Self-Cleaning Hotel Rooms Have Arrived
Hotel Ottilia says the new technology — an invisible disinfectant — cuts down on labor costs and makes cleaning faster. But it’s a big investment with ongoing costs, and it’s not yet clear that it’s worth it.
Stay in a high-tech hotel today and you might see the day's headlines in your full-length mirror or have a personal trainer on-demand when you turn on the television.
If you're staying at Copenhagen's just-opened Hotel Ottilia, on the other hand, you might have a room that fully disinfects itself each morning without housekeeping lifting a finger.
The hotel has partnered with Danish company ACT.Global in order to use its proprietary ACT CleanCoat technology, which is transparent, odorless, and activated by sunlight. The main ingredient, titanium dioxide, is also found in sunscreen. In tests from national research organizations such as Denmark's National Research Centre for the Working Environment, the antibacterial spray has been shown to break down microbes that range from influenza and salmonella to mold spores and allergens. Cover a room like invisible insulation, and it can purify the air for up to a year, removing contaminants such as cigarette smoke or other odors.
