The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, California, has become the first hotel globally to earn the UL Verified Healthy Buildings Mark for Indoor Air and Hygiene.
Set on 504 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the 332-room Resort at Pelican Hill, recently underwent an extensive process to earn UL’s Verification, demonstrating that both front and back of house have excellent indoor air quality (IAQ) and hygiene. To achieve the UL Verification Mark, the hotel participated in numerous desktop audits and on-site IAQ performance testing and assessment inspections. These included assessment of the air handling units, hygiene testing for janitorial effectiveness and spot air quality tests for various gases and particles throughout the resort and guest rooms.
UL provides testing, inspection and certification (TIC), training and advisory services, risk management solutions and essential business insights to customers more than 100 countries.
UL experts used the assessment results to verify claims regarding air quality aligned with industry-recognized, third-party organizations including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
“For the hospitality industry, there has never been a more critical time to demonstrate its commitment to guests, employees and the indoor environment by leading with science to help ensure quality and cleanliness in hotels and resorts,” said Sean McCrady, director, Asset and Sustainability Performance, Real Estate Properties at UL. “By earning the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark, The Resort at Pelican Hill has taken a significant step in advancing indoor air quality and hygiene. Their bold action demonstrates a commitment to putting the health and well-being of their building occupants first, and we’re pleased they are placing their trust in UL to deliver on that promise.”
Developed specifically for the hospitality industry, criteria for the UL Verified Healthy Buildings Mark for Indoor Air and Hygiene evaluates the hotel against rigorous methodologies for IAQ and hygiene.
As well the criteria is designed to help mitigate the unique challenges presented in indoor environments with policies and plans that promote the continual advancement of IAQ. The program can also help a hotel gain visibility into potential challenges so that they can be addressed and documented early through sound and pragmatic solutions. Helping reduce risk and further underscoring a hotel’s commitment to optimize good indoor environmental quality, the program helps communicate that a property has monitored and documented fundamental building essentials – including indoor air and water quality as well as hygiene – that are key to helping restore confidence and reassurance to the public as these establishments return to full occupancy.
UL’s Verification is key part of The Resort at Pelican Hill’s safety assessment and preparation strategy as it looks forward to an increase in summer occupancy, due to loosened travel restrictions and rising vaccination rates.
Throughout the pandemic, the hotel worked behind-the-scenes to achieve the UL Verified Healthy Buildings Mark while implementing new practices designed to enhance well-being and minimize risks for guests and staff.
Changes included implementing enhanced cleaning and health protocols designed with guidance from state and local officials and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and maintaining compliance of these protocols with the highest industry standards. These encompassed additional cleaning procedures on surfaces and fabrics, physical distancing practices and reduced capacities, multiple touch-free hand sanitizer dispensers in key guest areas and public spaces, acrylic safety barriers at all service points, in-room print materials replaced with digital alternatives and contactless deliveries.
“The Resort at Pelican Hill has always been committed to the health and safety of our guests, our associates and our community,” said Gerard Widder, managing director of The Resort at Pelican Hill. “The world’s most discerning travelers already trust us to create a world-class experience. Achieving the UL Verified Healthy Buildings Mark demonstrates our commitment to maintain that excellence while investing in programs that prioritize the well-being of our guests and hard-working associates.”
