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Not all heroes wear capes: The new hotel bed that fights viruses and bacteria

Aug. 10, 2020
4 min read
Not all heroes wear capes: The new hotel bed that fights viruses and bacteria
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2020 has brought about many changes in our lives this year. Amongst other adjustments, we're all becoming more germ-conscious than ever — and this pandemic is to blame.

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As avid travelers, exposure to the general public's germs is part of the package deal. From airport check-in kiosks to plane trays to Clear fingerprint scanners, coming in contact with a surface recently touched by someone else is well-nigh inevitable.

But coronavirus — and the accompanying conversations about social distance and contagion via viral droplets — has made the risks of traveling all the more stark.

Related: What your hotel stay will look like in a post-coronavirus world

Consumers aren't the only ones who have had to adapt: Hospitality brands, airlines, transportation companies and other high-traffic industries have all scrambled to implement hygiene and sanitation policies to keep customers safe away from home. Marriott was the first major hotel chain to publicly announce its new cleanliness program, while TPG got an insider look at how Delta disinfects its planes between each and every flight.

Even your next hotel bed might join the fight against germs: Serta Simmons Bedding — the mattress company behind the eponymous Serta brand as well as Beautyrest and Tuft & Needle — will soon release a new mattress with antiviral technology that may soon be in major hotel chains around the world.

Image courtesy of Serta Simmons Bedding.
Image courtesy of Serta Simmons Bedding.

How does it all work, you ask? Virus particles and bacteria are invisible to the human eye, and can easily pass through protective barriers such as sheets. To combat this issue, the new mattress is woven with the same fabric designed for medical personal protective equipment (PPE). For an additional layer of protection, Serta Simmons Bedding treats the fabric with an antimicrobial product called HeiQ Viroblock, which traps microbes like a magnet using microsilver-vesicle technology, then binds and disintegrates them until they are no longer an infectious threat.

Related: How to ward off coronavirus in your hotel room

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If you're a science-tech geek, you might already know that HeiQ Viroblock was originally developed in 2014 to treat N95-grade face masks, which filter out at least 95% of airborne particles. In recent independent tests, researchers found that Viroblock-treated fabrics can neutralize 99.9% of viral particles within 30 minutes of exposure. And aging tests designed to measure Viroblock's longevity have found that treated fabric retains antiviral qualities for three years, and antibacterial qualities for 20 years.

Related: Why you might not get housekeeping service on your next hotel stay

When available, Serta Simmons Bedding's new Viroblock mattress also won't give off any odor, or feel "different" from a typical mattress. In fact, Viroblock will actually help reduce smells, since odors develop as a result of trapped bacteria. As far as you're concerned, the antimicrobial protection is just there to give you peace of mind; you won't actually feel its presence in any way. Nor will spot-cleaning the mattress or consistent use diminish its properties in any way — the HeiQ technology is baked in during the manufacturing process for good.

The new HeiQ Viroblock mattress won't just be good for you; it will be good for others, too. Serta Simmons Bedding has also donated more than 10,000 mattresses in regions that were hit hardest by the pandemic to help reduce the national hospital bed shortage.

Related: Handling hotels — and the ick factor — during the coronavirus pandemic

Serta Simmons Bedding hasn't yet announced its partner hotel brands, so stay tuned for announcements to come on where you'll be able to try out this new bed for yourself. But if you're the type of person who likes to buy the same beds you enjoy at hotels, you'll also be able to purchase a HeiQ Viroblock-treated mattress sometime in the near future.

Featured image by (Photo by Alena Ozerova/shutterstock)

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TPG Editor‘s Rating
Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
3 / 5
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2 - 6X points
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  • 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping
  • 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
  • Earn a free-night award each card renewal month (up to 35,000 points)
  • Receive 15 elite night credits to jump-start status
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Cons

  • Airline points transfer ratios are poor
  • Must spend $60,000 in a year for second free-night award
  • Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.
  • Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
  • 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
  • 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
  • 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
  • Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
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TPG Editor‘s Rating
Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
3 / 5
Go to review

Rewards Rate

6X6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
4X4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
2X2x points on all other eligible purchases.
  • Intro Offer
    Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.

    Earn 125,000 points
    75,000 points
  • Annual Fee

    $125
  • Recommended Credit
    Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

    670-850
    Excellent/Good

Why We Chose It

The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year.

Pros

  • 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
  • 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping
  • 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
  • Earn a free-night award each card renewal month (up to 35,000 points)
  • Receive 15 elite night credits to jump-start status
  • Transfer Marriott points to 40+ airlines

Cons

  • Airline points transfer ratios are poor
  • Must spend $60,000 in a year for second free-night award
  • Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.
  • Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
  • 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
  • 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
  • 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
  • Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
  • Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card.
  • Terms apply.