In an age where travelers expect more than just a clean room, one company has turned fresh air into a competitive advantage. Pure Wellness has spent nearly two decades transforming traditional guestrooms into Pure Rooms, scientifically enhanced wellness environments that can be marketed and monetized.
“What we do is convert hotel rooms into wellness spaces by improving air quality, eliminating bacteria and viruses, filtering shower water and using hypoallergenic bedding,” said Haley Payne, head of commercial, Pure Wellness. “Hotels then create a wellness room type and charge a premium, so it becomes both a revenue generator and a wellness option for health-conscious travelers. Today, we’re in just over 250 hotels, representing about 3,500 rooms across the U.S.”
She added that Pure Rooms are located in hotels in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, as well as secondary and some tertiary markets.
“We have an MSA [master service agreement]with Atrium Hospitality, so we’re in all 71 of their hotels,” she said. “We also have an MSA with Remington and Ashford Hospitality Trust. We sell to ownership groups and management companies, and they put us in hotels that they think we would be the best fit.”
Pure Rooms are built around a patented seven-step process designed to eliminate irritants that commonly trigger respiratory issues—from mold and spores to bacteria and allergens. “We extract those contaminants from the room and then apply treatments that maintain the room’s integrity,” she explained. “Housekeeping and engineering teams don’t have to change their procedures; the process is completely turnkey.”
One of the key innovations is a proprietary antimicrobial surface treatment called Pure Shield. “It’s applied to high-touch areas like door handles and light switches to prevent bacteria and virus growth,” Payne said. “We pair that with a medical-grade air purifier that uses DFS filtration to capture and kill 99.9% of airborne viruses and bacteria.”
The system also includes hypoallergenic encasements for mattresses and pillows, plus filtered shower water that removes chlorine and hard minerals—details that might go unnoticed but make a measurable difference in guest health and comfort. “Altogether, it creates an environment that supports better respiratory health and a more restorative sleep,” said Payne.
While the technology behind Pure Rooms is complex, the goal is simple: help guests feel better during—and after—their stay.
“When we install at a hotel, we train the staff on how to present the concept,” she said. “We don’t want them to sell it as a ‘clean room’—we want them to sell it as a wellness room that promotes better sleep and well-being.”
That message resonates with today’s travelers, who are increasingly focused on health, recovery and balance. “The hardest part is getting a guest to try it the first time because, visually, a Pure Room looks like every other room,” she said. “They’re essentially selling air quality, which can be a challenge. But once guests experience it, they tend to book it every time. Repeat business for these rooms is huge.”
For hotels, the value proposition is clear. Smaller properties gain a new premium room type to upsell, while larger hotels use Pure Rooms to reduce run-of-house inventory and command higher rates. “We work across all segments—from Hampton Inns to luxury resorts,” Payne said. “In wellness-focused or luxury properties, it’s a natural extension of their brand promise.”
Pure Wellness doesn’t just install the equipment and walk away. Each property receives a dedicated customer success contact, and the company performs ongoing maintenance to ensure every system performs optimally.
“In each room, we also clean and sanitize the HVAC system or PTAC unit to ensure the air coming into the space is as pure as possible,” Payne noted. “We even use tea tree oil as a natural antimicrobial to keep coils clean between maintenance visits. Combined with our air purification system, it gives guests the best possible air quality.”
That process also contributes to a more peaceful night’s sleep. “Some guests enjoy the subtle white noise produced by the purifier—it helps them sleep better,” Payne said. “Unlike PTAC units, which cycle on and off and can disrupt sleep, our purifiers run quietly and continuously.”
Pure Rooms also attract a specific type of traveler—those who are highly sensitive to allergens, pets or chemicals.
“We recommend that Pure Rooms not be designated as pet-friendly,” Payne said. “Many guests request rooms that have never housed pets, and this gives hotels an opportunity to market them that way.”
At The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa, CA, Pure Wellness recently installed 23 Pure Rooms in one of the resort’s wellness-oriented buildings, which also includes a fitness area. “They chose that location because it’s more wellness-centric,” Payne said. “The property attracts a lot of health-conscious travelers, so it’s a great fit.”
The addition has already enhanced the resort’s ability to serve its wellness-minded clientele while offering a differentiated room product that commands a rate premium. It also underscores the flexibility of Pure’s model—applicable to both new-builds and existing rooms.
Payne noted that Pure Wellness is always evolving the Pure Room concept. “Each year, we try to introduce something new into the program,” she said. “Right now, we’re working on an in-room wellness playlist so guests can choose music for yoga, workouts or relaxation.”
Beyond hotels, the company is exploring other sectors where air quality and wellness intersect. “We’re looking at senior living as a potential vertical market because of the importance of bacteria and virus control in those environments,” Payne noted.
