. THE VINYL EFFECT Oratex is the first degradable vinyl alternative, manufactured by Brooklyn-based textile supplier Fil Doux, and features the bleachcleanable, water-based ink and denim protectant Pro-Tech Plus; an eco-friendly application that affords easy cleaning whilst extending the textile’s lifetime in high-traffic areas with durable construction. With Pro-Tech Plus available as a treatment for the brand’s 18-shade Moody Blues colourway, the range offers a sustainable alternative that doesn’t sacrifice its hygiene credentials.

CERTIFIED FRESH Featuring an Aquaclean treatment that allows for easy cleaning and limits the penetration of viruses – as well as an additional SafeFront finish that protects against bacteria as standard – a wide variety of Sekers fabrics carry a double layer of protection against germs. Easy to maintain and durable enough to survive the rigorous deep cleans that will be expected of post-Covid interiors, the anti-microbial treatment incorporates nanotechnology to create a surface that halts microbes from thriving and acts as a barrier that stop bacteria penetrating the fibres. The SafeFront finish was found 91% effective against a feline coronavirus strain, a strong indicator of its capabilities whilst the Covid-19 strain is unavailable for commercial testing.