FreshStay Lets Travelers Choose Clean Air

Health oriented travelers breathe easier by booking their hotel stay on FreshStay.com

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. March 05, 2009

SAINT CHARLES, MO, March 4, 2009 - A new study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that cleaner air has added nearly five months to the average life expectancy in the United States. Between 1978 and 2001, Americans' average life span increased almost three years to 77, and as much as 4.8 months of that can be attributed to cleaner air, according to researchers from Brigham Young University and Harvard School of Public Health.

When you also consider that smokers shorten their lives by an average of 10 years, it puts into perspective how important clean air can be to living a healthy, happy life.

At a time when socially responsible travel is gaining traction, and more people than ever are taking their healthy habits on the road with them, the hospitality industry is seeing a tidal wave of hotels from around the globe choosing to go 100-percent smoke-free.

And the No. 1 way these hotels can reach out to those health-conscious travelers is through FreshStay.com.

FreshStay.com is the largest, easiest and most comprehensive online directory of smoke-free hotels in the world, and is growing daily toward its goal of 10,000 properties listed by the end of 2009. Combining a network of 100% smoke-free hotels with an integrated booking technology, FreshStay makes it easy for Frequent Breathers to find the accommodations they desire and reserve them immediately.

"Clean air and healthy travel go hand-in-hand. As travelers have become more sophisticated in their choice of lodgings, hoteliers have found they can no longer take something as elemental as the air we breathe for granted," says Dave Janicke, the CBO (Chief Breathing Officer) of FreshStay.

FreshStay member partners have made the commitment to completely eliminate smoking from their guestrooms, dining facilities, meeting rooms and lobbies. Many of them have also implemented additional Indoor Air Quality Enhancements for the benefit of guests who suffer from allergies, asthma and other chemical sensitivities.

FreshStay also is reaching out to LOHAS - which stands for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. Lohasians, as they are often called, are a segment of the population focused on health and fitness, the environment, personal development, sustainable living and social justice.

"Whether you suffer from allergies, are adamant about patronizing businesses that share your commitment to the environment, or you just can't stand the smell of smoke, FreshStay.com is aligned to find you the accommodations you need where you need them," says Janicke. "We're growing strong, and our reach is being felt around the globe."

Global Reach

A loyal FreshStay member since December 2006, Royal Plaza on Scotts is the first 100% smoke-free hotel in Singapore. According to Patrick Fiat (pictured at the left), General Manager of Royal Plaza on Scotts, the decision to go 100-percent smoke-free on premises was based on anticipated health benefits the move would provide the hotel's guests and staff. It also was a logical, proactive step - since the Singapore Government already had banned smoking in public places in a few other areas.

"Going smoke-free has attracted a new pool of clientele, the non-smokers and health-conscious," says Lynn Tan, Director of Marketing Communications for the hotel. "We also have observed requests from smoking guests for non-smoking rooms. Our guests welcome the clean air that permeates our hotel 24 hours a day."

Royal Plaza on Scotts reinforces its nonsmoking policy to all guests, explaining the rules to all the guests prior to their stays and upon check-in since making the move. The hotel also has engaged innovative ways of displaying non-smoking signs on guestroom TVs and electronic signboards in the hotel to remind guests of the non-smoking policy.

Tan explains that the employees of the hotel also have been encouraged to quit smoking to "walk the talk." When the hotel went smoke-free, 96% of those staff who were smoking had successfully quit or had cut down has helped reduce the amount of money lost from healthcare costs, absenteeism and loss of productivity. The staff also has reported experiencing increased health benefits since voluntarily participating in the program.

This is important because, according to the 2007 survey findings commissioned by the Singapore Cancer Society and the National Cancer Centre (NCC), only five in 100 people in the country know breathing second-hand smoke puts them at risk of cancer.

"The hotel also benefited from monetary savings - money previously spent on the thorough cleaning required of smoking rooms, as the smoke stench and stains are the most difficult to remove," Tan adds. "This also hinders the hotel from selling the smoking rooms immediately to other guests with the longer cleaning process. Being smoke-free cuts the operation costs back by about $10,000 per month."