With holiday travel season approaching, Fellowes conducted a survey with 787 U.S. and Canadian respondents who stayed in a hotel during the last year and found that respondents rated clean indoor air in their top two considerations, ahead of other commonly offered perks, when selecting accommodations for an upcoming trip.

Specifically, they ranked their top considerations when booking a hotel as follows:
1. Overall room cleanliness
2. Indoor Air Quality
3. Free breakfast
4. Free parking
5. Loyalty program points
6. Fitness amenities

A busy travel season may lie ahead, as costs to travel are down compared to the same period in 2022. According to the travel agency and mobile app Hopper, this Thanksgiving, airfare is averaging 14% less than last year and car rentals are down 17%, which could spur more last-minute hotel bookings.

Properties that saw a decrease in revenue during the peak of the COVID pandemic may have put capital improvements on hold, including those that can improve IAQ. With higher demand for leisure travel over the last year will likely sustain at 2 percent growth over the next few years, according to the U.S. Travel Association, these hotels could find themselves financially ready to make investments. With the increase for improved IAQ by travelers, air filtration technology should be high on the list of investments.

CDC and ASHRAE Recommend Air Purification Accompanied with HVAC Improvements as Part of IAQ Management Program

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and trade association ASHRAE are aligned in recommending a combination of clean air delivery rate and filtration levels equivalent that achieve at least five air changes per hour (eACH) and higher depending upon the space. Air purification with H13 True HEPA filters can effectively “plus up” an HVAC system that uses MERV-13 filters to achieve or surpass the minimum standard of five eACH.

Again, as guests have highlighted the importance of IAQ, the ability to show that the air throughout hotels and resorts is clean should now be considered a necessity. Air purification systems that improve a space’s air quality while also providing visual confirmation of the indoor air quality status should be a top consideration for hotels. Array’s Viewpoint community dashboard provides real-time insights into the air quality through data visualization, giving occupants peace of mind, whether that’s an on-site restaurant, ballroom or other shared space.

Hotel Sustainability Campaigns Serve as Model for IAQ Communications to Guests

Only 30% of survey respondents reported noticing information about a property’s commitment to IAQ during any stay over the last year. By comparison, nearly half (49%) of respondents noted seeing information about a sustainability commitment in a guest room. Based on these findings, Fellowes recommends hotels promote their investments in IAQ to guests to demonstrate their commitment to an issue important to the traveling public.

What Can Hotels Do?

All of this data suggests hotels should do the following:

1. Hotel facility managers and leadership teams should consider retrofitting options to reduce the time guest rooms and other on-site facilities are taken out of service versus more complex installations. This approach could include the installation of a fully networked air purification system, such as Fellowes Array, which combines the benefits of stand-alone purifiers, and monitoring systems to detect and improve indoor air quality.

2. Invest in upgraded filters for HVAC (MERV13 filters) and air purification units (H13 True HEPA filters), especially those that offer extended filter life of up to one year. HVAC investments and purpose-built air purification units can help with energy efficiency as well. A Fellowes Array Ceiling AC2 unit’s annual energy cost is estimated to be just about $17. As facility managers and leadership teams invest in the addition of air purification into their systems, unit technology and capabilities need to be considered.

3. Select an air quality management system that enables the ability to share real-time data with a dashboard available to guests. Guests appreciate transparency and open communication knowing that their well-being and needs are adequately met.

Fellowes Array Technology automatically senses real-time conditions and proactively responds to make sure clean air is always available, without wasted energy from running when a space is unoccupied is paramount.

It’s clear from our survey results that hotel guests place high value on the cleanliness of their rooms and the quality of air throughout a property during their stay, rating it above perks that properties will often focus on when marketing a property to potential guests. We hope these results showcase the importance for hotel decision makers to invest in air quality improvements as a way to invest in their businesses as well as the well-being and satisfaction of their employees and guests.

It’s clear from our survey results that hotel guests place high value on the cleanliness of their rooms and the quality of air throughout a property during their stay, rating it above perks that properties will often focus on when marketing a property to potential guests. We hope these results showcase the importance for hotel decision makers to invest in air quality improvements as a way to invest in their businesses as well as the well-being and satisfaction of their employees and guests.

About the Survey

Fellowes fielded a survey Aug. 25-29, 2023, about indoor air quality topics via SurveyMonkey Audience to 787 U.S. (425) and Canadian (362) adults who reported staying in a hotel during the last 12 months. The survey had a margin of error of +/- 3% at the 95% confidence level.