The Resort at Pelican Hill 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 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 desktop audits and on-site IAQ performance testing and assessment inspections. These included an 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 experts used the assessment results to verify claims regarding air quality aligned with industry-recognized, third-party organizations including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the World Health Organization, and ASHRAE.
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 while helping to 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.
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 occupancy, due to loosened travel restrictions and rising vaccination rates. Throughout the pandemic, the hotel worked behind the scenes to achieve the mark while implementing new practices designed to enhance well-being and minimize risks for guests and staff.
This included implementing enhanced cleaning and health protocols designed with guidance from state and local officials and the 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.
