Hypoallergenic Hotel Rooms Advance

Connecticut Allergist Kenneth Backman, MD, notes many companies, including hotels, are becoming more sensitive to those with allergies. The following is a brief part of a larger story from the New York Times. Click for the full story.

From the Fairmont Vancouver Airport hotel to the Mandarin Oriental in Miami, hotels are doing everything from replacing feather duvets to installing air purifiers in guest rooms. Some are ripping out carpets and drapes, which tend to harbor dust and trap odors, and replacing them with smooth surfaces. Hilton and Millennium Hotels, each of which is testing the concept in a few hotels, said they might consider expanding it to more properties depending on demand. NYLO Hotels, a new brand scheduled to open its first hotel in Plano, Tex., in November, plans to offer at least one floor of allergy-friendly rooms at each of its locations. Hotels say it’s not uncommon to get special requests from guests with allergies. “We get a lot of requests for special blankets, special pillows, no spray in the rooms,” said Maureen O’Brien, director of sales at the Premier, a Millennium Hotel, which spent $30,000 to convert three floors to Pure rooms this year.