WAPAKONETA, OH -
Best Western Hotel is taking a new approach to ensure cleanliness at their locations.
According to USA Today, about half of their hotels, including one in Wapokeneta, use black lights and ultraviolet light wands to clean rooms. The black light detects bacteria that cannot be seen with the human eye, and the ultraviolet light wand zaps that bacteria away.
Josh Hines, General Manager of Best Western in Wapak, says the hotel chain is taking this approach to dispel any doubts the customer might have about the cleanliness of the room.
"In the industry, there's a perception that even though you don't see any dirt in the rooms, that maybe the rooms aren't as clean as it should be," said Hines.
Wapak's Best Western started using the black lights and wands in December of last year. Hines says customers have responded favorably to the new cleaning measures.
"Our guest service scores have gone up quite a bit since then, about 5 percent."
By the end of the year, all Best Westerns in North America will use wands and black lights.
