Hotel & Motel Management - October 6, 2008 - (Page 12)

12 Maintenance Doctor IN THE details Stopping bed bugs Buy mattress encasements Train housekeeping Act quickly H&MM October 6, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Take preventive steps to avoid pesky pests I have heard horror stories of properties overrun by unwanted bed bugs. What are some things I can do to help prevent an infestation? Q By Richard Wolf H&MM Columnist Preventing bed bugs from invading your property’s guestrooms should be top of mind for every hotelier. Not A only can it be expensive to exterminate a nasty invasion of these nocturnal parasites, but they also can lead to costly lawsuits from unhappy guests. Bed bugs are small wingless insects that are reddish-brown in color and feed on sleeping humans. These tiny pests most often enter your property by travelers, who unwittingly carry the insects in their luggage and clothing. Once these insects find a new home, they set up camp and feast on the endless supply of unsuspecting guests. After its nightly feed, the bed bug’s saliva often will lead to irritating itchy welts on the victim’s skin, causing severe discom- We understand. $33,000,000 Embassy Suites Georgia Construction / Mini-Perm Financing $19,000,000 Fairfield Inn & Suites New York Construction / Mini-Perm Financing $18,633,336 Holiday Inn Texas Construction / Mini-Perm Financing $17,371,745 Element by Westin Colorado Construction / Mini-Perm Financing $11,840,000 Hilton Garden Inn South Carolina Construction / Mini-Perm Financing $10,100,000 Fairfield Inn & Suites Texas Refinance $9,420,000 SpringHill Suites Florida Construction / Mini-Perm Financing $4,990,000 Holiday Inn Express T exas Construction / Mini-Perm Financing Not only do we understand your business, our lending solutions are flexible, scalable and tailored to provide you with the best solution possible. Our company was founded on the principle of helping our clients reach their challenging and ever-evolving business goals. We accomplish this through timely decisions, wellstructured transactions, and superior customer service coupled with the highest level of confidentiality and ethical standards. CIRCLE NO. 144 We really understand. For more information, please contact Jon Wright President & Managing Director jwright@silvertonbank.com 770.805.2350 Greg Friedman Senior Vice President gfriedman@silvertonbank.com 770.805.2365 fort, scarring and mental anguish. There are some precautionary steps you can take to prevent bedbugs from making your guestrooms a permanent residence. Bedbugs tend to make their way into the crevasses of the mattress or behind the headboard. Purchasing mattress and box spring encasements for your guestrooms is one of the best ways to prevent bed bugs from invading your mattresses. Encasements also help protect the mattress and box spring from allergens, dust mites, bodily ﬂuids and stains. A black residue left on the back of the mattress or box spring could be a sign that bed bugs have entered your guestrooms. Train your housekeepers or maintenance staff to periodically inspect for these signs as a precautionary measure. If your employees notice tiny blood spots on the bedding or if there is a foul odor upon entering the room, your guestrooms may be a breeding ground for these bloodsucking insects. If you are diligent about bed bug inspections and take measures such as purchasing mattress encasements and recognizing warning signs, you will be able to safeguard your property from a possible infestation. If you have discovered that your guestrooms have bed bugs, you need to act quickly so the problem does not spread to neighboring rooms or ﬂoors. To get rid of bed bugs completely, steam clean and wash all of your bed linen, draperies, furniture and carpet, and fumigate your guestrooms with a nontoxic bed bug spray. If the problem persists, the colony may have embedded itself deep within the mattresses or spread to neighboring rooms. In this case, you will have to replace all the mattresses on that ﬂoor (or property), and hire a professional exterminator. hmm@questex.com Richard Wolf is a national account manager for HD Supply. Kevin Luyendyk Vice President kluyendyk@silvertonbank.com 770.805.2396 http://www.HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition

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Hotel & Motel Management - October 6, 2008 Contents NYLO Brands Mix Up Lifestyle Segment La Quinta Eyes Mexico, Canada for Growth Perspective Legally Speaking Marketing Matters Satisfaction Trends Maintenance Doctor HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Independent Hotels Top Hotel Multiunit Owners and Developers Survey Cleaning & Maintenance Music Wallcoverings Supplier News Transactions Softgoods: Bedding & Linens People Events Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - October 6, 2008

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