Operations: Orkin's top 10 bed bug cities and tips to avoid picking up pests

Brought to you by the editors of Hotel Management. | View this email online

March 30, 2013

Subscribe to this FREE newsletter

Visit HotelManagement.net

IN THIS ISSUE

Top Story: Orkin: Bed bug treatments rose by 33 percent in 2011

Front Page News:

• Crestline Hotels and Resorts to manage the Mason Inn Conference Center & Hotel

• Hilton Worldwide to manage the Hilton St. Louis Downtown

• SpringHill Suites' Miami Airport South installs solar heating system

Key Headlines: Hyatt, JW Marriott, Honolulu, Food Truck, Marriott

Bulletin Board: Events

TOP STORY

Orkin: Bed bug treatments rose by 33 percent in 2011
By Elliott Mest

Orkin announced its top 50 bed bug cities for 2011. Last year, Orkin's parent company, Rollins, saw a 33.6-percent increase in bed bug business compared to 2010.

The following top ten cities are ranked in order of the number of bed bug treatments Orkin performed from January to December 2011 along with their shift, if any, in ranking compared to January to December 2010.

        1.    Cincinnati
        2.    Chicago
        3.    Detroit (+1)
        4.    Denver (+2)
        5.    Los Angeles (+20)
        6.    Columbus, Ohio (-3)
        7.    Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (+43)
        8.    Washington, D.C. (-3)
        9.    New York (-2)
        10. Richmond/Petersburg, Va. (+6)

According to Dr. Ron Harrison, entomologist and technical services director at Orkin, the changes in city rankings shows that bed bugs have remained a persistent problem in the U.S. "Several of the top 50 cities have large, busy airports, and there could be a correlation between increased travel and bed bug activity," said Harrison. "The changes could also be because the bed bug population is increasing overall, or even because the public is becoming more aware of bed bugs and has become better adept at identifying them."

Harrison insisted that sanitation is not a factor, but encourages hotel guests to investigate for themselves whenever they enter a property's room, regardless of overall quality. "Bed bugs are nocturnal and resemble apple seeds in size and color, so check mattress seams, sheets and furniture, behind baseboards, electrical outlet plates and picture frames for small reddish-brown spots and lightly-colored molted bed bug skins," Harrison said.

Read: A simple way to keep bed bugs at bay

Other tips include looking for rust-colored spots on bed sheets, mattress tags and seams and bed skirts; guests should also look underneath the mattress, bed frame and headboard. Other areas to investigate include the room's furniture, and guests should elevate their luggage away from the bed and wall to avoid picking up any bed bugs.

Read: Don't let the bed bugs bite: A list of 100 practical and useful things hoteliers should know about bed bugs

Source: Hotel Management , Orkin

Topics: Bed Bugs, Orkin, Travel

FRONT PAGE NEWS

Crestline Hotels and Resorts to manage the Mason Inn Conference Center & Hotel
Crestline Hotels & Resorts was selected by George Mason University to manage The Mason Inn Conference Center & Hotel beginning April 1, 2012. The Mason Inn, located in Fairfax, Va., features 148 guestrooms and 20,000 square feet of IACC certified meeting space, including two ballrooms and 10 meeting rooms. The Mason Inn Conference Center & Hotel was the first LEED-certified Gold hotel in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Conference Center is also designed to meet the criteria of the International Association of Conference Centers. In addition to its business facilities, it is also a venue for weddings and social events near the Washington, D.C., area. Guestrooms and suites are appointed to complement the wooded campus environment.

Source: Hotel Management

Topics: Mason Inn Conference Center & Hotel, Crestline, Management

Hilton Worldwide to manage the Hilton St. Louis Downtown
Hilton Worldwide announced the addition of the 195-room Hilton St. Louis Downtown its portfolio of managed hotels and resorts. Keith Gundlefinger, the GM of the previously franchised hotel, will stay on to provide operational continuity under the management of Hilton Worldwide. Gundlefinger will report to area VP Thomas Loughlin. Located 15 miles from Lambert International Airport in the recently renovated historic Merchants Laclede Bank building, Hilton St. Louis Downtown’s guestrooms feature in-room refrigerators with complimentary bottled water, large work desks with desk level outlets and ergonomic chairs, 37-inch flat-screen high definition televisions and amenities from the Hilton Serenity Collection. The hotel also offers 5,000 square feet of meeting space and complimentary high-speed wireless or wired internet in all meeting and sleeping rooms.

Source: Hotel Management

Topics: Hilton Worldwide, Hilton St. Louis Downtown, Acquisitions, Management

SpringHill Suites' Miami Airport South installs solar heating system
SpringHill Suites Miami Airport South recently installed solar heating system by TEVA to reduce the hotel's dependence on fossil fuels. With minimal aesthetic impact, heat from the sun is quietly captured and transferred throughout the facility where needed. The SpringHill Suites offers Miami airport business meeting rooms plus 150 suites. These West Miami hotel accommodations also feature a large desk and 40-inch, flat-screen TV in each room; a pantry area with a refrigerator, sink and microwave; and complimentary high-speed internet access.

Source: Aviation Answers

Topics: SpringHill Suites, Miami Airport South, Sustainability

KEY HEADLINES

• Hyatt's CMO John Wallis, on competing as a challenger brand in the new economy (Source: Forbes)

• From artwork to amenities, JW Marriott announces new partnerships at hotels (Source: Boston.com)

• Honolulu to host 2012 Hawaii Lodging, Hospitality & Food Service Expo (Source: HMG Hotels)

• Food truck fad comes to fine hotels hawking restaurant fare (Source: USA Today)

• Marriott International gives glimpse into the future at first global GM conference in five years (Source: HSMAI)

News from our other Hotel Management Newsletters

Subscribe to these free newsletters

IHIF Hotel Investment News: Global Edition:

• Inland American on hotel buying spree

IHIF Hotel Investment News: EMEA Edition:

• Amsterdam steps up hotel investment

Hotel Management: Technology

• Inside the Twitter bug that can damage your reputation

Hotel Management: Americas:

• First Conrad hits New York

ha+d:

• Amanresorts to open Amanzoe in summer 2012

BULLETIN BOARD

Events

The International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF) is the hospitality industry's number one world-class event, where attendees can gain insight and knowledge about what the industry experts are saying about the latest trends, available financing and the prospective growth markets for the hotel industry. IHIF is the perfect venue to learn about critical investment trends and more importantly, find areas with development potential for the truly global audience of senior-level hospitality investment professionals. IHIF is known as the place where deals are done and can help you expand and develop your business and gain competitive advantage.