Hospitality has been one of the major casualties of COVID-19. Due to national lockdowns inhibiting people’s freedom to travel, and eating establishments having to accommodate social distancing upon reopening, revenues across the board have taken a significant hit - with £30bn worth of revenue lost as a result of the first lockdown alone [1].

The implementation of indoor air quality monitoring would allow venues, such as pubs, restaurants and nightclubs, to determine how hospitable their spaces are for virus growth. Feeding back the information they need in real time, on what changes need to be made to the building’s HVAC system, to reduce the risk of virus transmission.

One of the major concerns for the public as we return to normal life, is the safety of hospitality venues. Having been shut for so long due to the high risk of virus transmission, it’s fair to say many of the population are sceptical to risk of infection. Prior to the pandemic, only 5% of business travellers considered health and safety as the most important factor for their trips, a figure that soon rose to 40% as the pandemic went on [2].

Many hotel rooms have been dormant over the past 12 months, which could have resulted in mould growth due to the high humidity and poor air ventilation of the enclosed environment [3]. If your hotel operates a regular maintenance procedure, then you may be safe. However, if not, then you would have to invest in renovations before you open the doors to new customers. A central air quality monitoring system could reduce maintenance costs by ensuring the environment is at an optimal level. 

Poor indoor air quality can have adverse effects on people’s ability to work efficiently. In hotels in particular, solvents from freshly painted walls can cause an increase in volatile organic compounds (VOC), which can significantly affect staff’s health if they’re exposed for a prolonged period of time [4].

If VOC levels are high, staff will be uncomfortable, which can hinder the customer experience they can provide to guests. Poor air quality can also lead to headaches, dry eyes and throats, tiredness, as well as make the environment more hospitable for viruses, such as COVID-19.

Improving indoor air-quality and reducing virus risk of transmission, thanks to the use of wireless IoT technology, in conjunction with your building energy management system.