Atlantic City Convention Center's Sunny Day

Thursday, November 6 will be a historic day at the Atlantic City (N.J.) Convention Center. The first section of a large array of photovoltaic solar panels will be installed on the center's rooftop. When completed at the end of 2008, this will be the largest single-roof solar power array installation in the United States. The solar power system will be comprised of approximately 13,321 modules/panels and is part of a 20-year power purchase agreement with Pepco Energy Services of Arlington, Va.

This 2.36-megawatt rooftop solar power system will cover two-thirds of the main roof of the convention center or about 290,000 square feet. The generation of renewable energy from the Atlantic City Convention Center solar project will avoid release of 2,349 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year.

The solar panel project is one of a series of green initiatives at the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA). The ACCVA is a founding member of the Convene Green Alliance, a grass-roots, industry initiative spearheaded by several associations that seek to affect positive environmental practices through national, regional and local outreach and education. The ACCVA is also planning a wind turbine at the Atlantic City Convention Center as part of their ongoing green initiatives.

Here's hoping for a sunny day in Atlantic City on November 6—and for many days to come.

Bad Bad Bedbugs Everywhere

Seems like everywhere I turn these days I run across something having to do with bedbugs. In recent days I have learned about numerous companies that offer natural remedies for bedbug infestations. (No, heavy metal music is not one of the remedies being offered; it just gets them fired up and chases away every other guest in your hotel.) Seriously, I really should not joke about bedbugs; they are no laughing matter. Just two weeks ago, The Daily Times in Farmington, N.M., reported that the owner of a Days Inn was spending $63,000 to get rid of the little critters. "We are replacing everything," said Rez Chowdhury, who owns the bedbug-infested structure. (See article.)

I will be writing about natural bedbug solutions soon. Be sure to watch for the article that will include everything from bug-sniffing canines, to heat treatments, to tiny sensors, to natural oils. When I go to sleep tonight, I will try not think about the fact that female bedbugs can lay up to 500 eggs in a lifetime. The size of the eggs? A speck of dust. Yikes!

Rosen Hotels Adds Green Meetings Website

Rosen Hotels & Resorts of Orlando has launched a website aimed at providing information on hosting eco-friendly meetings. The site, www.rosengreenmeetings.com, is designed to help meeting planners reduce the environmental impact of large meetings and conventions. Information includes 10 tips for holding greener meetings, web links for more about going green, and green-meeting information from Rosen Hotels. Rosen’s three convention properties—Rosen Plaza, Rosen Centre and Rosen Shingle Creek—are all recognized under the Florida Green Lodging Program, an initiative launched in 2004 to designate properties taking steps to conserve natural resources.

While Rosen's site is a little light from a content perspective, and could use a little proofing, it is a concept other hotel groups may want to consider as an increasing number of corporations demand green meeting space.

More Travelers Preferring Smoke-Free Hotels

J.D. Power and Associates recently released its 2008 European Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study results. The study, now in its fourth year, examined the overall satisfaction of European hotel guests based on seven measures (in order of importance): costs and fees; guestroom; hotel facilities; food and beverage; check-in/check-out; hotel services; and reservations. Forty-five hotel brands were measured and ranked in four segments: upper upscale, upscale, mid-scale, mid-scale full service, and economy. (Click here to see study.)

What was the most interesting finding from a green lodging perspective? The number of European hotel guests who say they prefer a nonsmoking hotel environment has increased considerably during the past two years—from 69 percent in 2006 to 84 percent in 2008. Hotel guests who reside in Spain are the most likely to report a preference for nonsmoking hotel environments—with 93 percent saying they desire nonsmoking hotels—compared with residents of other European countries. According to J.D. Power's North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, which was conducted earlier this year, nearly nine of 10 U.S. travelers (89 percent) now prefer a smoke-free hotel environment. That is up from 79 percent in 2006.

With so many travelers now preferring smoke-free environments, what is stopping hotel companies from eliminating smoking altogether? Are they afraid to lose business from that tiny percentage of travelers who still like to light up in their guestrooms? What do you think?

It's Blue Skies and Sunny for Platinum Proximity

Green Lodging News reported almost two weeks ago that the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro had received word that it and its Print Works Bistro had been awarded a LEED Platinum rating by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The hotel is the first in the United States to reach the Platinum level—a well earned honor and one sure to interest every type of media imaginable for months. Even prior to that announcement, the Proximity Hotel had already received media coverage in publications such as Travel & Leisure, Southern Living, Fortune, Outside, The New York Times and Travel Weekly. The hotel is appealing because it features some highly unique attributes. For example: a solar thermal system on its roof meets 60 percent of the 147-room property's water heating needs. The hotel is also led by a guy who gives a great interview: Dennis Quaintance, the CEO and CDO (Chief Design Officer) of Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels, the company that owns the Proximity.

If you would like to see why the media is paying attention, turn to the Weather Channel on Tuesday, October 28 at 7 p.m. The Proximity Hotel will be featured.

More Thoughts on Hotel Certification Programs

Travel Weekly reported last week what I had known for quite some time (and mentioned in a previous blog entry)—that the American Hotel & Lodging Association had abandoned its plan to pursue a nationwide hotel-specific certification program to measure and rate the extent of a property's green programs. Joseph McInerney told Travel Weekly that getting involved in an independent certification process is too complicated and costly. The AH&LA's decision begs the question: What next?

I have heard rumblings from a couple of different organizations about starting a national certification program that would be separate from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, Green Seal, Energy Star, and all the others. I am waiting to see if they actually happen. The one thing I have not witnessed is a clamoring for another national certification program—by our industry or by consumers. What I am seeing most is efforts by individual states to set up their own programs. Maybe those types of programs will gain the most traction in the next year or two? What do you think? Does the U.S. lodging industry really need another certification program? Or, are there more pressing matters at hand?

UF Professor Takes Pulse of Caribbean Efforts

The accommodation industry in the tourist-heavy Caribbean region has started on an environmentally conscious or “green” campaign to lessen stresses on natural resources, according to a recent University of Florida (UF) study. The study found that two-thirds of 197 hotels in 19 countries in the English-speaking Caribbean are taking steps to protect the environment, from changing linens less often to urging guests to recycle. It also found that success in environmentally-friendly reform often was pegged to a “green champion,” an individual in the workplace who pushed for green practices.

“This is a real effort by hotels at all levels to try to minimize, to reduce, to mitigate their influence on the environment,” said Mechelle Best, who completed the study for her doctoral dissertation at the College of Health and Human Performance at UF and who is currently assistant professor at California State University at Northridge.

Even if hotels did not begin comprehensive environmental programs, they still enjoyed benefits—such as reduced resource use and decreased operating costs—from the green practices that were put into place, the study also found. Environmental management or “greening” can range from a comprehensive system undertaken by a hotel, to informal practices undertaken by individuals on an as-needed basis, Best said. To read the complete article, click here.