Gizmodo has a list of gadgets for cheap hotels, which from the looks of it, will leave you more well armed to fight off pesky germs than a fully equipped HHS scientist. Includes things like the HYSO Doorknob Germ Killer (sprays hospital-grade disinfectant on a handle or knob every 15 minutes), a SteriPen (UV wand that kills any bacteria and viruses that may be present without having to resort to boiling) and a hands-free foot flush. You can see the full list here.

The HYSO doorknob germ killer, I think, needs a bit more background info. It was developed by Simon Sassoon (Vidal Sassoon’s nephew), who literally dreamed up this invention (in his dream he was in a women’s restroom…). HYSO is a  Cantonese acronym for ‘happy hands’. 2 years and $250,000 later, his dream was reality, and his dream come true is now being used in public restrooms at restaurants, hospitals and hopefully, a lot more hotels.

Moving on to even more weird hotel stuff, how would you like a stay at a hotel shaped like a toilet bowl in South Korea? Or in a Mongolian ger (that’s like a nomadic tent) made of felt and wood without a single nail, which uses solar power and is located in the middle of the Gobi desert? Or maybe a tiny capsule 2m x 1m x 1.25m in Osaka, Japan? These are some of the weird hotels listed by On the Beach News. Photo credit - Protraveller.

And here’s a nod to Whole Travel, a new travel site which has at least one innovation I like. TechCrunch review by Jason Kincaid says that “The site assigns each hotel with a score based on its environmental, cultural, and economic impacts, as well as its “customer interaction”, or how well it teaches visitors about the issues that affect their destination.

Its no big secret that green (as in eco-friendly) and green (as in greenbacks) go hand in hand nowadays. Being green is just good business. And noble intentions by WholeTravel.com, but what I’m slightly skeptical about is their ability to keep it honest.

First up, rating a green business is a pretty serious issue, as any hotel management who has tried to get hold of LEED certification will attest. If you don’t go into the details, instead focusing on the superficial issues and third-party opinions and customer feedback, then there’s a big risk of the ratings being not truly indicative of the ‘greeniness’ of a hotel.

Secondly, there’s the question of a conflict of interest. It’s a for-profit website, which apparently will be making money by providing referrals to Kayak. And they’re tying up with hotel chains for partnerships. How long before they start listing ‘partners’ as greener than non-partners? Just so we’re clear, all I’m saying is that this is a possibility, because the motivation and the means are there. Its not like LEED certification, which has a serious set of standards, and is completely free of any conflict of interest with businesses they provide certifications for.

Posted on September 30th, 2008 by PLing
Filed under: Hotels