Allergy Sufferers Can Sleep Soundly in a Hotel

Travel Tips for People with Allergies

For the 40 to 50 million people who suffer from allergies, traveling for work or pleasure and staying in hotels can pose a real challenge when it comes to getting the proper sleep.

The air quality and environment in a hotel room changes from day to day and that can pose potential health issues for people who are especially sensitive to airborne particles, bacteria, pollen, pet dander, and dust.

Chemically sensitive people can have adverse reactions to the cleaning products used to clean the hotel, including the detergents used to wash the towels and sheets.

What can you do if you suffer with allergies and have to stay in a hotel?

Is there anything you can do to help ensure that you won't have an allergic reaction and that you'll get a good night's sleep away from home?

The good news is that, yes, there are some things you can do, but it will take a little more time and effort and possibly more money to do so.

Hypoallergenic Rooms in Hotels

There are a few hotel chains who are spending a good chunk of change to change over some of their rooms to hypoallergenic rooms in an effort to cater to allergy sufferers.

They're basically gutting some of the rooms to ensure that all dust mites, dust, mildew spores, and mold spores are completely eradicated.

They're adding accessories like hardwood floors, removing draperies and putting up blinds, and even placing air purifiers into the room.

Pillows and mattresses are covered with allergen resistant covers as well. There are a few hotels that even wash the linens for their hypoallergenic rooms in a separate area with detergent that is fragrance free or by using a system that utilizes ionization and no detergent.

You may have to ask about this specifically to confirm, or else you may want to bring your own linens.

Be sure to ask if the hotel utilized the services of a company called Pure Solutions – they come in and actually clean and disinfect the air conditioning and heating systems and then seal the rooms while they sanitize every inch with a purifier.

Some of the hotels that offer these types of rooms include: Hyatt Hotels, Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel, Seaport Boston Hotel, and Doubletree by Hilton in Bethesda, MD just to name a mere few.

When you're calling around to check availability, ask about "pure rooms", "allergy free rooms", or "hypoallergenic rooms".

Other Helpful Tips for Allergy Sufferers Sleeping in Hotels

When and if you're unable to stay at a hotel that has allergy free rooms, there are some steps you can take to help keep you from an allergy attack.

· Ask for a room on one of the highest floors – for some reason, mold is less likely to grow the further up you go

· Bring along your own air purifier and place it in the room for a few hours if at all possible before you have to go to sleep

· Make sure to request a room that hasn't had a pet in it for a minimum of a month or ask for a room that has never had pets inside

· Take along your own linens and pillow if you're unsure about the methods by which the hotel washes and treats their linens

· Request a room as far from the pool, sauna, or laundry facilities as possible – rooms closest to these facilities tend to grow mold quicker

· Ask that your room be cleaned with fragrance free or all natural cleaning solutions prior to your arrival

· You may even want to take along a protective cover for your mattress to keep you safe from dust mites and bacteria in the mattress

· Carry along a sanitizer that utilizes a ultraviolet light so you can treat any and all surfaces

It really is possible to get a good night's sleep when you sleep in a hotel, even if you suffer from allergies or asthma.

You will most likely have to pay an additional $20 or $30 more per night for a allergy free hotel room, but the extra money will be worth getting sleep and waking refreshed in the morning, won't it?