Clearing the Air - Delos' Classroom Air-Quality Study, and What Hoteliers Can Learn From It

The hotel industry has always been aware of indoor air quality, but no more so than during the COVID-19 pandemic, where concerns of the transmission of the virus plagued every hotelier, from the operator of big-box hotels to the mom-and-pop, single-property hotel owner.

Indoor air quality has also become a major concern of guests. A study earlier this year of 1,000 U.S. consumers by Carbon Lighthouse found that 91% of respondents understood that indoor air quality is critical in the continued fight against COVID-19, and that 525 said they would pay more to stay at a hotel with better indoor air quality.

The subject has been studied for about five years by Delos, a wellness real estate and technology company guided by the mission to improve the health and well-being of people around the world by improving the indoor environments where they live, work, sleep and play.

“We spend [more than]90% of our time in the indoor environment—our homes, our schools, our offices, etc.,” said Peter Scialla, president/COO, Delos. “The indoor environment is having a profound impact on our health and well-being, and there are things we can do to influence the outcomes. Thankfully, with the help of technology, we’ve made a lot of progress over the last decade, pioneering the WELL Building movement and then specifically diving into categorical expertise.”