Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles. I had never previously attended ALIS. It was exciting to see so much attention paid to green hotel building and operations. The event’s organizers did a great job selecting the speakers and moderators for each of the green panel sessions (four total). Each of the sessions was well attended. The relationship between business and the environment was the focus of the keynote speaker, Emma Duncan, deputy editor of The Economist, and the top executives of companies such as Global Hyatt Corp. and Hilton Hotels Corp. addressed sustainability during the “Hotel Leaders Outlook” segment.
The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program was appropriately the center of discussion during a number of the sessions. It is clear that LEED is going to be the standard for green hotel building for the foreseeable future. During the session entitled “How to Convert Your Property to a Green Hotel,” Kathleen Matthews, executive vice president, global communications and public affairs, Marriott International, said Marriott will increase its number of LEED-certified architects and designers from eight to almost 50 this year—proof that LEED is being taken very seriously. While not currently an ideal fit for hotels, LEED is expected to be adjusted sometime this year to better suit them. The American Hotel & Lodging Assn. is currently working with USGBC to make that happen.
As with any industry event, there was ample opportunity for attendees to ask executives questions. Not unexpectedly, many of the questions related to the cost of green building. At ALIS, Ernst & Young issued a report, “Hospitality Top 10 Thoughts for 2008,” which stated that a few years ago there was the expectation that a green hotel would cost upwards of 20 percent more. However, the report added that the percentage is now closer to 2 percent to 7 percent, and these additional costs are constantly decreasing—thanks to the added efficiencies that come with a green hotel.
Questions That Should Have Been Asked
If I had an opportunity to go back in time a week to ALIS and ask some of our industry’s top hotel company executives some additional questions, here is what I would ask:
1. What percentage of your future new hotel developments in the United States will pursue LEED for New Construction certification?
2. What plans do you have to elevate your existing portfolio to the LEED for Existing Buildings standard?
3. In the coming year, do you intend to hire a director of sustainability?
4. Would you say no to a project because of its environmental impact—e.g., expected volume of greenhouse gas emissions? Even if it meant turning away millions of investment dollars? Have you ever done so?
5. Do you measure the environmental impact of your hotel collection?
6. Executives are rewarded in different ways for growth—often at the expense of the environment. How would you react if you were told that part of your compensation would be based on criteria such as building energy performance, water conservation, waste reduction, and/or overall carbon impact?
7. What do you see as the No. 1 environmental challenge facing the industry today?
8. Name the last book you read on sustainable business practices.
Hopefully, these questions would not stump or embarrass our industry’s leaders. In the coming year, these are some of the questions I promise to ask. Stay tuned.
New Product & Service Directory Partner
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Green Lodging News at HAC Conference
Green Lodging News will have a table at the Hotel Association of Canada’s annual conference in Toronto on February 25 to 26. If you plan to attend that event at the Hilton Toronto Hotel, be sure to stop by to say hello.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
