green lodging news

Sustainability's Role in Defining 'Boutique,' 'Lifestyle'

2010-07-27T05:56:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month, the Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) announced plans to develop a universal standard and criteria for defining boutique and lifestyle lodgings. I spoke with Frances Kiradjian, founder and chair of the organization, to learn whether or not a lodging's commitment to sustainability would be a criterion in determining whether or not it is considered a boutique or lifestyle lodging. Kiradjian told me that she was not yet ready to make a commitment that it would be required but she said, "My inclination is that yes, it will make it."

Kiradjian said BLLA's goal is to have its definition of boutique and lifestyle lodgings complete by the beginning of 2011. BLLA is surveying hoteliers, consumers and others in order to develop its criteria. The BLLA Advisory Board will make the final decision on the definition.

In the press release distributed about the new standard, BLLA did not mention that it is also developing a certification program for boutique and lifestyle properties. Within the certification program, Kiradjian said, there will be questions that address a property's green programs. Watch for more details at www.greenlodgingnews.com.

Kentucky, Arkansas Step Up Green Tourism Efforts

2010-07-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

The list of states with green lodging certification programs and/or green-oriented travel sites just keeps getting longer. The Bed & Breakfast Association of Kentucky recently launched its Green Lodging Certification Program and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism just launched its www.greentravelarkansas.com website. According to my count, there are now 29 states, two cities and one region that have some form of green lodging program or green travel website. (Click here for list.)

The Arkansas site lists green properties but there is no certification program yet in that state. Hotels and inns, to be listed, must follow some of the guidelines described by the American Hotel & Lodging Association in its Green Resource Center. Participants in the Bed & Breakfast Association of Kentucky's program are required to have an on-site audit and must report on their progress annually. "A third-party audit gives a level of credibility that self-certification cannot achieve," said Todd Allen, the Bed & Breakfast Association of Kentucky's Green Lodging Certification Committee Chairperson.

While the Arkansas site certainly lacks teeth when it comes to criteria for lodging inclusion, it is good to see the state beginning to emphasize the importance of sustainable travel. It is even better to see Kentucky launch a program with strict guidelines for participation.

If your property is in a state that currently has no green lodging certification program or does not promote itself as a green destination, don't you think it is time to lobby for change? Contact the leaders of your state hotel and lodging association and tourism office and ask why your state is being left behind.

Hotel Plants Trees for a Job Well Done

2010-07-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

When one or a group of your employees excel at something or reach a goal, how do you reward them? As part of the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego's Roots Rock initiative, staff who achieve high customer service survey scores have trees planted in their honor. This is according to an article posted on the San Diego News room website. Since the beginning of the program, 200 trees have been planted as part of the American Forests' Global ReLeaf program. It is not the first time the Hard Rock Hotel has joined up with Global ReLeaf. During Earth Day this spring, the hotel planted a tree for every guest.

According to the article, the tree planting program is just one of the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego's green initiatives. The property also recycles bottles and cans as well as kitchen grease and actively seeks out produce and fish from local vendors. The hotel also has a towel/linen reuse program, motion detectors to turn off lights, and the hotel's company car is a Toyota Prius.

I am sure your employees would first appreciate financial compensation for a job well done. In addition to that, however, having trees planted in their name is a great idea. The American Forests' Global ReLeaf program is just one program to consider. The Arbor Day Foundation is another great organization. They will even send you trees to plant. In what ways are you rewarding your employees and helping the environment at the same time? I would love to read your thoughts.

First LEED Gold Hotel to Become Doubletree

2010-07-14T06:31:00.000-07:00

According to two newspaper reports, The Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa, the United States' first LEED Gold hotel, will become a Doubletree hotel by the end of the year. The current owner of the hotel in American Canyon, Calif., is Butterfly Effect Hotels LLC. The transition to a branded hotel is an interesting turn of events for the property that was the vision of Wen-I Chang, who also launched the Gaia at Anderson hotel in Anderson, Calif. I had an opportunity to speak with Wen a number of times several years ago and he always emphasized how happy he was not to have a connection to a brand. As the economy changes, so too can attitudes toward branding.

According to a report in the Napa Valley Register, the ownership group is expected to raise rates at the 132-room hotel by $15 to $20 a night. The hotel is currently running a 65 percent occupancy. The hotel, managed by Marin Management Inc. of Sausalito, Calif., will maintain its green features during the transition. The hotel has a solar photovoltaic system on its roof and includes touches such as chemical-free landscaping, 100 percent recycled tile, a guest van that uses alternative fuel, waterless urinals, and plates on guestroom doors that include the name of a wild animal, bird or flower. Inside the lobby is a real-time display of how much energy the hotel is using and saving.

Frank Huang, a partner in Butterfly Effect Hotels, expects the Doubletree branding to bring in 25 percent more business.

Faraway Inn's Recycling Helps Felines

2010-07-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

I often hear from hoteliers and innkeepers about their recycling efforts. I recently wrote about the W San Francisco and its almost 80 percent waste diversion rate. I have reported about many other interesting projects, including composting and even holding an e-waste recycling day (the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C. did this). In the past week I heard from Doreen and Oliver Bauer at the Faraway Inn in Cedar Key, Fla., about their unique recycling initiative.

The Bauers are offering their inn as a collection point for spent inkjet cartridges, used cell phones and ipods, digital cameras and laptops. They mail the items to a company that properly recycles or disposes of them. In exchange for sending in the items, the inn receives a check made out to their favorite nonprofit organization. "To date, we have received $150 back for mailing in trash," the couple says.

The Humane Society of Inverness is the recipient of the money. The organization helps to neuter/spay feral cats. The Bauers kick in additional volunteer time to help the nonprofit. "Our island cats are spayed/neutered/vaccinated and given a clean bill of health before being released back into their environment to live out their lives kitten free," the Bauers said.

No matter the size of your property--the Faraway Inn has just five employees--you can still make a difference in your community and reduce the flow of waste to landfills. You can write to the Bauers at info@farawayinn.com to learn more about their efforts.

Electronic Publishing is Risky Business

2010-07-08T04:39:00.000-07:00

When I started my career in trade publishing, things were much simpler. There was no Internet, no e-mail, and computers had a little more memory than a calculator (it at least seemed that way). While working for Hotel & Motel Management magazine, I was part of an effort to produce a print publication approximately twice a month. Things occasionally did go wrong but usually errors were minor. If you did not catch a mistake before the publication was printed, it was too late.

In today's world of electronic publishing, where everything is constantly "live" and can be updated or changed easily, it is easier to correct mistakes. However, the electronic world presents its own challenges as well and any travel-related business dipping its toes into electronic publishing needs to be careful.

As most of you know, I produce an electronic newsletter each week. I recently redesigned the newsletter along with the Green Lodging News website. As part of this transition, I began to work with a new company that distributes electronic newsletters. Everything went fine the first couple of weeks. Yesterday, however, I received an e-mail from the company claiming that someone on my list had been spammed with my newsletter. Turns out this person represents an organization called Spamhaus. I had never heard of Spamhaus and of course I do not intentionally spam anyone. In fact, anyone not wishing to receive my newsletter can opt out with one easy click.

Because of this one person making a spam claim, my account was shut down. I will certainly find another company to use but the lesson learned here is that no matter how clean your e-mail distribution list is, you are always vulnerable to spam claims--whether because of the efforts of a competitor, an unhappy customer or reader, or someone (a guest) who happened to forget that they signed up for your e-mail publication.

Electronic publishing is a risky world indeed. The lesson learned here? Always have a backup plan. Just one person clicking a spam button can stop you in your tracks.

Engineers--the Unsung Heroes

2010-06-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

In gaining efficiencies in a hotel--especially a large hotel--it is often the director of engineering who has the most impact on whether or not an energy management, water or waste initiative is successful. Yet, engineers rarely get the credit they deserve. Why not? When was the last time you saw an industry association, at the national level, present an award to an engineer for reducing a property's carbon footprint?

I just had an opportunity to interview Brian Gorski, director of engineering at the Hyatt Regency in Boston. He has worked at the hotel since 1993. After 18 years at the property, Brian has a tremendous amount of knowledge about what makes the property efficient or inefficient. Thanks in part to Brian's work, the hotel was just awarded the EPA's prestigious Energy Star rating. Brian told me the hotel's electricity consumption has dropped by a whopping 42 percent since he started working there. At one time the hotel consumed 12.3 million kilowatts of electricity per year; now the property consumes just 7.1 million kilowatts annually.

There are many things that have contributed to the plunge in power consumption: training, investments in new lighting, a guestroom energy management system, motion detectors for lighting, variable frequency drives, new heating and cooling systems, and much more. Brian has helped lead the effort to update heating, cooling and other equipment that has seen its better days. The hotel's owners have spent about $3 million on updates over the last 10 to 12 years.

Behind the scenes of our nation's largest hotels, engineers like Brian are having a huge positive impact on reducing our industry's environmental footprint. If someone like Brian works in your hotel, be sure to give that person the credit and recognition he or she deserves.

Smoking Ban Takes Effect July 1 in Kansas

2010-06-24T06:30:00.000-07:00

Next week will be an important one for proponents of smoke-free bars, restaurants and other public places in Kansas. On July 1, a statewide smoking ban will go into effect covering those areas. Governor Mark Parkinson signed the ban in March earlier this year. The law was the work of a bipartisan coalition in the House and Senate, as well as numerous doctors, nurses and health professionals.

Hotels will still be allowed to permit smoking in 20 percent of their guestrooms. That is bad news for the housekeepers who will have to clean those rooms. Many studies have proven the danger of secondhand and thirdhand smoke. Health officials in Kansas estimate that 4,000 Kansans die from smoking-related disease every year, about 300 through secondhand smoke. The Kansas Health Policy Authority estimates the smoking ban could result in more than 2,000 fewer heart attacks and a $21 million reduction in hospital charges for heart attacks alone. Unfortunately, the state exempted state-owned casinos from the smoking ban.

As of April of this year, 38 states and the District of Columbia had local laws in effect that require 100 percent smoke-free workplaces and/or restaurants and/or bars.

Hyatt Commits to Green Key Eco-Rating Program

2010-06-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Those organizations competing with the Green Key Eco-Rating Program--a joint partnership between the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) and LRA Worldwide--will certainly be interested in learning more about today's announcement involving Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. Hyatt just announced its commitment to the Green Key program for its hotels and resorts in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Green Key is one of the many green lodging certification programs available to hoteliers.

Why should those who run Green Seal, Green Globe, Audubon Green Leaf and the other programs be concerned? Green Key, which already dominates the Canada market, appears to be pulling ahead in the race for certification business here in the United States. Just launched in the United States last September, Green Key has already been adopted as the certification program for the State of Indiana, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has committed its U.S. hotels to the program, Accor North America is piloting the program, Sofitel Luxury Hotels adopted the program for its U.S. hotels, and the American Hotel & Lodging Association just partnered with HAC and LRA Worldwide to offer a discount for its members interested in pursuing Green Key certification.

Yes, Green Seal has all of Kimpton's hotels and U.S. Great Wolf Resorts locked up, and Audubon Green Leaf is the accepted program in New York State, but Green Key appears to be pulling ahead in the race for acceptance. (Green Globe is not making much headway with U.S. hotels.)

Will Green Key continue its momentum? Time will tell. It will definitely be interesting to watch.

Do USGBC Standards Ignore Public Health?

2010-06-17T06:08:00.000-07:00

A report recently released by Environment and Human Health, Inc. (EHHI) challenges the U.S. Green Building Council to strengthen their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards when it comes to human health. EHHI is a nonprofit organization composed of doctors, public health professionals and policy experts who specialize in research that examines environmental threats to human health. In the report, "LEED Certification: Where Energy Efficiency Collides with Human Health," EHHI says even USGBC's Platinum level award does little to ensure that hazardous chemicals are kept out of certified buildings.

The lead author of the study, John Wargo, Ph.D., professor of Risk Analysis and Environmental Policy at Yale University, says the following: "Although the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification program has effectively encouraged energy efficiency in buildings, tighter buildings often concentrate chemicals released from building materials, cleaning supplies, fuel combustion, pesticides and other hazardous substances."

EHHI is especially concerned that the LEED program is now providing the false impression that the buildings it certifies protect human health. EHHI says USGBC's Platinum rating is attainable without earning any credits for indoor air quality protection. (Green Lodging News reported earlier this year that LEED certified hotels can include smoking rooms. See article.)

EHHI recommends that numerous changes be made to the LEED program so that it becomes more health protective. To learn more about EHHI's findings and recommendations, click here. The report is a very important document.

The Story of Snow White the Goat

2010-06-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

Blanche Neige (Snow White) is the name of the goat recently adopted by Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal. Snow White will supply the milk that will be used to make cheese for the hotel's Beaver Club. (Do I detect an animal theme here?) A registered "show goat" with an impressive pedigree, Snow White was adopted from the local Fromagerie du Vieux St. Francois as part of the property's ongoing commitment to supporting local cuisine and small artisan producers. While living at the fromagerie, Snow White will produce cheese for the menu at The Beaver Club, as well as for sale at the Fairmont Store.

The Beaver Club's Chef Martin Paquet will be using the goat cheese in a variety of dishes to complement the restaurant's renowned cuisine, from entrees to desserts.

Snow White is a Saanen breed of goat, which originally comes from the Saanen Valley of Switzerland and is registered with the the Canadian Livestock Records Corporation. Snow White is, of course, a lady. She will not live at the hotel but at a local farm.

This a great idea and a great way to engage guests, especially children visiting the hotel. Now if the hotel would just adopt seven chickens. Then they would have...you guessed it I am sure...Snow White and the Seven Chickens.

A Loo Loo and a Bathroom Brake

2010-06-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

I never thought much about the unwrapping speed of a roll of toilet paper until two vendors came along to offer similar products that slow that speed. That's right, there are products available that can slow the speed at which your guests unravel the rolls of toilet paper they use. I heard from company No. 1 last year: Biway Products. That company sells what is called the Loo Loo. It is a product made from expanded polymers that fits over the paper roller. The roll of toilet paper is then placed over it. The Loo Loo, because of its shape, helps to slow the pace at which paper unrolls. According to the company, the Loo Loo will save 20 to 50 percent on each roll used.

The second company, Bathroom Brake, makes a similar product that helps put the brake on toilet paper rolling. It is even scented to...well, you know...help cover unpleasant odors that tend to linger in that general area. The company says its product will save 25 percent or more of wasted paper.

Be sure to check out these products and let me know what you think. Especially in a hotel, where toilet paper flies off the shelves, doing something to minimize paper waste makes sense. According to Biway Products, 45 billion rolls of toilet paper are used in North America each year. That equates to a lot of trees being felled and a lot of water and air pollution.

The Wind Beneath Their Wings

2010-06-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

Of the numerous renewable options for power generation, wind power is certainly one of the most expensive. Yet, there are some hotel, resort and even inn owners that have invested in wind--even though it will be many years before seeing a return on their investment. What is driving these folks to spend up to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars on wind turbines?

Having the ability to meet a portion of their electricity needs is certainly one of the reasons for their investments. But it seems that what many owners are trying to do is make some type of statement. What kind of statement? That they are committed to renewable energy and the protection of the environment in general. That they are willing to spend what is necessary to brand their property in a highly visible manner as one that is progressive and green. That they are willing to be groundbreakers--even when there is no ROI in sight.

I recently wrote about the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa in Whitefield, N.H. The owners of that property spent $500,000 on their 100-kilowatt wind turbine. The marketing manager for the Mountain View Grand said the owners paid for the turbine out of their own pockets because "it was the right thing to do." The owners of the Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, Mass., paid about $4.2 million for their 1.5-megawatt wind turbine. The expected payback time on their investment? About eight to nine years. For most property owners, eight or nine years is too long to wait to see a return.

I frequently come across individuals who have deep pockets and who are willing to invest in technologies that require ROI patience. Some make good decisions to make their green statements; others do not. Without owners willing to set examples for others, however, new technologies such as wind turbines will never mature in our industry. I commend those investors for showing leadership--even when the business case is questionable.

Delta Chelsea Offsetting 109 Percent of Footprint

2010-06-03T06:19:00.000-07:00

It is not easy for a large hotel building to be carbon neutral--especially one that has 1,590 rooms. There are just two ways to make it happen: be powered entirely by wind, solar or other renewable energy sources; or by purchasing carbon offsets in combination with energy-saving efforts. The Delta Chelsea, Canada's largest hotel and located in Toronto, has offset 109 percent of its annual carbon footprint through the LivClean Eco-Stay program. For 2009, 7,845 tons worth of carbon offsets were purchased. Through the LivClean Eco-Stay program, guests are asked to donate $1 upon check-out and all funds are sent to LivClean to purchase carbon offsets on the hotel's behalf.

There are some who say purchasing offsets is the easy way to get to carbon neutrality but the Delta Chelsea has done a lot on its own to reduce its environmental footprint. From 2005 to 2009, it reduced its carbon emissions by 64 percent. The hotel diverted 84 percent of its waste stream to recycling in 2009 and was selected as the winner of the 2008 Energy & Environment Award by the Hotel Association of Canada.

"As a business operating in a large community such as Toronto, the Delta Chelsea recognizes and respects its corporate responsibility to make it a stronger and better place to live," says Josef Ebner, regional vice-president and managing director, Delta Chelsea Hotel. "As a quality organization, this is a key focus for our hotel and for our company. To that end, we will always consider the environment in our decision-making, striving to take action that will positively impact the environment and that will go beyond existing regulations and legislation."

Congratulations to the Delta Chelsea Hotel for achieving "carbon neutrality."

Sometimes It's Better Not to be Number One

2010-05-27T06:27:00.000-07:00

A new study conducted by the University of Adelaide (Australia), Princeton University and the National University of Singapore ranks the world's countries based on their negative impact on the environment. The research involved 228 countries and took into account seven indicators of environmental degradation: natural forest loss, habitat conversion, marine life, fertilizer use, water pollution, carbon emissions and species threats.

The country having the worst environmental impact is Brazil, followed by the United States, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, India, Russia, Australia, and Peru. The study found that the wealthier the country, based on gross national income, the greater the likelihood of being an environmental offender. It's a good thing the study was done prior to the recent oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

Something tells me we won't be seeing the results of this study in any collateral promoting the United States as a tourism destination.

Thanks to Robert Kravitz at AlturaSolutions Communications and Sustainability Dashboard Tools for sharing this news item with me.

Numerous Sites Providing Oil Spill Updates

2010-05-25T05:50:00.001-07:00

Green Lodging News just reported on the Florida Keys Tourism Council and its efforts to keep visitors to that area updated on the impact of the oil spill on the Keys area. The Council's website has been getting a lot of traffic. Information from official authorities, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is updated daily.

Living Green Magazine, an online publication, is providing live updates from the oil spill on its website. The site's Gulf-spill section includes the latest news from major media sources, blogs from the staff of the Natural Resources Defense Council, videos and photos from the oil spill zone, hotline phone numbers where people can report beach and wildlife endangerment, links to organizations asking for donations and volunteers, and ideas for how people can take action wherever they are.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has also established a website to inform the public about the oil spill's impact on the environment and the health of nearby residents. The site contain's data from the EPA's ongoing monitoring along with other information about the agency's activities in the region.

Additional information on the broader response from the U.S. Coast Guard and other responding agencies is available by clicking here.

Of course all of the major news agencies are providing updates as well.

Let's hope BP finds a way to stop the massive oil leak soon. It is already too late for some areas of the Gulf Coast.

Too Much Silence in Response to Oil Spill?

2010-05-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

What should the proper response of the U.S. travel and tourism industry be to British Petroleum's oil leak disaster? (BP defines it as the "MC252 oil well incident.") Of course it should be furious and prepared to seek compensation for physical damage (if and when that happens) as well as business lost. On Monday of this week, BP announced grants to each of the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to help their governors promote tourism around the shores of the Gulf of Mexico over the coming months. BP will provide $25 million to Florida and $15 million each to Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. That money will certainly help but if oil starts hitting the coastlines of the affected states in significant amounts, the states are going to need a heckuva lot more money to address the problem.

I checked the American Hotel & Lodging Association website and there still has not been an official response made to the oil spill. Why not? The U.S. Travel Association issued a statement early on that it was working with member organizations in the affected states to monitor the situation but it also still has not taken an official stance critical of the spill. Again, why not? We should all be furious!

The truth is that our industry, like every single one of us, is extremely addicted to what BP was drilling for in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil, at least for now, is our industry's oxygen. While yelling about corporate irresponsibility and the damage being done to the water and life of the Gulf of Mexico, we should all be thinking about how to transition to cleaner, renewable energy. In the meantime, however, we do have every right to be furious. I just wish our industry would collectively express that more forcefully.

Doubletree's 'Teaching Kids to Care' Going Strong

2010-05-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

Whether helping Haiti recovery efforts or helping to protect endangered species, Doubletree's Teaching Kids to Care program has been very successful--one of the most successful chainwide community involvement programs in the lodging industry. I checked and I have posted almost 10 articles mentioning the program on the Green Lodging News website. The program even has its own Web page.

This spring, as part of its "Love Your Trees, Love Your Community, Love Your Earth" initiative, Doubletree is working with the Arbor Day Foundation to help educate kids about the importance of trees, environmental stewardship in the community, and their positive impact on the environment. Students are being encouraged to pledge and practice 10 easily doable tree conservation challenges.

This Thursday, May 20, Shannon Dunavent, general manager of the Doubletree Guest Suites Fort Shelby/Detroit Downtown, along with her hotel team, will host a Community Urban Garden planting in Detroit. Students and teachers from Gompers Elementary School will help transform a courtyard of concrete into a "Made in Michigan" educational garden. More than 350 tree seedlings will be planted.

The Detroit event is the culmination of more than 175 similar events that have been celebrated during the past month by 10,000 grade school students and hundreds of Doubletree employees as part of a global adopt-a-school initiative.

Teaching Kids to Care is now eight years old and still going strong. Congratulations to Doubletree for touching the lives of more than 150,000 students in 200 communities.

Improving Economy Good News for CityCenter

2010-05-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time coming but I will get to visit CityCenter for the first time next week while attending HD Expo in Las Vegas. I am looking forward to it. The project has already earned six Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold ratings from the U.S. Green Building Council. CityCenter has also won numerous other environmental awards since opening at the end of 2009. Sustainable features range from an 8.5-megawatt natural gas cogeneration plant to a fleet of stretch limos powered by compressed natural gas.

It is pretty obvious that CityCenter did not open at the best time but it is what it is. According to an article in the Las Vegas Sun, the complex, which is owned by MGM Mirage and Dubai World, recorded an operating loss of $255 million in the first quarter of this year. That includes a $171 million write-down in the value of the project's condos. It has only been able to finalize sales of about 100 of its 2,400 luxury condominiums. The owners are also involved in a dispute with the project's chief contractor, Perini Building Co., over about $500 million in construction fees. Before accounting for the write-down and other charges, CityCenter incurred a loss of $32 million. When you think about it that way, things could have been a lot worse.

Company officials and industry experts do see better things on the horizon for CityCenter and Las Vegas as the economy improves and groups and individual travelers return to the city. The project, plagued by problems from its beginning, does deserve a chance to shine--especially since it is one of the best examples of green building design in the United States. I will report back here after my visit to CityCenter next week. Have you been to CityCenter? If so, what did you think? I will look forward to reading your comments.

Author Takes Look at Voluntourism Hot Spots

2010-05-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

Voluntourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry, at a rate of nearly double that of general tourism. What are you doing to capture the business of the tens of millions of U.S. travelers who care about giving back when they travel? Have you connected with organizations in your area that offer volunteer opportunities? Do you have a list prepared for meeting planners and others who ask about local options? Have you or your staff volunteered in the local community?

In "Ecotourists Save the World," Pamela K. Brodowsky and the National Wildlife Federation detail 300 international voluntourism opportunities--from the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge in Homer, Alaska to the Hen and Chickens Islands Weeding Project in North Auckland Peninsula, New Zealand. With each location the author provides a project description, location, contact information, cost, dates and duration, and field notes (level of fitness required, age limitations, etc.)

According to the author, one in three amphibians, nearly half of all turtles and tortoises, one in four mammals, one in five sharks and rays, and one in eight bird species are now considered at risk of extinction. So, there is certainly a lot of work to do.

How are you using voluntourism to put more heads in beds? I would love to read your comments.

Green Choice Program Criticized by Staff

2010-05-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

Last August I wrote about Starwood's Make a Green Choice program. (See article.) Through the program, guests at Sheraton and Westin properties have the option of opting out of housekeeping for a day. Guests can choose to participate up to three consecutive nights. To participate, a guest must hang a "Make a Green Choice" card outside the guestroom door before 2 a.m. Guests are not eligible for the program the night prior to checking out of a room. For each night they participate, guests are given a $5 gift card to use at any of the hotel's restaurants. Guests also have the option of receiving 500 Starpoints as part of Starwood's loyalty program.

The environmental benefits to Make a Green Choice are significant. Of course there are labor savings as well. I gave the program a lot of praise in my article and still believe the concept makes a lot of sense.

According to an article in "The Canadian Press" dated May 5, however, some hotel workers in Toronto are saying programs like Make a Green Choice are fake green programs. Workers at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto are saying that it takes three times longer to clean a room that has gone without cleaning for several days and requires more cleaning fluids. With so many guests participating in the program at that hotel, housekeepers have also lost work hours.

This is one of those instances where a very good idea--one that results in greater business and environmental efficiency--causes unexpected pain. I can certainly understand the housekeepers' concerns. How would you solve a dilemma like this while still running a socially responsible enterprise? I would love to hear from you with your comments.

Hand Dryers Versus Paper Towels

2010-05-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

Kimberly-Clark, the U.S. paper towel and Kleenex maker, is causing a bit of a stir among restroom hand dryer proponents. A video on its website cites two studies that found that hand dryers actually increase the amount of bacteria on the hands. According to Kimberly-Clark, jet air dryers without warm air increase bacteria on the hands by 42 percent while air dryers with warm air increase bacteria on the hands by 254 percent. Kimberly-Clark says its hand towels made from AIRFLEX fabric actually reduce bacteria by up to 55 percent.

Assuming for a moment that what Kimberly-Clark is promoting is fact, are paper towels an environmentally preferable alternative to hand dryers? Here, Kimberly-Clark's case is shaky. While the company is obviously taking a poke at companies such as Excel Dryer and Dyson B2B, Inc., those hand dryer companies make a very strong case for reducing a hotel's environmental impact through the use of their products. According to Excel Dryer, their XLERATOR hand dryer reduces the carbon footprint of hand drying (when compared to paper towels) by 50 percent to 75 percent. For the same cost as one paper towel, Dyson's Airblade hand dryer will dry 22 pairs of hands.

Back to the hygiene argument. Dyson says its Airblade hand dryer uses a HEPA filter to filter the air before it is blown on a person's hands. Excel Dryer, on its website, cites studies that prove that how one dries one's hands matters little when it comes to bacteria on the hands.

What do I think? I have to side with the hand dryer folks. I just can't believe that cutting down trees, making paper and then transporting it is a more environmentally preferable option than hand dryers. What do you think?

Victimized by the Reality of the Global Economy

2010-04-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

When a client of mine e-mailed me yesterday and asked me to call her I knew there must be a problem. Turns out the company is having cash flow problems and is going to have to cut back on its advertising commitment for 2010. Given the long-term, friendly relationship I have had with the company, I am certainly not going to hold them to their contract; I understand today's economic reality.

What concerns me is one of the reasons the company is having cash flow issues. It is having a more difficult time selling its products to U.S. hotel companies because those firms are buying their products from companies in overseas countries such as China instead. Those companies are able to sell my client's particular type of product for about one-third less. I know what you are thinking: "Tell me something I don't know."

My client has one of the best green stories to tell in our industry. Its products are recyclable and made from sustainable materials. Yet, because my clients' products are made here in the United States--where labor and other costs are higher--my client is bleeding business. Meanwhile, companies in places like China benefit and badly needed dollars leave the United States.

In a traditional global economy, the companies that produce most efficiently at the lowest cost deserve to win. That said, in a global economy where sustainability and environmental responsibility are a priority, buying locally made goods is the most responsible thing to do, even if there is a cost premium. Those dollars invested trickle throughout the local economy and help everyone. Of course buying locally results in a much smaller carbon footprint as well.

It is easy for me to say because I do not own and operate a large hotel but wherever you live--in the United States or elsewhere--support local companies first. It will be one of the most sustainable things you can do.

Your thoughts?

April National Geographic a Worthwhile Read

2010-04-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

Here in Ohio where I am based, water conservation is not something discussed very often. The state typically gets its fair share of rain and Lake Erie provides a seemingly endless supply of fresh water. Many parts of the world are not so lucky. Better than just about any publication I have read, the April issue of National Geographic unveils the sobering truth about our world's supply of fresh water. I strongly recommend reading the issue that is dedicated 100 percent to water.

Perhaps you have heard the statistics before: Though water covers our world, more than 97 percent is salty. Two percent is fresh water locked in snow and ice, leaving less than 1 percent for us. By 2025, 1.8 billion people will live where water is scarce.

The hospitality industry can do a lot to help conserve water and use it more wisely--without necessarily impacting the guest experience. The Green Lodging News website includes many water conservation tips but the "no brainers" include: towel and linen reuse programs; low-flow toilets, showerheads and aerators; pre-rinse spray valves in kitchens; serving water only upon request in restaurants; recycling water from laundry operations; and planting plants and trees native to your local area. Smart golf course management is also important as 2 billion gallons of water are needed every day just to irrigate U.S. golf courses.

What unique steps have you taken to conserve water at your property? Be sure to leave a comment at the end of this blog.

An Earth Day Worth Celebrating

2010-04-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day! For someone who edits and publishes a green publication--Green Lodging News--Earth Day is the best day of the year and certainly worthy of being a national holiday. Ideally, Earth Day should be a day when all of us volunteer to help clean up our planet and commit to being better stewards of the natural resources Mother Nature provides us.

I have been swamped with press releases the last few weeks from properties announcing Earth Day commitments and celebrations. Here are just a few examples:

Hyatt Regency Aruba is holding an Earth Week. The property already hosted a trade show for local businesses to showcase their environmentally friendly products. Today, the property will have a tree planting.
At Grand Velas All Suites & Spa Resort Riviera Maya, guests will tour the resort grounds and learn about the native flora and fauna and plant mangrove trees. Children will have an opportunity to create artwork using recycled newspapers and plastic bottles.
The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake hosted a day of activities including a T-shirt design contest, aluminum can recycling drive, and group cleanup of Geneva State Park.
Accor North America is holding its annual Accor Earth Guest Day. Activities include the cleaning up of local parks, collecting items for recycling, planting hundreds of trees, donating clothes and toys, and collection of used linens for donation.
In recognition of Earth Day and Arbor Day (April 30), students at partner schools of Doubletree hotels are committing to complete a series of "Tree Task of the Day" activities--everything from creating a recycling bin at home to creatively repurposing paper bags.
Chefs and other culinary officials who work for Delaware North Companies are pledging to refrain from using 90 percent of the fish and seafood species that are listed on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch "avoid" list.
Atmosphere Hospitality Management announced its new Adoba Eco Hotel & Suites brand. Each will be built to earn LEED Gold or Platinum certification.
Hilton New York team members and their families will participate in an Earth Day tree planting on Randall's Island.
Great Wolf Resorts is celebrating the one-year anniversary of earning Green Seal certification for all of its properties.
Pineapple Hospitality has launched a new website called GreenerHotels.com. Hotels will have to be certified by one or more of six certification programs to be listed on the site.

These are just some of the activities that have already taken place or will be taking place. This year's Earth Day is the 40th one. Be sure to take some time to think about what you can do to lighten your property's environmental footprint in the coming year. Once again, happy Earth Day!

Shocking Energy Star Revelations

2010-04-20T06:13:00.000-07:00

Makers of everything from refrigerators to computers have used the Energy Star label to tout the efficiency of their products for years. Turns out the label may not have actually meant much...until now. An audit of the program by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that it was easy to obtain Energy Star approval--even for fake products. How? For years the EPA and DOE relied on an automated approval process. Products were not tested to ensure that they were as efficient as the maker stated. Sometimes applications were not even reviewed by a human being. It is a good think Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, requested the GAO study.

Thanks to the study, changes are in the works. Effective immediately, according to a recent EPA/DOE press release, manufacturers wishing to qualify their products as Energy Star must submit complete lab reports and results for review and approval prior to labeling. EPA will no longer rely on an automated approval process. All new qualification applications will be reviewed and approved individually by EPA. By the end of this year, all manufacturers must submit test results from an approved, accredited lab for any product seeking the Energy Star label. Testing in an accredited lab is currently only required for some products. The new process will extend the requirement to each of the more than 60 eligible product categories under the Energy Star program.

It is encouraging that the Energy Star program is being strengthened. What is disappointing and shocking is how much "teeth" the program lacked for so long. It is just one more reason to always question and challenge government-run programs. Your thoughts?

Summit Brings Attention to Workplace Safety

2010-04-15T05:51:00.000-07:00

In February, the American Journal of Industrial Medicine published a study with the title, "Occupational Injury Disparities in the U.S. hotel industry. A total of 2,865 injuries at 50 unionized hotels over a three-year span were analyzed. The injury rate was higher for female hotel employees because they work disproportionately as housekeepers, which is the most injury-prone hotel job. According to the study, housekeepers have a 7.9 percent injury rate each year, 50 percent higher than for all hotel workers. The study also found that Hispanic women are more likely to get injured than their white counterparts.

This week, according to a press release issued by UNITE HERE, the union organization that represents hospitality workers, nearly 50 housekeepers traveled to Houston to participate in OSHA's National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety. The conference is sponsored by OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The housekeepers are participating in the Summit to bring attention to the high rates of injury for hotel housekeepers--in particular Latino housekeepers.

Just prior to the start of the OSHA Summit, housekeepers revealed their Hope Quilt, a 150-foot quilt made by housekeepers from across North America. Each patch on the quilt represents a story of pain or injury caused by working in hotels.

The housekeepers certainly have a right to be concerned. According to John Wilhelm, the president of UNITE HERE, "Hotels are the only place we know that Latina workers face higher injury rates...."

As mentioned in one of my previous columns, it is imperative that those who employ housekeepers do what is necessary to provide the proper training, tools and cleaning products to ensure an ergonomically and chemically safe working environment. There is no excuse for workplace injuries--ever.

Bees are the Buzz at Six Fairmont Hotels

2010-04-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

Spring is here which means the bees are back at six Fairmont hotels in the United States, Canada and Africa. Hotels in Vancouver, B.C.; Toronto; Washington, D.C.; Kenya; Quebec; and St. Andrews by-the-Sea have bee hives on rooftops or in on-site gardens. The bees help pollinate area gardens and parks while also supplying hotel chefs with honey.

At the Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver, more than 390,000 honey bees are expected to produce 500 pounds of honey. At the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, nearly 800 pounds of honey has been harvested since June 2008, much of it going into the hotel's cocktails and cuisine. At the Fairmont Washington, D.C. (see related article), three hives each have their own names: Casa Bella, Casa Blanca, and Casa Bianca. At the Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, eight hives will be in place by June. Each hive will host about 4,000 honey-making bees. The first honey harvest is expected by September. The resort will offer lectures for guests so they can learn about bees and honey production.

At the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec, honey is harvested three times each year from four hives. Each hive contains about 70,000 bees. The hives produce more than enough honey for the hotel; the excess is sold to guests. At the Fairmont Algonquin in St. Andrews by-the-Sea, honey is showcased in Chef Ryan Dunne's cooking at the hotel's three restaurants.

Beekeeping requires expertise and is certainly not something one can start alone. In launching its hives, Fairmont partnered with area experts. To become aware of beekeeping basics, there is plenty of information online. Whatever you do, don't get stung in the process.

Travelzoo, Travelocity Offer Earth Day Specials

2010-04-08T06:52:00.000-07:00

Travelzoo, the global Internet media company with more than 18 million subscribers, and Travelocity, one of the largest travel companies in the world, are both offering promotions this year in honor of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

Travelzoo's Earth Day hotel deals page features offers from only LEED-certified hotels. All deals are researched and test-booked by Travelzoo staff. A few examples of deals offered: The Orchard Hotel is offering a $99 rate--a $100 discount; the CityFlats Hotel in Holland, Mich., is offering a rate of $109--an $80 discount; and the Courtyard Portland City Center (Ore.) is offering a $94 rate--a $75 discount.

Travelocity is highlighting the top 40 green hotel deals on its site. Savings of up to 40 percent are available. The company will flag the more than 75 global eco-friendly hotels participating in the sale with an "Earth Day" sale tag, and only hotels that are included in Travelocity's Green Hotel Directory are eligible to participate. Travelocity's Green Hotel Directory currently includes more than 1,500 global eco-friendly hotels.

I have received many press releases from individual hotel properties that are offering Earth Day packages. What will you be doing this year to put more heads in beds on the greenest day of the year?

Hotels Prepare for Electric Vehicles

2010-04-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

This August, Nissan will begin taking orders for its LEAF electric car. In November, General Motors will begin selling its long-awaited Volt vehicle that can be driven 40 miles on an electric charge and an additional 360 miles thanks to its gasoline engine. Other companies are also getting closer to rolling out electric vehicles. Whether or not hotels purchase these for their own use remains to be seen. They are expensive. At least some hotels, however, are installing charging stations for guests who drive electric vehicles.

I just received a press release from the Seaport Hotel in Boston. The hotel will soon offer guests a charging station in the Seaport Garage. It is located directly below the hotel. There will be no "charge" for guests to use the charging station and guests driving electric vehicles will also receive a free night of valet parking. What the Seaport Hotel is doing is a great idea and a demonstration of leadership--not waiting until charging stations are an expected amenity.

The Seaport is not the first hotel to offer a charging station. Starwood's Element property in Lexington, Mass. has one and Starwood plans to install charging stations at its other Element properties. According to The New York Times, Hyatt installed several at its hotels in California as far back as 2007.

Have you considered installing a charging station at your property? How long will you wait to do so? (Click here for information on charging stations.) I will look forward to reading your comments.

Element's Message in a Bottle

2010-04-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide's Element hotels throughout the United States will be celebrating Earth Day weekend in a unique way this year. Guests who bring in 10 single-use plastic bottles April 22 to 25 will get a free night during that weekend. The "I Am Not a Plastic Package" promotion is limited to the first 100 guests who book through the brand's toll-free number and mention the word "GOGREEN."

Element Hotels, Starwood's 100 percent LEED certified brand, currently has hotels open in the following cities: Lexington, Mass.; Las Vegas; Baltimore; Denver; Dallas; Houston; and Ewing, N.J. Additonal Elements will open later this year in New York City and Omaha, Neb.

Starwood's promotion is a great way to bring attention to the waste problem associated with water sold in plastic bottles. As written about in one of my previous columns, about 60 million water bottles are discarded daily. Only about 12 percent of them are recycled. Producing those bottles burns 1.5 million barrels of crude oil annually. Bottled water is 500 to 1,000 times more expensive than tap water and not necessarily safer to drink.

"We thought this would be a fun, timely way to engage guests on recycling, which has been in practice at Element from day one," said Brian McGuinness, senior vice president, Specialty-Select Brands, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. "Element guests keep telling us they want to take an active role in our efforts around environmental responsibility, and this is a very rewarding way for them to do it."

As part of the "I Am Not a Plastic Package," Element will also offer a complimentary reusable water bottle at check-in as part of the package.

Amble Resorts Monkeys Around on Facebook

2010-03-30T06:53:00.000-07:00

A little more than two weeks ago I wrote about several properties that use costumed characters to help educate guests and their children about environmental issues. The Trump International Beach Resort in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., has a mascot called Globie. Rosen Hotels & Resorts has a Nesor the Eco-Hero mascot, and The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte will soon have its own unique version of Mother Nature. (See article.)

After writing that article I heard from the marketing director at Amble Resorts. Amble Resorts is a resort development company specializing in ecologically and culturally sensitive resorts. Their first resort project is The Resort at Isla Palenque. Ground will be broken this year on the project located on an island off the coast of Panama. Turns out the resort also has a mascot but not one that walks around in a costume. The mascot's name is Thurston Howler III. Anyone familiar with the old Gilligan's Island TV show knows the name is a play on the Thurston Howell III character.

Thurston Howler III is a real howler monkey who lives on the resort island. The marketing folks at Amble Resorts created a Facebook page for the monkey. (Click here to check it out.) Believe it or not, the monkey already has 88 friends (almost as many as me--yikes!). Thurston is in an open relationship (is a real swinger I am sure), spends a lot of time howling with 20 of his closest friends, and loves music by The Monkees and The Beatles. No surprise there.

What Amble Resorts has done with Thurston's Facebook page is a great idea--an excellent way to create a little buzz about an upcoming green project. If you could select a mascot for your property, what animal or character would you choose? I would love to know.

Six Senses Creates 'Voluntourism' Packages

2010-03-25T06:21:00.000-07:00

Bangkok, Thailand-based Six Senses Resorts & Spas, whose environmental mission is "To create innovative and enlightening experiences that rejuvenate our guests' love of SLOW LIFE," has two properties that have come up with a unique way for guests to give back while having a great time as well. For the next six months, guests at Soneva Fushi and Soneva Gili can stay for five nights free as long as their 10-day stay includes five paid nights. The catch? Guests must agree to spend five hours each day working on local community projects. The projects include marine conservation, teaching children, planting trees and learning how to turn waste into wealth.

Divers and snorkelers will be taught how to boost coral reef recovery, those interested in waste management will learn how to create home-made compost, arborist wannabes can plant trees five hours a day, guests can give a 30-minute talk at local schools or work with locals to produce cadjan roofing material, which is later sold to bring money into the community.

Six Senses Resorts & Spas is just one of many companies attempting to tap into the demand for "voluntourism" opportunities. It is a great way to attract new business and a great way to help the local community and environment as well. What types of voluntourism packages has your property created? I would love to learn about them. Write to editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Gallup: We're Less Concerned About Environment

2010-03-23T07:02:00.000-07:00

The results of a poll recently released by Gallup* indicate that Americans are less worried about eight specific environmental problems than they were a year ago. The problems asked about include: pollution of drinking water; pollution of rivers, lakes and reservoirs; maintenance of the nation's supply of fresh water for household needs; contamination of soil and water by toxic waste; air pollution; the loss of tropical rain forests; extinction of plant and animal species; and global warming. For six of the categories in the survey, concern is the lowest Gallup has ever measured. Gallup has been conducting its poll since 1989.

Why the decrease in concern about the environment? Gallup speculates that one reason Americans may be less worried about environmental problems is that they perceive environmental conditions in the United States to be improving. Gallup adds that the decrease in concern may also be a reflection of greater public attention on economic issues.

Does the level of Americans' concern reflect reality? Gallup does not address this but in at least one instance--the drop in concern about the loss of tropical rain forests--some Americans are ill informed. According to experts, the planet is still losing 1.5 acres of rain forest every second and 137 plant, animal and insect species every single day due to rain forest deforestation.

Have I detected a comparable drop in environmental concern in the lodging industry? Not at all. In fact, the opposite is occurring. What are your thoughts?

*Gallup surveyed a random sample of 1,014 adults from March 4 to 7, 2010.

Rezidor Releases Responsible Business Report

2010-03-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

The Rezidor Hotel Group just released its 2009 Responsible Business Report. The report's release marks the 20th anniversary of the company's first environmental policy. The report shows a marked drop in energy and water consumption as well as waste when compared to 2007 and 2008. For example, the water used per guest night at the company's Park Inn hotels in Europe, Middle East and Africa dropped from 403 liters per night in 2007 to 358 liters per night in 2009.

The report is in line with the Global Reporting Initiative's (GRI) G3 guidelines. The GRI guidelines are the most widely accepted and used standards for sustainability reporting. Monthly environmental reporting, and the annual Status Report, compiled by the management team at each hotel, form the foundation for Rezidor's Responsible Business reporting.

Highlights of the report include Rezidor's Responsible Business history, detailed economic and environmental results of the company's actions, social results, and a summary of progress in chart format. Rezidor readily admits that its overall carbon impact increased in 2009 because of the additional hotels it opened. However, emissions per room night or per guest night decreased by 8 percent in 2009.

The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of just a handful of companies in the lodging industry that generate a sustainability or responsible business report. Isn't it time for more to do the same?

To access the Rezidor 2009 Responsible Business Report, click here. Look for a guest column focusing on sustainability reports soon at the Green Lodging News website.

Sustainability Guide a Worthwhile Read

2010-03-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

Jan Peter "JP" Bergkvist, one-time vice president sustainable business at Scandic and former director of environmental sustainability for Hilton International, recently released a self-published book called "Sustainability in Practice, A Fast Guide for Business Leaders." I highly recommend reading the book. Using The Natural Step framework, Bergkvist presents examples of practical measures hotels or hotel companies can implement in order to create more sustainable organizations.

"My honest recommendation is that without the buy-in and fully engaged commitment of the CEO of the company (or the chair of an organization) it is not meaningful to start a sustainability program," Bergkvist says in his book.

Why do leaders ignore sustainability? Bergkvist says it is often because they do not understand the business case for it, or they don't understand the concept at all. To help upper level managers move their organizations toward sustainability, Bergkvist offers suggestions in areas such as energy management, chemicals, waste and recycling, traveling and transportation, water, procurement, diversity, food, and sustainable construction.

Bergkvist concludes his book by addressing topics such as eco-labeling, sustainable meetings, and governance and ethics. To purchase a copy of his book, e-mail him at janpeter.bergkvist@sleepwell.nu.

In Hot Water Over Showerhead Certification

2010-03-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

So, you've gone out and purchased low-flow showerheads for your guestrooms. Are you sure they are delivering the savings they promise? The next time you have a chance, get a bucket that holds at least several gallons of water. Make sure it is marked for measurement. Turn on the shower and let it run for exactly one minute. A 2.5 gallons per minute showerhead should deliver exactly that: 2.5 gallons of water.

Why the skepticism? The Office of General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued Notices of Proposed Civil Penalty to four manufacturers for failing to certify that their showerheads meet the applicable water conservation standard as required by the Energy Policy Conservation Act and DOE regulations. The Notices collectively propose penalties of more than $3 million. Unless the manufacturers settle the claims within 30 days, the DOE can file actions in District Court or with an Administrative Law Judge to demand payment for the failure to certify these products.

Notices of Proposed Civil Penalty were issued to Zoe Industries, Altmans Products LLC, EZ-FLO International, and Watermark Designs, Ltd. after complaints were received about non-conserving products being sold by these companies. Conservation professionals have been concerned about the prevalence of high-flow showerheads on the market for several years and submitted information to the DOE on the suspected scofflaws.

Are the showerheads you purchased properly certified to be water efficient? If they are not, you can report potential violations. Forward your request, along with the manufacturer name, address, and model number to energyefficiencyenforcement@hq.doe.gov.

Rezidor to Release 2009 Sustainability Report

2010-03-05T05:19:00.000-08:00

I just attended Carlson Hotels' Global Business Conference in Orlando. Carlson unveiled some aggressive expansion goals. As part of Ambition 2015, the company will aim to expand its portfolio by at least 50 percent to more than 1,500 hotels by 2015. With its highly successful Country Inns & Suites, Park Inn and Radisson brands, Carlson just might reach its goals--assuming the global economy continues to strengthen in the coming years.

At the conference I had an opportunity to chat with Kurt Ritter, president and CEO of The Rezidor Hotel Group, of which Carlson Companies is the main shareholder. Brussels, Belgium-based Rezidor has long had a reputation for being a leader throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the area of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In fact, Carlson's new executive vice president, human resources and responsible business, Beathe-Jeanette Lunde, recently joined Carlson here in the United States after working for Rezidor.

In my chat with Kurt Ritter I learned that Rezidor will release its 2009 Sustainability Report in the next two weeks. (Click here to access previous versions of that report.) Ritter said the report is something the company is required to generate because it is a listed company. I also learned that each Rezidor hotel has its own responsible business coordinator who is responsible for reporting monthly to the head office, and that Rezidor has 120 properties with some type of eco-label. Rezidor gives its guests the option of offsetting their travel and provides its hoteliers with an online environmental best practices database for the sharing of ideas. All employees and managers are required to undergo training in responsible business. Rezidor will hold a Responsible Business Action Month this September.

My impression is that from an environmental perspective, The Rezidor Hotel Group is ahead of Carlson here in North America. Perhaps with the appointment of Beathe-Jeanette Lunde, that will begin to change. To stay abreast of The Rezidor Hotel Group's investments in the area of CSR, visit their website.

Green Mill Village Close to Breaking Ground

2010-03-02T07:03:00.000-08:00

According to a recent article in the The News-Gazette in Champaign-Urbana, Ill., ground may soon be broken for Green Mill Village, which I first wrote about in Green Lodging News more than two years ago. Green Mill Village is expected to include a hotel, conference center, spa, restaurants, retail center and education center. Developer Bob McElwee said in The News-Gazette article that he will pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification for the project.

Green Mill Village is expected to incorporate wind and solar technologies to generate power. Most building materials will come from within a few miles of the hotel. Furniture for the hotel will be made by local craftsmen. The retail center will include items made by local Amish.

The education center will provide guests and others with a snapshot of the region and village, as well as offer interactive videos focused on agriculture, alternative energy and responsible tourism. Green Mill Village will work with local schools to offer on-the-job training in hospitality management.

Green Mill Village will be located near Arcola, Ill., a little more than two hours from Chicago, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. According to The News-Gazette, the $30 million to $40 million resort will be funded by a combination of private equity and traditional bank financing. Click here for more information on Green Mill Village.

Travelzoo to Highlight LEED Hotels

2010-02-25T06:13:00.000-08:00

I recently wrote an article about the top online travel agencies and how they are currently segregating green lodgings on their websites (see article). Turns out Travelzoo will soon launch a new section on its site that pairs travelers with the best deals at LEED-certified hotels. Travelzoo is adding the section after surveying consumers about their green travel preferences. The site will go "live" on April 1 in honor of Earth Day which is April 22. See a preview of the site section here. The URL for the site will be www.travelzoo.com/green when the site launches. It is great to see yet another travel site feature green hotels.

A Helpful Resource for Those Considering Solar

2010-02-23T09:56:00.000-08:00

If you are trying to figure out whether or not it makes economic sense to invest in solar energy at your hotel or inn, I recommend checking out several sources available at the American Solar Energy Society website. The first source, an article entitled, "What Does PV Cost?", explains that determining the cost of an electricity-generating photovoltaic system is not a simple process. There are many factors that come into play: worldwide price of silicon, competitive scene in module distribution, local costs for labor and materials, availability of incentives and rebates, etc. The article includes links to an online calculator to help one determine cost.

A second article tackles the issue of determining the financial value of a solar or wind energy system. For example, in areas where electricity costs are higher, solar and wind systems have more value. Of course being able to sell electricity one generates back to the utility is also important. This can be done in 42 states in the United States thanks to net-metering laws. Incentives and tax benefits also should be considered when determining system value.

The website also includes an article that includes a link to a spreadsheet that allows one to calculate the payback time and internal-rate-of-return for a proposed photovoltaic project. A significant amount of preparation is required prior to using the spreadsheet. For example, it asks for the annual energy output of the solar system as well as initial system cost.

Shopping for a solar system can be an intimidating process. Make use of the tools found at the American Solar Energy Society website. And, be sure to pick the brains of knowledgeable vendors. They should be able to answer any questions you may have, especially those in regard to available rebates in your area.

Vancouver Convention Centre's Platinum Feat

2010-02-18T08:27:00.000-08:00

The timing could not have been better for the Vancouver Convention Centre--the international broadcast center and the main press center of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Timing for what? The Centre just announced that its West building, which opened in April 2009, has received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification. From a publicity/marketing standpoint, those running the Centre must be ecstatic. It is not every day that you participate in hosting the Olympics while earning LEED Platinum. In fact, no other convention center in the world has earned LEED Platinum--the highest LEED level.

Green Lodging News first featured the Centre in June 2007 (see article). What is so unique about the Centre? It includes a six-acre living roof, the largest living roof in Canada and the largest non-industrial living roof in North America. A restored marine habitat is built into the foundation of the building. A seawater heating and cooling system takes advantage of the adjacent seawater to produce cooling for the building during the warmer months and heating in cooler months. (See related release.)

The Vancouver Convention Centre is the second property to earn LEED Platinum in recent weeks. The Bardessono in Yountville, Calif., also has earned LEED Platinum (see article). They join Greensboro, North Carolina's Proximity Hotel as the only travel-related properties to earn Platinum. Congratulations to those three properties.

HAC Survey: No Letup in Interest in Environment

2010-02-16T06:36:00.000-08:00

The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) just released data from its 2010 Canadian Travel Intentions Survey. Despite the current economic challenges, environmental initiatives are important to 40 percent of both leisure (44 percent) and business (42 percent) travelers, up more than 6 percent over 2009 figures. Forty-one percent, similar to 2009 HAC survey results, of leisure travelers say they are willing to pay between $1 and $5 per night to participate in a carbon offset program.

Most firms do not have a "green travel policy" yet, but travelers said more than twice as many businesses had a green travel policy in 2009 (11 percent) when compared to 2008 (4 percent).

The survey of Canadian travelers is the sixth annual Canadian Travel Intention study undertaken by the Hotel Association of Canada. The survey was conducted by TSN Canadian Facts and defines a traveler as someone who will stay at least one night in a hotel, motel, or resort. The online survey was conducted in December 2009 among 1,524 "likely travelers."

Participants Sought for Sustainability Survey

2010-02-10T19:24:00.000-08:00

A group of undergraduate students completing their fourth year in the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University in Toronto are seeking the assistance of general managers, owners and asset managers for a sustainability survey. The survey will help determine what social and environmental practices are currently being used in hotels, and also help determine what tools and resources are still needed to improve sustainability in the lodging industry. The survey will also attempt to determine the motivation behind sustainability initiatives.

The survey is being conducted with the assistance of the Sustainable Hospitality Council and will take 20 to 25 minutes to complete. The deadline for completing the survey is February 17, 2010. Click here to access the survey. All information collected will remain confidential. If you have any questions about the survey, write to admin@sustainablehospitalitycouncil.com. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this study. It is great to see students getting involved in sustainability research.

Conde Nast Traveler World Savers Awards

2010-02-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

Conde Nast Traveler is now accepting applications for the 2010 World Savers Awards--a travel industry awards program geared toward companies with responsible environmental policies and community programs. The categories include: 1) hotels chains, large and small; 2) city hotels; 3) resorts and lodges, large and small; 4) tour operators; 5) cruise lines; and 6) airlines.

Finalists will be selected by Conde Nast Traveler editors, and winners will be chosen by an independent panel of judges. The winners will appear in the September 2010 issue of Conde Nast Traveler. The deadline for entries is February 16, 2010.

Click here to download an application.

Smoking and Green Certification Programs

2010-02-04T06:38:00.000-08:00

I have always kind of wondered how a hotel could be considered "green" and even be certified as such, but still allow smoking in some guestrooms and, in some cases, public areas. There is an incredible amount of evidence that links first-, second-, and third-hand smoke to cancer. In an attempt to get a handle on just exactly where the various green certification organizations stand in regard to smoking, I have begun to survey them. Whether by e-mail or through phone interviews, I am attempting to contact representatives of the most prominent national, state and city level green lodging certification programs. Look for an article and column soon on Green Lodging News that details the results of my survey.

What do you think? Should the fact that a property allows smoking be a deal breaker when it comes to certification? Or, should it be just one other factor that is considered by a certifying organization--at the same level as, say, a low-flow toilet?

Preliminary results of my survey show that certification programs are very inconsistent when it comes to smoking. One president of a certification program indicated that until I brought up the topic, he had never even thought about including a smoking-related question in his certification application. A representative of the most prominent green building certification program in the country told me that yes, one's hotel can be certified even if it allows smoking in guestrooms. Wow.

If your property is green certified but still allows smoking, I would like to know why you believe there is nothing ironic about that. My e-mail: editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Architect Proposes Combination Hotel/Ski Slope

2010-02-02T06:33:00.000-08:00

According to HotelChatter, architect/artist Michael Jantzen has designed a new hotel that is part ski slope, part hotel. Yes, that's right, the ski slope and hotel are part of one structure. The hotel/slope would be 400 feet high and be powered by a combination of wind turbines and solar cells. The hotel would incorporate passive solar heating and include a system that would collect rain water and melting snow for reuse in and around the hotel. The project is a long way from fruition. It certainly ranks up there as one of the most creative proposals for a "mixed-use" development.

Jantzen is well known for his designs that work with nature. His website includes designs for a sky-cloud pavilion, eco-tower and sun tower, elements theme park and much more. Will a hotel/slope be built any time soon? I doubt it, but it is refreshing to see that architects like Jantzen are at least thinking about a more sustainable approach to hotel building. While buildings built to LEED standards are great, they are just one step toward what are considered "living buildings" or "net zero" buildings--buildings that either produce more power than they consume, or the same amount that they consume.

Gaia Anderson One Point Shy of LEED Gold

2010-01-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

According to an article in the Anderson Valley Post, the Gaia Anderson Hotel, Restaurant & Spa recently learned that it fell one point short of achieving Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold from the U.S. Green Building Council. The property will have to "settle" for LEED Silver. Gaia Anderson's sister property, the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa, was the first hotel in the United States to earn LEED Gold status.

Wen-I Chang, the developer of the Gaia Anderson property and someone I have had the privilege of meeting several times, said he was shooting for LEED Gold. Why did the developer fall short of the Gold designation? According to the article, Chang's primary investor, the Far East Bank, pulled $1.5 million intended for an array of solar panels atop the Gaia Anderson property. Far East Bank also withdrew its financing for a third Gaia hotel planned for Merced, Calif.

Chang certainly has nothing to be ashamed of. LEED Silver is a great achievement. And, there still may be LEED Gold on the horizon, according to the article. Wen may add the solar panels later and then shoot for LEED Gold for Existing Buildings.

DLA Piper Survey's Two 'Green' Questions

2010-01-26T06:15:00.001-08:00

DLA Piper just released its 2010 Hospitality Outlook Survey. Results were based on responses from 109 top executives in the hospitality industry. Two green questions were included in the survey. In response to the first question, "Do you think that investment activity in 'green' certified hotels/sustainability will continue as a long-term trend?", 89 respondents said "yes," with 19 saying "no." (I would like to have a conversation with those 19. They actually believe that green hotel building is a fad?)

In response to the second question, "Do you think 'green' certified hotels are driving consumer choice?", just 25 respondents said "yes" and 84 said "no." In this case, the viewpoint of respondents is closer to that reflected in other surveys that have been taken over the last couple of years.

DLA Piper concludes its paper by stating: "Rather than looking at the bottom line, these responses seem to suggest that the U.S. hospitality industry has largely approached sustainability on its merits alone, discounting the financial performance of green hotels in the near term." How the authors of the survey paper came to this conclusion is beyond me. The questions were not posed to draw this type of conclusion.

To read the paper yourself, click here.

More Companies Lend a Hand to Haiti

2010-01-21T06:31:00.000-08:00

In my last blog entry I listed some of the travel companies that are doing their part to help Haiti recover from the recent earthquakes there. I have since learned of other efforts. The following are some examples:

1. Orlando hotelier Harris Rosen, president and COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, is coordinating a Haitian outreach program with a goal of raising $1 million. All of the contributions received by the Harris Rosen Foundation will go toward relief efforts.

2. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is encouraging the 47 million members of its guest loyalty program, Priority Club Rewards, to donate their points to the American Red Cross. Rewards members can donate their points in 10,000-point denominations. Points will be converted into cash by IHG.

3. Members of Choice Hotels International's Choice Privileges program are being asked to donate points. For every 1,000 points redeemed, Choice will donate $5 to the American Red Cross.

4. Marriott International announced that it had donated $500,000 to the Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. Marriott is giving 18,000 loyalty points to those loyalty program customers who donate $50.

5. Hilton Hotels Corp. said it will match total member donations dollar for dollar--up to $250,000--through its guest loyalty program.

6. Loews Corp. donated $25,000 to the Red Cross.

7. Starwood Hotels & Resorts said it will match donations to the Starwood Associate Relief Fund and UNICEF up to $100,000.

8. Hyatt Hotels Corp. is allowing Gold Passport members to donate 5,000 points for a $40 donation to relief efforts.

9. Delaware North Companies donated more than 17,000 bottles of water the day after the earthquake.

10. Carlson will donate $50,000 and will match employee contributions up to an additional $60,000.

Once again, it is great to see the travel industry respond so quickly to help the people of Haiti.

Travel Companies Pitch In to Help Haiti

2010-01-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

Travel-related companies are beginning to do their part to help the victims of the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, announced the establishment of a Haiti Relief Fund to support disaster relief efforts. Guests staying at any of the Sandals Resorts, Beaches Resorts, Royal Plantation Resorts and Grande Pineapple Beach Resorts have been invited to make a financial donation on-property. Funds raised for relief will go to purchase emergency relief kits, food, tents, bottled water, clothing, medical items, and satellite telephones. Sandals Resorts International will also be providing linens, towels and non-perishable food items to earthquake victims.

Best Western International announced that Best Western Rewards members can contribute rewards points to the relief effort. Frequency program members can go to www.bestwestern.com/haitirelief to make a donation of points that ultimately will translate to funds being donated to World Vision, Best Western's official charity partner.

Through March 31, the Sheraton Atlanta will donate $10 per night for every guest who stays at the hotel using one of two newly created "Haiti Relief Care" packages. The packages include free parking and one free appetizer at the hotel's fine dining restaurant.

Royal Caribbean Cruises just pledged $1 million in humanitarian relief in response to the earthquake. The company is also delivering goods and supplies via their cruise ships.

One lodging industry vendor, RJT Products, LLC, announced that it would donate $5 to the American Red Cross each time it sells one of its Travel Laundry Bags.

It is encouraging to see the travel industry step up during Haiti's time of need. It is going to take a gargantuan effort to put Haiti back together.

HEI Uses Contest to Encourage Energy Savings

2010-01-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

To get a team of employees, including managers, to work toward a common "green" goal, I have often wondered to what degree financial incentives would push the process. Would employees and managers be more driven or even work extra hours to implement the steps necessary to save energy and water and reduce waste? I have seen little evidence of owners linking environmental performance to compensation but I don't think it is such a bad idea.

During a conference I attended last year I suggested the idea of incentives and met resistance from some owners. Their thinking: We are already paying our managers and employees enough, especially in a recessionary economy...why should they need incentives to work hard?

Yesterday I posted an article about HEI Hotels & Resorts receiving a corporate Energy Manager of the Year award from the Association of Energy Engineers. Within that article there was mention of an incentive program launched at the beginning of 2009 by HEI. The company started a competition among its hotels. Prizes ranged from gift cards to flat-screen TVs. Associates were rewarded for reductions made in energy consumption. The program appears to be working as the company, through October 2009, had observed a reduction in energy consumption of approximately 8 percent when compared to 2008.

I believe incentives linked directly to savings, even if they take the form of a contest, are a great idea. They are obviously working for HEI. What do you think?

High Cost to Participate in S.C. State Program

2010-01-12T06:41:00.000-08:00

In the last few years, many states--and some cities--have launched their own green lodging certification programs (click here for list). Some locations have been more successful than others. Florida, for example, just announced that it has added its 600th designated green lodging property. Kudos to Florida. Business models vary by location; in most cases the cost to participate is nothing or a small amount that is very reasonable. In at least one state, however, South Carolina, a business owner must be a member of the state hospitality association to get certified as a green property as part of the South Carolina Green Hospitality Alliance. Is that fair?

I recently received an e-mail from a gentleman whose company owns and operates 1,400 rooms. To become a member of the South Carolina Hospitality Association, his company would have to pay $7.50 per room. The total: $10,500. So, in other words, in a roundabout way, it would cost him $10,500 to have his properties certifed as green. Not exactly an incentive to participate in the South Carolina Green Hospitality Alliance, is it? The gentleman I corresponded with intended to check out national certification programs instead.

If you were in his position, what would you do? I will look forward to your comments.

An Eco-Resort for Point Roberts, Washington?

2010-01-08T04:38:00.000-08:00

In 1949, according to Wikipedia, there was talk of Point Roberts, Wash., seceding from the United States and joining Canada. It never happened. Point Roberts is kind of a geographic oddity as it can only be reached from the rest of the United States by traveling through Canada or crossing Boundary Bay. What is the big deal with Point Roberts? According to The Bellingham (Wash.) Herald, a local chef, Steve O'Neill, plans to renovate an old industrial building into an eco-resort called the Blackfish Resort. The resort would have approximately 24 rooms and may incorporate solar panels for heating water, and wind turbines to generate electricity. The resort may even have exercise equipment that generates electricity. The owners would grow their own food on site and contract with other locals to produce additional organic items to serve in the resort's restaurant.

Also according to The Bellingham Herald, the resort owner is talking about putting video cameras on the roof of the building and under water to capture the antics of orcas and other sea life. Their activities would be broadcast on TVs in the resort building. Local officials are excited about the prospect of a new resort in their community given the area's slow economy. The developer said he hopes to start construction in 2010 and have the resort open by spring 2012.

If I have some pounds to shed in 2012 and feel like generating some electrons while exercising, I will certainly know where to go.

Some Thoughts on Airport 'Security'

2010-01-05T06:02:00.000-08:00

As a frequent traveler I am not a fan of airport security but it is something I have gotten used to, just like everyone else, over the last decade. The x-ray machines, bag searches, taking the shoes off, the occasional German Shepherd sniffing around--they all add up to an increased sense of security. On Christmas Day, as we all know, a man tried to ignite a bomb while on board a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, proving that all of the billions of dollars invested in technology and security personnel over these last years is just not enough.

We should not be surprised that someone was able to get through airport security with a bomb. Humans are bound to make mistakes. Here are a couple of examples from my own family. My father-in-law was visiting from Argentina this fall. My wife and I took him to the airport so that he could get on his plane back to Argentina. Out of ignorance he walked right by the first security checkpoint without being noticed. The security guard was occupied with another person. Of course we called him back so he could go through the checkpoint but the incident proved how easily mistakes can be made. On a recent trip my niece's bottle of water was taken from her while going through security but they missed the two pairs of scissors in her purse. You get the idea. These types of things must happen every day.

As our government and the airline industry increase security procedures in the coming months and years--including adding x-ray machines that show our private parts in detail--let's hope they use a little common sense. Yes, we all need to be secure, but the travel industry is suffering enough as it is; people certainly don't need yet another reason not to travel. What do you think?

Holiday Greetings to Blog Readers

2009-12-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to quickly express my thanks to all of those who participated in the Green Lodging News blog in 2009. Your comments were great. Please continue to follow the Green Lodging News blog in 2010. I will look forward to joining you then. Have a very happy and healthy holiday season. All the best from Green Lodging News to you and your family.

Glenn Hasek, Publisher & Editor
Green Lodging News

Food Channel, NRA Agree on 2010 Trends

2009-12-17T06:08:00.000-08:00

The Food Channel just released its top 10 food trends for 2010. The findings are based on research conducted in conjunction with CultureWaves and the International Food Futurists. One of the top 10 trends is "Mainstreaming Sustainability." According to the Food Channel, "People have mainstreamed sustainability, unlike a year ago, when we were somewhat afraid to use the word. America is just now learning how to be sustainable, and Americans are holding themselves responsible. In 2010 we'll see people and companies becoming sustainable for authentic reasons."

The Food Channel's findings jibe with those of the National Restaurant Association (NRA). In early December the NRA revealed that local sourcing of ingredients, sustainability and nutrition will be the hottest trends on restaurant menus in 2010. (See article.) The NRA surveyed more than 1,800 chefs.

With such prominent organizations as the Food Channel and the NRA stating that sustainability is hot, how should one react if one runs a food and beverage operation? Understanding what sustainability means when it comes to food and beverages is extremely important. Knowing where your food comes from (local is better), how it was produced (organic is preferred), and how workers were treated along the way is key. Ensuring energy and water efficiency in the kitchen, minimizing waste (recycling cooking oil and composting food waste), and using green cleaning products is also important. These are just a few examples.

What are you doing to make your food and beverage operation more sustainable?

Some Thoughts About Conference Planning

2009-12-14T08:23:00.000-08:00

I just returned from the second annual Green Lodging and Hospitality Conference. It was held at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla., from December 9 to 11. I reported on the event for Green Lodging News. My hat goes off to anyone who tried to hold a conference or trade show this year. The economy was a bear. Each event I attended this year had attendance lower than expected. How do you convince hoteliers to spend money on travel and registration when their own businesses are hurting? It is a challenge.

Even in tough economic conditions, however, one cannot always blame just the economy for poor event attendance. There are other reasons events fail to reach expectations. Examples include: too little investment in marketing or public relations; too few staff or volunteers doing too many things; poor calendar management--waiting too long before planning the details of the event (lining up speakers, posting the agenda online, etc.); charging too much; doing a better job at attracting vendors than attracting potential buyers; ignoring or not recognizing partnership opportunities; and inviting guest speakers who are not the best fit for the target audience.

In case you are planning to organize an event in 2010 or 2011, here are a few bits of advice: To get listed in all of the event calendars--places prospective attendees go to when planning their schedules--one must plan at least a year or more in advance. I highly recommend working with a professional marketing/public relations professional with experience in the industry in which you are working. Don't take on too much yourself. Work with a professional meeting planner. Get to know the experts in your field--the best speakers. Go to other events to find them. At the Thursday luncheon at the Green Lodging and Hospitality Conference, the speaker spoke more about green homes than green hotels--disappointing. She also referred to the American Hotel & Lodging Association as the "AS&LA." Yikes. (The majority of the speakers at the conference were excellent.)

The economy of the last year should have taught everyone that in order to get customers to spend money, you have got to provide the type of value they just cannot refuse. That approach applies to conferences and trade shows as well. What do you think?

New TripAdvisor Survey Looks at Green Trends

2009-12-09T04:54:00.000-08:00

TripAdvisor just announced the results of its annual trends survey of more than 3,000 U.S. travelers. According to the survey, 22 percent of travelers expect to be more environmentally conscious in their travel decisions in 2010 than they were in 2009. Thirty-two percent consider their carbon footprint when they are traveling, and as a result, 44 percent of those travelers choose to stay at "green" or environmentally-conscious hotels, while 26 percent choose to drive rather than fly, and 20 percent travel shorter distances. A hotel having "green" policies also factors into 33 percent of travelers' booking decisions.

While these results are impressive, approximately two-thirds of travelers still apparently do not factor in the environmental impact of their travel decisions when traveling. And, the same percentage do not factor in "green" policies when making hotel booking decisions. That said, it is good to see that more travelers will be considering the environment when traveling in 2010.

What are you seeing in your day-to-day operations? Are more guests and potential guests asking you about your green initiatives? Or, is it about the same as in years past?

Click here to read the entire press release detailing survey results.

Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia & Composting

2009-12-04T07:16:00.000-08:00

When management at the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia learned in 2006 that their recycling program was only catching 3 to 5 percent of the hotel's waste by weight, they were not very happy. To increase the property's recycling volume, the hotel established a kitchen scraps recycling program with local composter and farmer Ned Foley. The program has been a success with the hotel saving almost $5,000 a year by having the compostable waste taken to Foley's Two Particular Acres farm. The waste would otherwise have gone to a landfill.

The composting program has been a success thanks to the efforts of the many employees who work in the hotel's kitchen. Black composting bins stand close to each kitchen work station. Employees deposit all of the kitchen's organic discards--food scraps plus paper, cardboard and biodegradable packaging, napkins and dishware--into the composting bins. At the end of each day, director of engineering Marvin Dixon takes the organic waste by truck to the farm. Dixon's truck runs on biodiesel made from the hotel's used cooking oil.

At Two Particular Acres Farm, Foley uses the scraps from the Four Seasons to make compost. The hotel then purchases that for its gardens and landscapes--closing the recycling loop. With 240,000 pounds of organic waste from the kitchen each year, the hotel contributes to the production of a lot of compost.

According to Dixon, the program took two months to take hold in the kitchen. Thanks to the kitchen scrap recycling program, the hotel has reduced its landfill waste by 29 percent. The EPA put together a case study of the Four Seasons Philadelphia's efforts. To see it, click here.

USGBC Offering 'Green Venue Selection Guide'

2009-12-01T05:48:00.000-08:00

Meeting and event planners and those lodging establishments that offer meeting space should get a copy of a new publication from the U.S. Green Building Council. "The Green Venue Selection Guide--Integrating LEED into Travel & Event Management" is a free resource geared toward helping meeting and event planners incorporate LEED's approach to evaluating buildings' environmental attributes during the RFP process. The guide includes a five-page Hotel & Conference Center Environmental Questionnaire, which planners can use to identify and select the greenest facilities based on LEED criteria. Venue sales staff can also use it to communicate their facility's environmental efforts and accomplishments when submitting proposals to potential customers.

The questionnaire focuses on facility-wide environmental characteristics instead of event-specific features. For example, the questionnaire includes a question that asks for the percentage of a building's total waste stream that it diverts from landfill disposal. The questionnaire also includes questions pertaining to a property's Energy Star score, percentage of the facility's total energy that is provided by on-site or off-site renewable energy, whether or not the property has a sustainable purchasing policy, and whether or not the facility prohibits smoking indoors.

USGBC's new guide should certainly not be the only tool that a meeting planner uses in gathering information from a prospective meeting site. Its questions, however, can be integrated into a much more complete RFP.

To access a copy of The Green Venue Selection Guide, click here.

A Certification in Green Hotel Management

2009-11-24T05:53:00.000-08:00

I was excited to learn that the Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Training Center is now offering a certificate program in Green Hotel Management. To my knowledge, few schools offer this type of course. Why not more? According to the Training Center website, the course is being offered now through November 30 and again in January. It is being taught by Tom Griffin, director and co-founder of Greener Results, and Laura Wood Habr, a 20-year hospitality/restaurant industry veteran.

According to the course description, those who participate in the program will learn how to develop a green hotel program; track and measure waste and recycling; track consumption of water and energy; and learn about other green practices and techniques that will result in cost savings. The course is geared toward hotel owners, managers, and green program coordinators.

Those owning and operating lodging establishments in Virginia have good reason to educate themselves about green hotel management--not only for the operations benefits but also for the marketing benefits as well. Virginia has an aggressive green lodging program called Virginia Green. It is a voluntary green tourism program that features self-certification for green lodging facilities. Virginia also now has its own Virginia Green travel website for visitors to that state.

Are there any schools in your area that offer Green Hotel Management courses? If so, I want to know about them. Write to editor@greenlodgingnews.com. A list of colleges and universities that offer some type of sustainability-related course can be found at Green Lodging News.

Tennessee Gets Serious About Sustainability

2009-11-19T05:56:00.000-08:00

I spoke this week at a Sustainable Tourism Workshop in Memphis, Tenn. It was one of four Sustainable Tourism Workshops held this year throughout the state. The workshops were organized by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The workshops are part of the education and outreach component of Tennessee's Sustainable Tourism Initiative and focus on sustainable tourism best practices, sustainable resources, and green products.

At the Memphis workshop, I had an opportunity to meet Susan Whitaker, Tennessee's Commissioner of Tourist Development. Tennessee is fortunate to have such an energetic champion of sustainability. Susan was appointed to her post in 2003 and then reappointed in 2007. Thanks to Susan and others like her, Tennessee is miles ahead of most states when it comes to sustainable tourism development.

I first learned about Tennessee's sustainability initiatives in 2008 when the Great Smoky Mountains Sustainable Tourism Summit was announced. It was held in April in Knoxville that year and drew dignitaries such as Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander. I highly recommend checking out the Tennesse Sustainable Tourism website. The site does a great job summarizing Tennessee's sustainable tourism efforts and includes case studies and videos of previous webinars and other events.

What has made Tennessee's initiative a success so far is the buy-in of so many different organizations representing government and the private sector. Officials in Tennessee also recognize the importance of agritourism, rural tourism and the preservation of historical places in their overall sustainability planning.

In the lodging sector, there are many sustainability stories to tell: a LEED-pursuing Hilton Garden Inn in Gatlinburg, the Hutton Hotel and Opryland Hotel in Nashville, and a new LaQuinta Inn & Suites in the Memphis area that will incorporate solar and wind technologies.

Is what your state is doing comparable to that of Tennessee? I will look forward to your comments.

Times Article Reveals Housekeeping Dangers

2009-11-12T06:47:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that housekeepers are primarily female so it should surprise no one that those housekeepers injured on the job are also primarily female. A new study, to be published in January in The American Journal of Industrial Medicine, and cited in a Nov. 10 New York Times article, says housekeepers have a 7.9 percent injury rate each year, 50 percent higher than for all hotel workers and twice the rate for all workers in the United States.

Interestingly, the study found that Hispanic housekeepers had the highest injury rate--10.6 percent a year--compared with 6.3 percent for white housekeepers, 5.5 percent for black housekeepers, and 7.3 percent for Asian housekeepers. Why are hispanics injured more often? According to the New York Times article, it may because of their smaller stature or the fact that they are given heavier workloads. What do you think? My guess is that there are just more Hispanics working as housekeepers.

The study included 50 unionized properties and examined 2,865 injuries over a three-year span. The study found the highest injury rate for housekeepers was at Hyatt Corp. That is not good news for Hyatt, fresh off of its housekeeper firing debacle in Boston in late August. That said, one would really have to take a closer look at the data to see if it in any way was biased against Hyatt (e.g., there just happen to be more Hyatt hotels in the study). The housekeeper injury rate was the lowest at Hilton--5.47 percent.

I don't think anyone can argue the fact that housekeepers are at a much greater risk of injury--on average--than anyone else who works in a hotel. Do what is necessary to provide your housekeepers with what they need--training, products, etc.--to make their jobs ergonomically and chemically safe. Housekeepers are the unsung heroes of our industry. Treat them with respect and as you would want to be treated. Your thoughts?

Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe $27,727 Richer

2009-11-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

The Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe is at it again. Featured in Green Lodging News in July (see article) because of its green programs that should net it close to $500,000 in savings by the end of the year, the hotel recently received a rebate check of $27,727.20 from Nevada Energy. I spoke with David Hansen, director of engineering at the 400-suite property, and he told me that $4,377 of the rebate was for an ozone laundry system that was installed earlier this year. A total of $24,000 was invested in that system. A return on investment of just seven months was expected.

For the variable frequency drives installed on the hotel's pumps for cooling and condensing water, the property received a $6,750 rebate. Additional rebate money was given for lighting, as well as for occupancy sensors for lighting. "The rebate is incredible," Hansen said. "We were trying to get the largest rebate that we could."

The Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe is so excited about its efforts to save energy and cut costs that it is hosting a series of workshops on sustainability. Hansen said 60 people attended the first workshop and 15 hotels were represented. The next workshop will be held at the hotel on November 17. (Call 775-588-1728 for details.)

"We are trying to rally the hotel community here in Lake Tahoe," Hansen said. "A lot of people want to check out our property because of what we have done."

Hansen said he is even planning a Green Lodging Summit that would be held next August. Watch for details on Green Lodging News.

'Seaport Saves' Even More with New Toilets

2009-11-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

I first wrote about the Seaport Hotel and Seaport World Trade Center in Boston shortly after launching Green Lodging News in July 2006. Matthew V. Moore, director of rooms and environmental programs at the property, leads the hotel's Seaport Saves program. I have gotten to know Matt over the past few years and he has consistently been among the first in the lodging industry to try new green programs and technologies, including an allergy-friendly rooms program and food composting machine.

The Seaport has been 100 percent nonsmoking since 1998 and uses cleaning fluids produced by an electrolyzed water system. Other green highlights include an ozone laundry system, Grander pool water treatment system, yearly recycling rate of 43 percent, thermo-glass windows in guestrooms and public spaces, the purchase of renewable energy credits, a "smart thermostat" system in guestrooms, a green roof on the World Trade Center East Podium, and a Green Wedding Package.

I just learned that the Seaport has completed the installation of 400 water-efficient toilets in guestrooms. The toilets will use just 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf) compared to the older 1.6 gpf model being replaced. The new toilets are expected to reduce annual water consumption by approximately 200,000 gallons. "These new water-saving toilets will help us reduce water consumption by 20 percent per flush," Moore said. What will happen to the old toilets? Through the Institutional Recycling Network, the toilets will be donated for use in various developing countries. The donation will divert 17 tons of waste from the landfill. A great idea.

To learn more about Seaport Saves, click here. Also be sure to search on "Seaport" at www.greenlodgingnews.com.

Virginia Beach Steps Up Green Commitment

2009-11-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

The Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is aggressively positioning its East Coast location as a green destination and justifiably so. The hospitality industry there recently exceeded its goal to certify 100 businesses with the Virginia Green program; 42 percent of the city's hotel rooms are now represented in the program. The CVB is actively pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for the Convention Center and expects to achieve the designation by spring 2010.

The Virginia Beach CVB recently became the first Platinum business member of the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), the leading global organization for sustainability in the meetings industry. The CVB also joined the Convene Green Alliance, a nonprofit industry initiative spearheaded by several high-profile associations that seek to affect positive environmental practices through national, regional and local outreach and education.

As a partner in the EPA's Energy Star program for two years, the Virginia Beach Convention Center has reduced energy consumption significantly. From July 2008 to June 2009, the Convention Center used 49 percent less power, gas and water. This includes a savings of 2.2 million kilowatts of electricity and 468,000 gallons of water.

Virginia Beach's green initiatives include a social responsibility partnership with United Way, an oceanfront recycling program, and, in partnership with Hampton Roads Transit, the city offers hybrid-electric buses that replaced the old trolleys as the oceanfront's seasonal service.

All of these efforts are all good reasons for meeting planners and others to consider Virginia Beach as a travel destination. Check out www.virginiabeachgreen.com to learn more.

A Green Halloween at the Radisson LAX

2009-10-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Savvy hoteliers use holidays to help put heads in beds—or at least in costumes. This Halloween at the Radisson Hotel at Los Angeles Airport, hotel staff are inviting guests and employees to celebrate Halloween in an environmentally friendly fashion. Upon arrival, guests will be treated to green apples and organic candy. Then, they can vote for their favorite Jack-O-Lanterns, decorated by hotel employees using only recycled items. The Jack-O-Lanterns will be on display beginning Thursday, October 29 in the hotel lobby near the main entrance.

The Concorde Lounge is spotlighting Bonterra Chardonnay and True Earth Cabernet organic wines, as well as Mothership Witt and Samuel Smith Lager organic beers. For breakfast, Palmira Restaurant is featuring heart-healthy options, including organic eggs made-to-order, all-natural organic berries of the day, organic Greek yogurt, and a selection or organic cereals and breads.

The Radisson Hotel at Los Angeles Airport just became a member of the Green Hotels Association and is currently expanding its sustainable practices.

What "green" special event(s) do you have planned for Halloween to help bring in new business? What about for Thanksgiving? Christmas? New Year's Eve? If you are doing something creative, let me know about it. I will be sure to share your plans with my readers.

Building the Case for Green Building

2009-10-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

Let's assume you have been asked by your boss to put together a report to justify the construction of a green building. Where do you begin? I highly recommend including a recent article by Jerry Yudelson in your report. In "The Business Case for Green Buildings," Yudelson, the author of several books on green building, states that, "The business case for green buildings is solid, no matter whether one builds directly for a corporate client or construct speculative office or commercial space. By 2012, certified green buildings will hold the dominant market share of new commercial buildings. Now is the time to begin getting experience with this type of project."

In his article, Yudelson lists the 10 "Major Business Case Benefits of Green Buildings." They include:

1. Energy and water cost savings.
2. Increased building valuation from higher profits owing to such savings.
3. Possible incentive payments from government and utilities.
4. Increased rent and occupancy.
5. Productivity and health benefits for office occupants.
6. Risk management (economic, financial, market, legal, political, etc.).
7. Marketing and public relations.
8. Increase in reputation value for public companies.
9. Recruitment and retention of key personnel.
10. Access to capital from responsible property investing funds.

In his report, Yudelson successfully pulls together highlights from some of the most convincing recent studies that support green building. Be sure to check it out. Of course there are many good stories to support green building at www.greenlodgingnews.com as well.

The Green/Preventive Maintenance Connection

2009-10-21T07:45:00.001-07:00

Going green means nothing if preventive maintenance is not part of your routine. This past Sunday I stayed at a hotel in Portland, Ore., very close to the airport. It was my last night on vacation and I was tired, knowing that I also had to get up at 4 a.m. to get ready for a 6 a.m. flight back to Ohio. After entering my room, I noticed several signs--on the bed and on the towel rack--reminding me that I had the option of not having my towels and linens washed. I am always happy to see these, even though oftentimes, from my experience, housekeepers disregard the practice. I was only staying one night so there would be no need to inform housekeepers about my towel and linen intentions but, as I said, it was good to know the hotel's owner had some interest in saving water and energy.

After spending about 15 minutes in the room, I noticed a nasty odor. I could not quite figure it out. Then I saw it. In the bathroom there was a puddle of water on the floor. I looked up and the the paint on the ceiling above the tub was bubbled and flaking off in a big way. There was also some brownish, gooey droplets of some kind hanging from the ceiling. Lovely. What I had been smelling earlier was mold. Arrgh. It was pretty obvious nobody had been in this room for quite some time, and if they had been, they obviously had not bothered to examine the bathroom. So much for preventive maintenance.

I went down to the front desk to explain the situation and was promptly given another room--not a free night but another room. After packing everything up again I moved to the new room. By this time I was not a very happy camper. After just a few hours of restless sleep--the kind you get when knowing you have to wake up early--I headed for the shower. Another disappointment. This time there was no mold but a very "limp" shower flow. I suspect you can all relate to this but I really had to work to get wet and clean. Again, frustrating. The water pressure was fine but the showerhead was not. It was obvious nobody had bothered to check the showerhead in quite some time.

In one night, in two different guestrooms, I experienced two different maintenance issues. Whether or not the hotel was trying to be "green" meant nothing to me after my bad experience. At checkout I explained my overnight adventure to the gentleman at the front desk. I received no sympathy and no refund whatsoever.

Folks, let's not forget the importance of preventive maintenance. If you do not practice it, your guests will inevitably leave your property as mad as a hornet, never to return again. And your green message, if you have one, will mean absolutely nothing.

Report Says 'Organic' is No. 1 Food Trend

2009-10-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

If your guests are asking for more organic food options, there is good reason. According to recent research conducted by NPD Group, “organic” is the No. 1 top food trend expected to grow more important during the next decade. Forty-one percent of those responding to a national survey selected “organic” above other trend options such as “restaurant meals eaten in-home” and “Light/lite/diet/low calorie labels. The survey report, “A Look into the Future of Eating,” is a 10-year forecast of eating trends based on generational influences, population, and other trends. The survey took into account eating patterns at 2,000 households (about 5,000 individuals) over a 14-day period.

I am not surprised at all by this trend. It is now quite common for hotel chefs to procure local, organic ingredients for their menu options. Gardens are being constructed on hotel and resort grounds, and in urban areas some chefs have started rooftop gardens to grow pesticide-free herbs and vegetables. Kimpton now offers organic wine in its restaurants, and at least one Fairmont property, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, offers organic produce, wine and coffee as an option in its Green Wedding package.

What are you hearing from your guests? Are they requesting organic options? I would love to know. Write to editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Good to Be Online in a Struggling Print World

2009-10-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

This week I learned that Questex Media Group Inc., publisher of Hotel & Motel Management magazine, Hotel Design and more than 20 other publications, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. According to bankruptcy documents, the company has $321 million in debt and $299 million in assets. Questex's struggles are a reflection of the overall current state of the print publishing business. Newspapers, consumer and trade publications are all experiencing tough times. This week, Conde Nast folded Gourmet magazine. Also shut down were two wedding magazines: Elegant Bride and Modern Bride. I just received a copy of one of the leading hotel trade publications yesterday and it was barely more than 40 pages.

Not all trade publications are struggling but many are. One industry publication still makes a thud when it hits my coffee table. And my publication, Green Lodging News, is doing just fine. Being Internet-based, my company exists in a different world than that of print publishers. It certainly will be interesting to see if all of the lodging trade publications make it through this downturn. I suspect they will.

I worked for Hotel & Motel Management magazine from 1989 to 1996 and then again from 2000 to 2001. During both stints with the publication, the magazine experienced some tough times but also some great runs as well. One low point was when Robert L. Edgell, former chairman of Edgell Communications Inc., which owned Hotel & Motel Management at the time, took his own life in 1991. It was reported then that he may have paid $100 million too much for publishing company HBJ Publications. Another low point: Edgell Communications filing for bankruptcy protection in 1991.

There will always be a need for trade publications in our industry, just as there will always be periods of prosperity and struggle. My competitors all work hard and deserve success. Support them with your ad dollars and your readership support.

Do Green Buildings Enhance Productivity?

2009-10-06T06:24:00.000-07:00

Are employees who work in green buildings more productive? According to green cleaning advocate Stephen Ashkin, president of The Ashkin Group and Sustainable Tool, LLC, they are. In a release recently sent by Ashkin to Green Lodging News, he cited a September 2009 University of San Diego study that found that employees working in green buildings are more productive than their counterparts in non-green facilities. “The researchers identified a green building as one that is LEED-certified or Energy Star-labeled,” Ashkin says.

The comprehensive study involved more than 2,000 workers from 154 different green buildings. Formerly, these staffers worked in conventional, non-green facilities. For the study, researchers looked at two key measurements: number of sick days reported and self-reported productivity percentage changes. Among the findings:

• Forty-five percent of respondents reported an average of 2.9 fewer sick days in the new green location;
• Nearly 43 percent of the employees agreed they were more productive in green buildings; twelve percent said they strongly agreed they were more productive in green buildings and 45 percent noted little change;
• Ten percent actually reported an increase in the number of sick days after moving to a green facility.

“Some clarification is needed to explain the last two statistics,” Ashkin says. “Many of these folks reporting no changes or even an increase in sick days were in Energy Star-labeled buildings that do not have indoor air quality (IAQ) requirements. LEED-certified buildings do have IAQ standards and that makes a big difference.”

Ashkin goes on to add that these findings are similar to other studies conducted over the past few years. “They remind us of the many benefits of green buildings, which [are] not only fewer sick days and greater worker productivity, but enhanced employee retention, recruitment, and worker morale.”

What are your thoughts? Are those who work in green hotels more productive?

The Waring House Benefits from 'Green Story'

2009-10-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

After turning away business with just 17 rooms, the owners of The Waring House in Picton, Ontario, decided to add an additional 32 rooms—16 suites in two buildings. The recent additions are highly energy efficient thanks to geothermal heating and air-conditioning and a solar hot water heating system. Guests entering the new buildings through automatic doors notice that the second set of doors will not open until the first set has closed—further helping to save energy.

Other green features include a bio-filter septic system that returns water to the earth as pure water, mattresses with replaceable tops, flapper-less toilets, biodegradable amenities (content & bottles), and the use of natural cleaning products. When it was time to purchase new furniture for the property, the owners chose solid wood furniture made by one of Canada's oldest furniture manufacturers. Towels and robes are made from natural fibers. Energy-efficient electric fireplaces in guestrooms provide supplemental heat. The list goes on....

According to a representative of the property, The Waring House's green story is making a big difference as it attempts to attract group business. In fact, for some groups it has been a deciding factor. What is your property's green story? How are you telling it? At The Waring House, going green is THE story and front and center on the property's website. The Waring House is a good example of a small property doing what it can to minimize its environmental impact. Kudos to the owners for making smart, green decisions when it came time to expand and grow.

Take a Tour, Then Tune Into Solar

2009-09-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

Almost every week now, I learn about one more lodging establishment incorporating solar technology to either heat water or generate electricity. The latest one is the Irving House at Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. This month they are installing a system that will provide about 30 percent of the energy needed to heat water for the hotel. The system is expected to last 20 to 30 years.

For those of you interested in learning more about solar systems, I highly recommend participating in the 14th Annual National Solar Tour. The event will be held on October 3 all over the United States. According to the American Solar Energy Society, which is organizing this year's event, more than 150,000 people are expected to participate. Those attending this year’s tour will discover a diverse solar landscape—including solar-powered duplexes, houses, condos, businesses—even solar-powered funeral homes, schools, farms, courthouses and donut shops.

“With thousands of practical examples of how solar works in homes, businesses and public agencies similar to theirs, the National Solar Tour demystifies the allure of solar while inspiring people across the U.S. to harness its power and the many economic benefits it brings,” said Charles Hanasaki, president of Sanyo’s Energy USA Solar Division, a National Solar Tour supporter.

Solar tour locations, dates and times are listed by state at www.NationalSolarTour.org. Those attending the open-house tours will learn how to use solar and energy efficiency tactics to save on monthly utility bills, enjoy big tax incentives, improve property values, create a hedge against rising energy costs, and help preserve the environment.

For additional information on lodging establishments that are using solar technologies, go to Green Lodging News and search using the word "solar."

Yet Another Reason to Go Smoke Free

2009-09-24T13:04:00.000-07:00

Those U.S. hoteliers still hanging on to smoking rooms or still allowing smoking in public areas such as restaurants, bars and casinos should pay attention to research detailed in two new reports. In the studies analyzing the dangers of passive smoking (detailed in an article in the Wall Street Journal), researchers found that smoke-free laws reduced the rate of heart attacks by an average of 17 percent after one year in communities where the bans had been adopted. After three years, the rate had dropped about 26 percent. The biggest declines in heart attacks were seen among non-smokers and people between the ages of 40 and 60 years.

The studies, conducted since 2004, involved a combined total of roughly 24 million people. David Meyers, a preventive cardiologist at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and lead author of one of the reports, said that on a national basis, a 17 percent decline would amount to avoiding more than 150,000 heart attacks annually.

Currently, 17 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and more than 350 cities and towns in the United States have regulations banning smoking in workplaces, bars and restaurants, according to advocacy group Americans for Non-smokers Rights. The bans cover about 40 percent of the U.S. population. An additional 14 states prohibit smoking in one or two of those public locations. And 19 states—mostly in the South and the Midwest—don't completely outlaw smoking in any public area, the group says.

According to the Wall Street Journal article, "While smoking tobacco is known to heighten risk of heart attacks over a lifetime, there is some evidence that even short exposure to second-hand smoke can raise the risk of heart attacks. It can increase blood pressure, cause blood platelets to become sticky and injure cells that line the interior walls of blood vessels—all factors that can promote heart attacks."

Numerous hotel chains and many independents have eliminated smoking anywhere within their lodging establishments. (See FreshStay.com.) With so much evidence linking second-hand smoke to cancer and heart attacks, isn't it time every lodging establishment and restaurant in the United States banned smoking? What do you think?

A Bicoastal PR Blitz for Courtyard by Marriott

2009-09-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

Marriott's public relations team deserves some kudos today for organizing a bicoastal event to celebrate the greening of two Courtyard by Marriott properties. Two press conferences are being held simultaneously. One of the conferences--to be held in Chevy Chase, Md. to celebrate the opening of the Courtyard Chevy Chase--will include Marriott chairman and CEO J.W. "Bill" Marriott, Jr. The other press event--in Portland, Ore., to celebrate the earning of a LEED Gold designation by the Courtyard Portland City Center--will include U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) senior vice president Scot Horst.

In Maryland, where the Courtyard Chevy Chase is expected to earn LEED Gold by the end of the year, Marriott's chairman and CEO will be joined by USGBC COO Chris Smith and senior vice president of Grosvenor USA Ltd., Mark Darley (the hotel's developer). The Maryland property’s green features include 100 percent renewable energy provided by wind power, which greatly reduces the operational carbon footprint; a reflective roof; energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems that do not use ozone-depleting refrigerants; energy-efficient windows; low-VOC adhesives, paints, carpets, and sealants; low-flow shower heads and dual-flush toilets; an energy management system; special parking for hybrid cars; a bike to work program for employees; a centralized recycling station for on-site sorting; and a solar-powered trash compactor.

In Portland, Scot Horst will present the Gold plaque to the CEO of Sage Hospitality, Walter Isenberg (the hotel's developer), and general manager of the Courtyard Portland City Center, Mike Castro. The Courtyard Portland City Center is designed to lower overall energy consumption by 28 percent (equivalent to the energy consumption of 42 households per year) and reduce carbon emissions. Water consumption was reduced by 26 percent through the use of dual flush toilets and more than 75 percent of the construction waste was recycled and reused. All of the hotel’s electricity comes from renewable sources, including wind and hydroelectric. To further reduce waste, recycling containers are situated in each guestroom and on each floor. Additionally, kitchen grease from the Original Restaurant is recycled into biodiesel fuel and food waste from the restaurant is composted.

Click here to access a site that will include press event coverage. Information about both Courtyard by Marriott hotels can also be found at http://www.greenlodgingnews.com/.

Starwood Capital's "1" Back in the News

2009-09-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Almost three years ago, Starwood Capital Group, led by Barry Sternlicht, announced the launch of "1" Hotel and Residences, a new green luxury brand. The goal was to have 15 hotels signed or under construction within 24 months. The Natural Resources Defense Council signed on to be an advisor for the brand and Starwood Capital Group said that each property would donate 1 percent of revenues to local environmental organizations. The announcement generated a lot of publicity at the time.

According to the "1" website, there are "1" properties in the works in Seattle, Scottsdale, Ariz., Washington, D.C., and New York. Reading the descriptions about each property, one gets the impression that some are already open, but are they? No. I recently called Starwood Capital Group to get an update on "1." A representative of the company said that plans are well under way for several projects, although that could change depending on economy/finance-related factors. Given the lending environment of the past year, it is no surprise the brand has had a difficult time getting off the ground.

This past week an article in the Austin Business Journal stated that a Dallas company--Woodbine Development Co.--intends to develop a 250-room "1" Hotel in Austin, Texas. Construction on the 20-story hotel, according to the article, is expected to begin late next year. The property's owner is Starwood Capital Group. Stay tuned to Green Lodging News for more details on "1."

Have We All Had Enough of Green?

2009-09-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to all of the different lodging publications and try to read as many of them as possible. Having been in the lodging industry about 15 years, I know most of the editors personally. One of the editors I have gotten to know pretty well over the years is Paul Heney. Paul is editorial director for Hotel & Motel Management and Hotel Design. Toward the end of Paul's most recent column in Hotel Design he said that he knows plenty of people who are "greened out."

That is the first time I have read or heard that phrase but it surprised me. Do you know anyone who is feeling this way? It is possible that one could be tired of all of the companies touting their environmental commitment on television. I can see that happening. But in the hotel world, are people really getting tired of environmental responsibility and sustainability? I have not heard anything close to that. In fact, I believe it has been the exact opposite and "green" is still in its infancy and has not yet even come close to peaking.

The day will come when sustainable business will become the norm but that day is still far away. In lodging, there are still large companies yet to make any formalized commitment. Most companies still do not produce a sustainability report. Most companies have yet to set conservation goals. I could go on and on.

What do you think? Are you feeling "greened out?" If so, I would like to know why. Write to: editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Hilton San Francisco's Big Laundry Savings

2009-09-11T03:11:00.000-07:00

The Hilton San Francisco, located in the heart of the city's restaurant, theater and shopping districts, is doing an incredible job wringing savings out of its laundry operations. According to Jo Licata, community projects manager at the 1,908-room hotel, last December the property installed new, state-of-the-art laundry equipment. The equipment includes a continuous batch washer and press, 255-pound washer-extractors, 400-pound pass-through dryers, and 165-pound front load dryers. The new equipment replaced washers and dryers purchased more than 25 years ago.

Estimated water and energy savings for 2009 will be 10.7 million gallons of water, 27,000 therms of natural gas, and 786,000 kWh of electricity. Using an EPA calculator, this equates to 700 tons of CO2 emissions saved or removing 128 cars off the road.

Kudos to the Hilton San Francisco for finding an easy way to reduce its carbon footprint. If your property's laundry equipment is as old as the Hilton San Francisco's was, don't you think it's time to consider an update? See the Kitchen & Laundry section of Green Lodging News and the Green Product & Service Directory on the Green Lodging News website for additional guidance on saving energy and dollars in your laundry.

Maine Puts Foot Down on CFL Recycling

2009-09-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

This Saturday (September 12) will be a historic one in Maine. On that day a bill will go into effect requiring compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) manufacturers to share the costs and responsibility for recycling mercury-containing bulbs. Manufacturers will have until 2011 to implement a lamp recycling program but they must submit plans by 2010.

"Passage of this law sends a clear message out nationally (and globally) that a new day is dawning for total life cycle management and shared responsibility—from 'the cradle to the grave' for products containing mercury and other hazardous substances," said Mercury Policy Project Director Michael Bender.

"With this bill, Maine twice reduces the mercury in our environment," added Rep. Seth Berry, the bill's sponsor. "First, we reduce our electrical consumption; second, we ensure that CFLs are correctly disposed of. Equally important, Maine once again demonstrates to the nation that it is good business practice for manufacturers to participate in the end life of the products they bring to market."

According to the Environmental Leader website, which reported on the new bill, Massachusetts, Vermont and California are expected to follow Maine’s lead. All three states have similar bills pending. The state of Maine will oversee its lamp recycling program.

Hoteliers in the four aforementioned states should pay attention to the progress of the lamp recycling programs. No matter where your property is based, however, you need to have a CFL collection policy in place. You cannot just throw them away; they contain mercury and should be disposed of properly. Be sure to visit Green Lodging News for additional news and guidance on CFL recycling.

The Videoconferencing Conundrum--Part Two

2009-09-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

In my most recent blog entry, I addressed the videoconferencing conundrum—how videoconferencing is good for the environment on the one hand but bad for the travel industry on the other. For those who are concerned about travel disappearing thanks to technology, there is some reason not to fear according to a Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings National and Event Technology Expo pre-conference survey. The survey, conducted by J. Spargo & Associates, Inc. and independently analyzed by 2020 Assessment—a service of HVS—found that many planners believe that certain elements of face-to-face conferences cannot be duplicated with today’s technology.

Seventy-six percent of meeting planners attending the HSMAI Affordable Meeting at Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 9 to 10, 2009, stated that they used technology mostly for marketing efforts, followed by making presentations (68 percent) and networking (56 percent). However, survey results suggest that technology reportedly cannot replace at least six elements of the conference experience: 1) socializing and networking spontaneously, 2) helping attendees best put names with faces, 3) allowing more free and open dialogue between attendees and vendors/presenters, 4) training effectively via live and personal interaction, 5) paying greater attention to others when face to face, and 6) engaging in real-time conversation that is not interrupted by technical glitches.

“While the ‘always on the job’ mentality of meeting planners tends to rely on the latest technological tools for marketing, presentations and networking, there is clearly a ‘man over machine’ mindset when it comes to other elements of meetings and conferences,” says Dr. James Houran of 2020 Assessment. “Thus, the popular push for more teleconferences or Internet-based meetings, even for smaller groups, may ultimately not meet critical needs of attendees.”

What are your thoughts? At what point is a face-to-face meeting necessary or not necessary? Even if it is a meeting within your own organization and not with a client or potential client?

The Videoconferencing Conundrum

2009-08-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

As a cheerleader for protection of the environment, my initial reaction to video conferencing is, of course, that it is a great idea. It almost eliminates the carbon impact of travel entirely. All you have to do is show up at your office or a nearby location where video conferencing is available, have your "face-to-face" meeting, and return to your work. Not bad, eh? Not having to sweat making a flight, getting through security, and going through all of the other inefficiencies of travel? Well, in the case of video conferencing what is good for the planet is not necessarily good for the travel business—especially hotels. And that is the conundrum.

According to an article appearing recently in the Chicago Tribune, many companies are slashing travel budgets and real face-to-face meetings and transitioning to video conferencing. Cisco Systems Inc., for example, has cut its annual travel budget by two-thirds, to $240 million from $750 million, by using video conferencing technology. Video conferencing technology has improved in recent years to the point where it is highly reliable.

As the recession resides, business travel will pick up once more but one has to wonder if companies like Cisco will ever allocate the same kind of dollars for business travel again. What is a hotel company to do? Offering video conferencing services is certainly a good idea, of course. Finding new ways to identify and market to prospective customers is also important—through social networking tools like Twitter, for example.

As an environmentalist and lodging industry supporter, the issue of video conferencing tears me in half. What do you think?

Pillows for Patriots Worth Supporting

2009-08-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

Most of us take a good night's sleep for granted. We also think very little about the pillows we sleep on each night. It is difficult to believe but many U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan do not have pillows to sleep on. Their pillow each night is often rolled up clothing. When you think about it, a standard-size pillow would be cumbersome to carry in a backpack. But a small pillow that is packable and half the size of a standard one? That is possible.

When a client of mine—Beaufort, S.C.-based Harris Pillow Supply—received a call from a local mother in late July asking for filling to make pillows for her son—a captain in the U.S. army—and some of his soldiers, the company offered to make and donate the pillows. Harris Pillow Supply committed to donating and making 250 pillows and since has been making additional pillows at cost as part of a "Pillows for Patriots" program that was launched by the aforementioned local mother and another family. Harris Pillow Supply has now made approximately 3,000 pillows for U.S. troops.

"We will continue to participate as long as we can," says Patrick Harris, vice president of Harris Pillow Supply. "It was the least we could do. I am honored to do a small thing for those guys that sacrifice so much. The pillows are small enough to fit in a backpack and we vacuum pack them for shipping."

To learn more about Pillow for Patriots and to donate dollars for the program, contact either Barbara and Dave Farrior at (843) 525-9262 and bfarrior@charter.net, or Jenny and Ken Bush at (843) 525-6578 and bluecrab2@islc.net.*

*Pillows for Patriots is not a registered charity. All of the donations are used to actually make and ship the pillows directly to troops.

Good News for Renewable Energy Advocates

2009-08-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

An increasing number of hotels are investing in solar technology for the purpose of generating electricity and heating hot water. Cooper Hotels just announced that two of its hotels in Tennessee will be implementing solar thermal systems. The Hilton Asheville (N.C.) is about to open with a solar water heating system atop its roof, and the Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, Ore., will soon be using solar technology for both electricity generation and water heating. Solar thermal systems (for water heating) have become especially affordable lately thanks to available incentives.

The growth of renewable energy in lodging reflects an overall trend in the U.S. economy. According to the latest figures released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its "Electric Power Monthly" report, net U.S. electrical generation from renewable energy sources (biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind) reached an all-time monthly high in May 2009. Combined, those sources accounted for 13 percent of total electrical generation.

More specifically, renewable sources generated 40,395,000 megawatt-hours (Mwh) of electricity in May 2009 (the latest month for which EIA has compiled and released data). That level is 7.7 percent higher than that produced in May 2008 (37,515,000 Mwh) and appears to be the highest monthly figure ever reported by EIA for renewably-generated electricity. Total net electrical generation from all sources, including renewables, fossil fuels, and nuclear, in May 2009 was 311,411,000 Mwh—a drop of 4.1 percent from the 324,589,000 Mwh generated in May 2008.

To learn about lodging establishments that have invested in renewable technology, go to Green Lodging News and search on phrases such as "solar thermal" and "wind turbine."

'Responsible Hotels' Featured on New Travel Site

2009-08-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

If one were to put together a collection of green, socially responsible hotels, you could not find a much better name than "Responsible Hotels of the World." That is the name of a collection of 40 hotels now found at http://www.responsiblehotelsoftheworld.com/. The site, launched last month by those running travel website http://www.responsibletravel.com/, also includes a dedicated travel agency division to book the hotels.

According to the Responsible Hotels site, all hotels within the collection have been carefully screened for their commitment to responsible tourism. Some of the criteria required for inclusion include the following: evidence of an initiative to reduce waste and a company policy that requests waste management be practiced by suppliers; evidence that the company policy requests destination suppliers to employ local people wherever possible; and evidence that travelers are provided with relevant suggestions to minimize damage to the environment, wildlife and marine ecosystems. Click here to read additional criteria.

Hotels currently listed can be found in the Caribbean, South East Asia, the Indian Ocean, Central America and East Africa. Featured properties include: Banyan Tree Phuket, Thailand; Beachcomber Royal Palm, Mauritius; and Chumbe Island Coral Park, Tanzania. No U.S. properties are currently included. Be sure to check out this new site.

A Valuable Resource for Electronics Recycling

2009-08-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

I recently learned about a great resource for those interested in recycling electronics--computers, TVs, audio equipment, etc. I highly recommend checking it out. It was published by PCMag.com. (Click here to access the site.) The Electronics Recycling Superguide details a range of ways you can recycle properly--through maufacturers, local electronics stores, and on the Web.

Electronics waste is a huge problem in the United States. The EPA estimates that the number of obsolete consumer electronics sold between 1980 and 2007 is 235 million--a total weight of 2.25 million tons. Where are the 235 million units now? Eighteen percent of the products were collected for recycling; the rest are, unfortunately, sitting in landfills.

Hotels generate a huge amount of waste in the form of outdated televisions, as well as computer equipment. The PCMag.com article suggests that one should consider donating items before considering recycling--possibly to a local school, church or other organization. A great idea. You should also ask vendors you are purchasing new equipment from if they accept used items for recycling--even if they are from another manufacturer--or if they have a take-back program for the newly purchased items once they are no longer useable. Do business with those vendors who support your efforts to recycle.

Don't ever just throw away TVs, computers, and other electronics. They include toxic metals and are a danger to our environment. Sending the items to a landfill is the easy thing to do but not responsible at all. (See article in Green Lodging News for additional information.)

Some Hope On the Travel Horizon?

2009-08-11T05:54:00.000-07:00

I receive a lot of e-mail newsletters on a daily basis. Not many have included good hotel performance news as of late. In fact, here is the typical preface of a Smith Travel Research press release: "The U.S. hotel industry posted declines in all three key performance measurements during the week of...." That is why it was refreshing to read yesterday's travelhorizons survey results report from Ypartnership and the U.S. Travel Assn. According to the quarterly report, almost two-thirds (63 percent) of U.S. adults expect to take at least one trip for leisure purposes between August 2009 and January, 2010, up from 61 percent who expressed the same intention in July 2008. Assuming Americans act on their stated intention, this will translate into an estimated 142 million U.S. adults taking at least one overnight trip during the next six months.

It is certanly not a huge increase but an increase it is. According to the national survey of 2,362 respondents conducted between July 21 to 28, 2009, the average number of overnight trips U.S. adults intend to take during the next six months increased to 2.8 from 2.6 in July 2008. The July Traveler Sentiment Index also reflected consumers' improved sentiment. After falling slightly between February and April 2009, the index rose to 92.1 (against a base of 100 in March 2007), and three points above the number recorded in April 2009 (89.1).

Was there bad news in the report? Yes. Survey respondents indicated they plan to spend less on travel this year. That means they will be shopping for the best deal and will most likely do that online. Still, it is good to see some favorable trends emerging. The stock market has recovered substantially over the past several months, the number of those losing their jobs on a monthly basis is also decreasing. Here's hoping there is more good news on the travel horizon.

Greenbuild Bucks Trade Show Attendance Trend

2009-08-06T05:52:00.000-07:00

In the past year I have attended many conferences and trade shows and all but one have had one thing in common: attendance lower than in previous years. In fact, you would have had to be pretty brave to launch a new conference or trade show this year. The one trade show and conference that actually grew in the past year is Greenbuild. It is an annual event planned by the U.S. Green Building Council and focused on green design, construction and operations.

Greenbuild was just selected by Tradeshow Week magazine as one of the 50 fastest growing trade shows in the United States and Canada. Greenbuild has been one of the 50 fastest growing events the past four years. Greenbuild 2008, which I had the opportunity to attend, was held in Boston and drew more than 28,000 attendees. Attendance the previous year in Chicago: approximately 21,000. In Denver in 2006: 13,500. You get the idea. This event has been wildly successful. Event planners in our industry would love to have to worry about accommodating such growth.

This year's Greenbuild International Conference and Expo is scheduled November 11-13 and will be held in Phoenix. The event is immediately after the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York City (November 7-10).

What I wonder is why nobody in our industry has had the desire or capability to capitalize on the growth of green building and operations in the form of a national conference or trade show. Given the success of Greenbuild and our industry's gravitation toward LEED and other certifications, one would think it would be a no brainer. Any takers?

The Plaza Pours Out 100-Mile Drink

2009-08-04T06:58:00.000-07:00

As part of its 100-Mile Menu, New York City's The Plaza recently unveiled its new signature drink, the POMONA. It was rolled out in front of a national television audience on the Today Show. The POMONA is made from ingredients that hail from the 100-mile area around New York City, including American Fruits’ Black Currant Cordial, Lieb Family Cellars Blanc de Blancs, New York sparkling wine, and local honey. The beverage was commissioned by CPS Events, the partnership entrusted with the hotel’s famed Grand Ballroom, and designed by mixologist Brittany Chardin of Atlanta’s iMi Agency.

“Creating a signature drink for The Plaza was both an honor and a challenge,” Chardin said. “At the onset of the project, CPS Events required the drink be developed utilizing ingredients produced within a 100-mile radius of the city. I was thrilled and surprised by the interesting array of amazing products produced in New York City and the 100 miles that surround it. The enthusiasm of the local distilleries and producers to work on this project was infectious. I know guests will truly celebrate in a memorable way with this drink.”

The signature drink was named the POMONA for the Roman goddess of abundance and orchards. A statue of POMONA adorns the fountain outside The Plaza’s main entrance.

I have read and written a lot about the importance of sourcing local but this is the first time I have come across a hotel developing a signature drink with a sustainability angle. It is certainly a great opportunity to generate some publicity about the property's 100-Mile Menu. Has your property done anything similar? If not, give it a try. Develop the formula for your local drink and then hold a contest among your guests and in your local community to name the drink. Give away a room for a night and bottle of wine to the winner. Invite the media to the unveiling of the new drink.

Practicing sustainability can be fun; use it to your advantage when you can.

New Website Offers Green Dining Best Practices

2009-07-30T06:45:00.000-07:00

The Environmental Defense Fund, in partnership with Restaurant Associates, has developed a new website that includes Green Dining Best Practices. The Best Practices fall into 12 categories: Meat, Dairy and Eggs; Produce; Seafood; Food Transport; Coffee and Tea; Bottled Beverages; Cleaning Chemicals; Cooking and Refrigeration Equipment; Dishwashing and Water Use; Facility Construction and Design; Serviceware; and Waste and Recycling.

A separate web page is dedicated to each of the categories. Under "Coffee and Tea," for example, it is suggested that dining managers buy organic coffee and Rainforest Alliance Certified products. Under "Dishwashing and Water Use," managers are encouraged to rinse smarter, purchase water- and energy-efficient equipment, to serve water upon request, and to spot and fix leaks.

The Environmental Defense Fund and Restaurant Associates contend that significant cost savings can be achieved by deploying the Green Dining Best Practices. They encourage dining managers to take a "No Net Cost Challenge." It encourages dining managers to invest savings captured from one or more of the Best Practices to offset costs that might occur in others, thus maximizing the environmental, reputational and customer experience benefits at "No Net Cost."

The new website also includes case studies and links to other helpful sites. Be sure to check out the site. For additional green dining best practices, visit Green Lodging News.

Green Nuggets Found in JD Power Study Results

2009-07-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

JD Power and Associates just released the results of its 2009 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. Now in its 13th year, the study measures overall hotel guest satisfaction across six hotel segments: luxury, upscale, mid-scale full service, mid-scale limited service, economy/budget and extended stay. The study is based on responses gathered between June 2008 and June 2009 from more than 66,000 guests who stayed in a hotel between May 2008 and June 2009.

The study provides some good news for the green lodging movement, with two important findings:

1. Guest awareness of property-initiated green programs has increased significantly in 2009, with 66 percent of guests stating that they were aware of their hotel's conservation efforts, compared with 57 percent in 2008. Among these guests, 72 percent say they participated in their hotel's conservation programs.

2. Awareness of green programs has a strong impact on overall hotel guest satisfaction. On average, satisfaction is more than 160 points higher among guests who report being aware of their hotel's green programs, compared with guests who are unaware of them.

Why are guests more aware of properties' green programs? The amount of information online has increased significantly over the past year—whether on individual properties' websites or other sites that either list or rate green lodging properties. Hotels are also doing a better job educating guests once they are at the property.

I am not surprised at all to learn about the strong connection between green programs and guest satisfaction. Travelers like to know that property owners care about more than their bottom lines.

In a year filled with a lot of bad news for lodging, JD Power's report has some great news for "green" lodging.

Bayside Hotel Starts 'Bay it Forward' Campaign

2009-07-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

The Bayside Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., has come up with a great way to promote itself while doing a good deed—all while using Twitter as a promotional tool. As part of its new “Bay It Forward” initiative, the hotel will randomly distribute 2,000 “Bayside Bucks”—reward certificates offering $50 off standard room rates—to Southern California’s firefighters, teachers and other unsung community heroes to say thanks for all they do to make the world a better place.

Inspired by the pay it forward concept, Bayside Hotel’s “Bay It Forward” campaign encourages recipients of the certificates to pass them along to individuals who go out of their way to perform good deeds, make people happy or perform common acts of courtesy. Those who follow the hotel’s Twitter feed at twitter.com/baysidehotel will receive tweets about special upcoming dates when the certificates can be applied for free stays at this beachside respite. Additionally, anyone who e-mails a personal story about someone whose actions are inspiring to the hotel at info@baysidehotel.com will have a chance to receive a certificate as well.

“We believe that treating people well and staying positive about life is what the world needs more of today,” said Ann Kleinhenz, manager of the Bayside Hotel. “We want to recognize random acts of kindness with more random acts of kindness and hope that it spreads!”

What a great idea.

It's Time to Phase Out the Pesky Plastic Bag

2009-07-21T06:07:00.000-07:00

Let's assume your property has a gift shop or another type of shop or shops. Once a customer purchases an item, in what type of bag is the item given to the customer? Plastic? You may have read or heard about the problems with plastic bags. I was recently sent a press release about an effort by the Greenhouse Neutral Foundation to ban nonbiodegradable plastic bags. The release does a pretty good job explaining the problems that plastic bags cause. Here are some facts to consider:

Around the planet, almost one million plastic bags per minute are distributed. Only 2 percent of those bags are recycled.
Those plastic bags that are not recycled persist in the environment for 500 to 1,000 years or more.
Two million birds are killed yearly from ingesting or becoming entangled in plastic debris. Plastic bags cause more than 100,000 sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year when animals mistake them for food.
Every single piece of plastic ever manufactured is still on the planet (well, maybe there are a few items on the moon or floating in space).
There are an estimated 46,000 pieces of plastic in each square mile of ocean.

There is currently an initiative under way to ban the plastic bag by the end of 2010. Until plastic bags are outlawed, do what you can to avoid using them. Offer your guests paper bags instead. Or, better yet, offer them reusable bags—the kind often found in grocery stores today. Put your property's logo on them. Make them attractive—something your guests will be excited about reusing. Do what you can to eliminate plastic bags from the waste stream.

Wyndham Walks Green Talk at N.J. Home

2009-07-16T08:56:00.000-07:00

I just completed an article that summarizes the many ways Wyndham Worldwide has greened up its new headquarters in Parsippany, N.J. Opened to its 800-plus employees in April, the two-building complex should earn LEED for Commercial Interiors certification from the U.S. Green Building Council sometime next year. Here are just a few examples of the complex's green features: 83,000 square feet of white roofing material to help keep the building cool in the summer; motion sensors to turn lights off when they are not needed; low-flow toilets and faucets; and an on-site green dry cleaner (Green Apple Organic Dry Cleaning).

When I spoke with Faith Taylor, vice president, sustainability and innovation for Wyndham Worldwide, she said Wyndham really wanted to walk its green talk by building a LEED-worthy office complex. Wyndham's Wyndham Green program has been gaining momentum lately with energy conservation, water conservation, education, recycling, and destination/local conservation at its core.

Wyndham Worldwide's leaders should be commended for their decision to build to LEED standards. Taylor says the company is already reaping financial benefits from installing efficient building systems. Employee morale has also improved; they have access to an on-site gym, credit union, and gift shop where they can purchase items such as milk and eggs. These amenities will help reduce the amount of miles employees will have to drive to and from work.

Wyndham is not alone in its quest to green one's headquarters. Marriott International is also pursuing LEED certification for its headquarters in Bethesda, Md. Marriott should also be congratulated for its environmental commitment.

What is your company doing to green up its home? Write to editor@greenlodgingnews.com to let me know. And, watch for the article about Wyndham's new headquarters on Green Lodging News.

Greenstay Hotel & Suites' Bold Branding Move

2009-07-14T06:00:00.001-07:00

Over the last few years there have been a number of new hotel brands introduced that have a strong environmental focus—Starwood's Element and NYLO come to mind. Others such as Hyatt's Andaz and Hilton's new Home2 Suites have what I consider to be some green attributes. What has been very unusual so far is for the word or words in a brand's name to strongly reflect the brand's attention to the environment. One could argue that "Element" is about as green a word as one might find but it really does not scream, "Stay here, we're green." The word "NYLO" certainly does not prompt one to think about waterfalls and forests.

Since launching Green Lodging News three years ago, I have been waiting for someone to come along and create a green brand that actually includes the word "green" in its name. I just learned about a property in Springfield, Mo., that has the name of Greenstay Hotel & Suites. It is not a new property but a converted Hampton Inn hotel. The owners tout the fact that the hotel follows and exceeds the American Hotel & Lodging Association's 11 Minimum Guidelines for Going Green. The guidelines includes such steps as forming an Environmental Committee, replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, etc.

On its website, Greenstay Hotel & Suites says, "Our goal is to reduce our energy usage and carbon footprint but not the enjoyment of your stay." While there certainly are many other hotels around the world that are far greener—that have implemented renewable energy systems, etc.—Greenstay Hotel & Suites is among the first to be "in your face" bold about its environmental efforts. I am glad that somebody has finally taken that risk.

Is a brand like Greenstay Hotel & Suites franchisable? Time will tell. Watch for more details about Greenstay Hotel & Suites at www.greenlodgingnews.com.

Students Savor Chance to Study EcoGastronomy

2009-07-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

A major in EcoGastronomy? Where do I sign up? The University of New Hampshire (UNH) just announced that it is hosting a group of Italian students this summer who are the first foreign exchange students to participate in the university’s new EcoGastronomy dual major, the first such program at any U.S. university.

Fourteen students from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, are spending the summer living on campus in Durham and learning about the science of food and eating, ecotourism, and advertising. They also are participating in a number of field studies, including those focused on organic gardening, maple syrup production, historic gardens and food preparation, and aquaculture.

In the fall, a group of UNH students will spend the semester at the University of Gastronomic Sciences as part of the joint student exchange program. While in Italy, UNH students will complete a series of upper level core courses such as history of cuisine and gastronomy, food communication, aesthetics, food and wine tourism, food business economics, and sensory analysis. Sensory analysis? I certainly have the nose for that.

A one-of-a-kind learning experience that links the fields of sustainable agriculture, hospitality, and nutrition, the EcoGastronomy program is a partnership of UNH's Whittemore School of Business and Economics and College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, in collaboration with the University Office of Sustainability. EcoGastronomy—the word connects "gastronomy," meaning "the art and appreciation of food," with agriculture and the environment, connoted by "eco"—came about after Slow Food International founder Carlo Petrini came to UNH to receive an honorary degree in 2006. Petrini is founder of the University of Gastronomic Sciences.

"Today’s hospitality students are interested in food and sustainability and how it connects with the local, regional and global food systems. The EcoGastronomy program gives them an advantage in the job market because it sets them apart in a competitive industry that is becoming more sustainably aware," says Dan Winans, faculty coordinator of the dual major and an adjunct professor in hospitality management at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics.

More information about the dual major in EcoGastronomy is available at http://www.unh.edu/ecogastronomy/.

AAA to Highlight Green Properties in TourBooks

2009-07-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

AAA currently publishes 26 TourBook guides that have a total circulation of 16 million. The guides include detailed information on more than 31,000 hotels. Millions of travelers rely on AAA TourBooks to help them make their travel plans. Those travelers who prefer to stay in green lodgings will soon get a little help from AAA. Beginning this fall, AAA Publishing will include an "eco-friendly" icon in the 2010 TourBook editions to indicate those properties that promote environmental and energy conservation. The icon will appear in both print and online editions.

How is AAA deciding which properties to include? It is currently working with those organizations that run state and national green lodging programs to get lists of certified properties. For example, all Green Globe International certified properties will be included, as well as those hotels in Canada that are part of the Hotel Association of Canada's Green Key program. What about those properties that practice environmental stewardship but are not part of a state or national green lodging program? That is a question I am currently trying to get answered. Look for details no later than next week at www.greenlodgingnews.com.

While AAA's attempt to point out green properties in its TourBook guides is a good one, you can bet travelers are going to be wondering exactly what the icons mean. Let's hope AAA does a good job explaining its methodology.

Be Thankful For Your Freedom on July 4

2009-07-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

I have always wondered what drives leaders in government to hold on to power. Is it some form of mental illness? A phobia? An addiction? A warped view of religion or politics? Too much testosterone? (It usually is men.) It is probably a combination of all of these. I thought about this recently while watching the images on TV of Iranians being beaten and shot for expressing their opposition to the results of their recent presidential election. What kind of person would order his followers to use any means necessary to stop democracy in action? Two words come to mind: thug and coward.

Just two days before July 4, our Independence Day here in the United States, I am thankful for all of the freedoms we have. It is something we all too often take for granted. In my case, as editor and publisher of Green Lodging News, I am most thankful for the First Amendment to the United States Constitution that guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

While times may be difficult in the lodging industry today, our problems are nothing when compared to those who face death for saying what they think or feel. On July 4, be thankful for the freedom that you have. And for goodness sake, don't forget those who do not have that same freedom.

LEED Buildings Not Always More Efficient

2009-06-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

Research conducted by several researchers from the National Research Council Canada—Institute for Research in Construction, Ottawa, Canada, reveals some interesting information about the energy performance of LEED buildings. The researchers conducted a re-analysis of data supplied by the New Buildings Institute and the U.S. Green Building Council. The energy use data was from 100 LEED certified commercial and institutional buildings. The data was compared to the energy use of the general U.S. commercial building stock. The researchers also examined energy use by LEED certification level, and by energy-related credits achieved in the certification process.

On average, LEED buildings used 18 to 39 percent less energy per floor area than their conventional counterparts. However, 28 to 35 percent of LEED buildings used more energy than their conventional counterparts. Further, the measured energy performance of LEED buildings had little correlation with certification level of the building, or the number of energy credits achieved by the building at design time.

The researchers concluded that, at a societal level, green buildings can contribute substantial energy savings, but further work needs to be done to define green building rating schemes to ensure more consistent success at the individual building level. While the researchers did not focus on hotels in their work, their findings should ring alarm bells for any architect, owner or developer involved in the construction of LEED-ready hotels. Energy savings are not always a given.

Click here for more information on the research.