elbidercni

At the Hilton Times Square I recently stayed in a "Pure Room," which was something new to me. It is supposed to be more allergy free, so I assumed would be a little fresher, perhaps cleaner room.

I found that they basically put a high-quality air purifier in the room, add hypo-allergenic mattress and pillow encasements, and give the room a good scrub down every six months (they show a certificate of when it was last overhauled in the room).

Some of the details can be found at:
http://hhonors1.hilton.com/en_US/hh/..._pure/index.do
http://www.pureroom.com/

Looks like it's not a Hilton thing, but rather a third party who is going around and offering this concept at various properties and various hotel chains. Hilton has about 18 properties where this room is offered.

I tried it because I figured that they might give more attention to cleaning these rooms, and that it might thus be a "fresher" room. Given that this was in NYC, I was also thinking that perhaps there would be less risk of bedbugs.

My experience was that it didn't really seem to mean that the room was completely allergy-free, as I was perhaps hoping for a little more. The room I was in received its "big" cleaning almost six months ago (there was a certificate in the room showing the last date of cleaning and showed that it was almost due for it's re-certification soon, when it would receive a deep clean).

All the fabrics in the room were still potential magnets for dust and pollen, so if I was really a big allergy sufferer I might be disappointed. I was thinking that they should have replaced the cloth chair with a leather or some other fabric which doesn't attract dust as much, etc. Even the lamp shades were the standard fiber versions, which would appear to attract rather than deter dust. I wondered to myself when the last time the drapes were cleaned (and if it was actually six months prior!).

I did like that they use hypo-allergenic mattress and pillow encasements, as I would actually prefer if every room in every Hilton used these. I certainly use these at home.

The professional-quality air purifier in the room was a nice touch, so the air actually did seem cleaner within the room. However, it was running the entire time, and created a somewhat loud drone that never ended. At night I didn't care, as it sort of hums you to sleep, but during the day it was a little annoying.

Most interesting, is that the room actually smelled when I entered for the first time. It had a somewhat woodsy, strong and fresh scent. Smelled like it was cleaned recently with a natural cleanser. While I actually liked the smell, I wondered if I was truly allergic if I would had a different reaction -- I thought that you wouldn't want an allergy-free room to smell.

I read later that they use tea tree oil to help sanitize. That's probably what I was smelling.

I also wondered to myself whether they actually took any extra steps for this room in the daily cleaning routine by housekeeping. It was my own impression that perhaps nothing special was done, but perhaps I'm wrong?

Overall, it was an interesting experience, and I might ask for for a Pure Room again. While I'm not sure it's an allergy sufferer's dream come true, at least is seemed to be a clean hotel room!

elkhornne

This is nice to know. I suffer big time. Thanks for posting.^

sallyerd

I haven't experienced a "pure room" myself but I sure noticed that for an upcoming stay the Nor1 option wants to ding me $ 20 for a Diamond upgrade to stay in a "Pure room." Geeszh.... the hype... Now I am supposed to pay more to make sure they have cleaned a room thoroughly every six months and for a noisy filter. Thanks for your review, OP, it just reinforces my opinion of Nor1 (duh... how does one spell Nor1: r-i-p-o-f-f).

bbrault

These are great comments.
A PURE Room has gone through a comprehensive, patented 6 step process in order to be certified as allergy friendly. Yes indeed the room is deep cleaned every six months, but the surfaces are treated with a special shield that makes it nearly impossible for bacteria, viruses and other contaminants to survive, thus maintaining the conditions on these surfaces in between deep cleanings.
The Purifier is actually listed by the FDA as a Class II Medical device because it not only circulates and filters all the air in a room every 12-15 minutes, it kills 98-100% of all viruses and bacteria that are in the air as well.
The smell of the room is a result of an absence of baceteria in the room along with a tea tree oil gel that is in the air handling system to keep mold and bacteria from growing inside the system. During cooling season, it is quite common to find mold or bacteria in almost ALL cooling systems...whether in your home, office, retail space or even hospitals.
Tea tree Oil (TTO) is often used in respiratory therapy. The TTO cartridge is easily removed by engineering for those with multiple chemical sensitivities who may be bothered by the scent.
Nor1 is designed to allow you to purchase upgrades at a discounted price at the time of booking in if indeed that room type is available at check in. If a room type is available for free upgrade as a HH member, that will not change. Nor1 is simply making it available to all guests at a discounted rate should the room go unsold.
I hope this helps you to understand the PURE program. Hotels make a significant investment to make these rooms available for guests that have allergies, asthma or simply are sensitive travelers.
We get feedback almost daily that these rooms change lives for the millions of people that struggle when traveling.
Brian Brault - CEO PURE Solutions NA...Making Lives Better

allergyfree1032

I have had severe alleriges and travel over 150 days a year. Most hotels promise the world and dont deliver. I have stayed in several PURE rooms and everytime they have met my expectations. I actually did research on the company and believe it or not they actually maintain a particulate count that is 50% better than what an allergist recommends. In short- these rooms are terrific if you really suffer. ^

janetdoe

Welcome, bbrault. We are happy to see a company CEO chime in, and you should be able to get a special Flyertalk designation if you contact [email protected]

Can you tell me: How would a tea tree oil cartridge prevent mold in the air handling system? Since it is not the entire hotel air handling system that is being disinfected, then surely there is mold in other parts of the system, even in adjacent rooms. If dusty/moldy air is being blown past a tea tree oil cartridge, that's not going to eliminate mold/dust/mildew that come from other areas of the air handler. The most it can do is probably ensure nothing grows on the register and ducting downwind of the cartridge, no? And since the cartridge is 'easily removable', then it has to be within arm's reach of the vent, correct? Am I missing anything?

My mother is allergic to chemicals and fragrances, not dust or pollen. Can you tell me (even by PM) what are the chemicals in the "special shield"? Is it just quaternary ammonium compounds? Or something else?

Right now my Mom's favorite chain is HGI, because they do not use scented or fragranced products in any of their cleaning supplies. ^

I noticed that the Conrad Hong Kong used tea tree oil in their air handling system last fall. It was not a "PURE" room. At first I was ticked off, because it seemed like they were pumping fragrance into the room, but then I figured out it was tea tree oil.

bbrault

Great questions!
The Tea Tree Oil emits slight vapors that are natural anti-microbials. In most hotel rooms, they are placed in the unit that is inside the room. Most hotels have systems that service a single room. Fresh air comes in from a vent or under the door (from the hallway). The unit is placed in front of the fan so that when the unit pulls in air, it picks up these vapors and keeps mold and bacteria from growing from THAt point forward into the room.
For the few hotel rooms that do draw in air from a central system, we do go on the roof and deep clean and disinfect the unit that services the block of rooms that include the PURE Rooms.
The purifiers have a significant impact on the quality of the experience in our rooms as well. Since we cannot control all of the air that enters a room, we place a unit in the room that is desigened to be able to handle a volume of space that is 2-3 times the size of a normal hotel room. This allows us to aggressively reduce the particle count in the air.
The person a few posts ahead, allergy free 1032, refers to a count half of what is recommended by allergists.. It is actually typically 1/4 of what is recommended for allergy patients. He is referring to our "PURE Promise" of maintaining a count that is half of what is recommended for Asthma patients.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.^

askjeffro

Thanks for posting the review, I would have had no idea what this was if I ever came across it, thanks again.

rawjerz

I stayed in one of these rooms during an 11 night stay at the Hilton in downtown SLC and I suffer from asthma and it was mind blowing. The air was immacualte and I really appreciated the experience. The filter is noisy during the day, but it does have a "humm you to sleep quality" at night.

I went back to the same hotel about 2 months later and requested the same room and I just didnt get the same feeling. It almost felt like he filter wasnt working quite the same. I reported it to the desk and they said that if the green light was on then it is working, but it felt like it had lost its magic and appeal.

Would I do it again? Probably. I think the 2nd occasion there was something wrong with the unit and while Hilton SLC has some amazing staff members, there are some that just dont get it. So, my question is: how often are the filters maintained and is there some way to find out when the last time they were maintained upon check-in or when was the last time the room was "powerwashed". Its an experience worth experiencing but if you dont get the full experience, it just kinda falls flat.

JMR1223

I stayed in a PURE room for several weeks at the Doubletree Universal in Orlando. I have to say I felt much better each morning after staying there than I usually do in hotels. My recent work has taken me to an area that does not yet offer PURE rooms and I find myself waking up stuffy and feeling worse in general. Maybe the allergens are THAT much different, but given the chance I will choose a PURE room again.

allergyfree1032

I recently stayed in a PURE room in Buffalo NY and I had one of the best night sleeps in a long time. Not only do I suffer from allergies I am very chemically sensitive, so synthetic fragrances for masking orders bother me. Traveling as much as I do, I have found it incredibly helpful to have this offering. I certainly will look for PURE rooms wherever I travel and I would highly recommend that if you do suffer from allergies, asthma or COPD that you give these rooms a try. ^

kipper

I may try to book one of these to see how it is.

jhowe

If you try one let them know what you think http://www.pureroom.com/customer_testimonials/

StevenCinNYC

I've stayed a couple properties with Pure branded rooms, and I've been consistently disappointed by the concept and implementation.

First, to be hypoallergenic, Pure rooms shouldn't have feathers in them--period--end of story. Pure can still sell hotels your special encasements, but they need to put them onto to feather-free pillows and comforters. The encasements aren't magical--even if they are properly zippered shut, they do NOT prevent microscopic allergens from escaping into the air. It's absurd to suggest that they do, but the reality is that hotels don't use them consistently or properly anyway so the point is moot. I've never seen one that is zippered fully shut. Further, they don't even provide comforter/duvet encasements so the feathers in those are even pretending to be encased.

Second, the filters and vent covers need to be cleaned and changed more frequently. Having an air cleaner in a room is a good idea, but if the filter is left to accumulate dust for six months at a time, then it actually undermines the purpose of the air cleaner. Further, the HVAC units need to be cleaned more frequently. Hotels allow them to become caked with dust so that even if they had recently changed the filter on the air cleaner, the thick layer of dust on the HVAC intake filter and the louvers that cover it, completely undermine the value of the air filter.

Third, the standard hotel daily cleaning only stirs up and adds to the dust in the room. They don't use a HEPA filtered vacuum, plus they use feather dusters which only take dust off of surfaces and put it into the air. Plus, both the feather dusters and vacuum cleaners bring dust into the "Pure" room from the other rooms.

Fourth, the rooms still have allergenic materials and dust-generating and catching elements such as carpets, drapes, cloth lampshades, synthetic bedspreads and wall coverings.

I'm sure that it's a clever marketing to offer ersatz allergy protection, allowing hotels to upcharge for this seemingly helpful service, but it's such a small improvement over the ordinary room.

My first experience was at Hyatt where the implementation was pretty good in that they used the encasements for the pillows; however, all of the pillows had feathers as did the comforter (which had not special encasement), plus the pillow encasements were not zippered shut fully. The air conditioner filter was not totally free of dust but better than most. The "Pure Mini" was clean and well maintained. After I spoke with the Rooms Manager at the Hyatt, he informed me that they decided to switch to all feather-free pillows and comforters in their Pure rooms.

My most recent experience is my current stay at a DoubleTree. When I arrived in the room, I had them remove the feather pillows and comforter (which I don't think were in Pure encasements anyway). I personally cleaned the AC filters which were coated with dust which turned the shower water a turbid brown when I washed them. I ran on the "Pure Deluxe" air cleaner on full, but I was still allergic, not sleeping well and waking up with a stuffy nose. I then checked the carbon filter on the air cleaner; I discovered it was covered with dust (photos attached). I asked the hotel to change it, but they explained they only change it every six months.

My air cleaner at home has a HEPA filter and activated carbon pre-filter. If I let the pre-filter get dusty, I have the same problem breathing I had here because drawing air through a layer of dust makes it impossible to clean because dust mites and their dander are building up on the surface of the filter and then are infused into the air instead of being filtered from it. In addition, the filter in my DoubleTree hotel room is gray with impregnated dust, instead of clean white--I included a piece of white paper in a photo so you can see the contrast. This shows that now only is the dust on the surface of the filter but it has penetrated through the layers of the filter. In addition, carbon filter in my room seems to be broken--it rattles when you move it as if the inside has cracked into many pieces.

Disappointed,

Steven Cohen

TexanForever

"If you try one let them know what you think......"

That link is dead. Can't find any customer reviews.