Every time I travel, I am impacted by the poor air quality, and I wish I could bring my Molekule along. For the 80 million people in the U.S. like me who suffer from allergies or asthma, air quality while traveling is a constant struggle. Shared transportation and hotel rooms can have poor ventilation and air circulation, and scented air fresheners and perfumes can lead to respiratory irritation. This kind of exposure to pollutants is inevitable. It is something that many people, especially those with asthma or allergies like myself, have had to cope with while traveling.
In an effort to help travelers, the hospitality industry is becoming more focused on health and wellness by offering improved amenities and services. Hotels in particular are working towards giving their guests a more comfortable experience and a better night’s rest. Efforts include creating luxurious in-room guest experiences, from high-quality linens and deluxe mattresses to noise-canceling technology and upscale spa products. However, one of the most important elements of health and comfort has been overlooked until recently: indoor air quality. And with the EPA reporting that indoor air can be up to five times worse than outdoor air, ensuring good air quality is critical to providing the best experience for hotel guests and staff.
Hotel rooms are meant to be sanctuaries, an escape from busy schedules and polluted city air. But the reality is that hotel rooms face a unique set of challenges when it comes to air quality. High foot traffic, new furniture, the frequent use of cleaning products, and windows that cannot be routinely opened can all increase pollutant levels. This can lead to poor sleep and impact travelers’ allergy symptoms and skin health. A hotel guest is often left without control over the air they breathe.
Hotels should have the opportunity to provide the best experience possible for their guests. And now, there is finally a science-backed way for hospitality professionals to offer the comfort of the cleanest indoor air to their guests.
We’re teaming up with InterContinental San Francisco® to bring clean air and better sleep to travelers. As part of our first-ever hotel partnership, InterContinental San Francisco will place our Molekule air purification devices in select guest rooms beginning January 2019.
Our revolutionary air purification technology, Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (PECO), destroys pollutants commonly found in indoor air. Unlike traditional HEPA filters that simply trap pollutants on a filter surface, our devices can destroy pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Harmful bacteria, mold, allergens and toxic airborne chemicals—pollutants 1,000 smaller than what standard filters claim to catch—are destroyed at the molecular level. I know first-hand the benefits of the Molekule technology. It was developed over two decades by my father, Dr. Yogi Goswami, who drew from his expertise as an acclaimed clean energy scientist to develop the PECO technology.
To analyze our technology’s impact, more than 1,000 participating InterContinental San Francisco guests can volunteer to log and share their sleep and breathing experience before and after their hotel stay. This data will be invaluable as we continue to invest in research and development to make our product even better.
We are dedicated to the scientific process and continue to explore the impact that Molekule PECO technology has on people’s lives.
If you are interested in learning more about PECO and the results of the technology, check out:
- Molekule destroys airborne chemicals: A third-party testing laboratory confirms that Molekule PECO technology destroys three common household contaminants.
- Molekule destroys bioaerosols: An independent laboratory tested the PECO technology against bacteria, mold, viruses and endospores.
At Molekule, we believe that access to clean air is fundamental to health. Our partnership with InterContinental is one more step we are taking towards eliminating indoor air pollution everywhere you live and travel.
