COLLIER COUNTY, FLA.—Twelve hotels to date in Collier County, Fla., have received the official Green Lodging certification from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). To further Collier County’s green lodging initiative, the Collier County Hotel & Lodging Assn. has formed a Green Committee to grow and enhance the benefits of sustainable lodging practices in the region and assist other hotels that wish to gain certification.
In Collier County, Florida DEP has so far recognized the following hotels as certified Green Lodgings: The Ivey House; Hilton Naples; DoubleTree Guest Suites, Naples; Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort; Bellasera Hotel; Inn at Pelican Bay; Naples Grande Beach Resort; The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples; The Ritz-Carlton, Naples; Hawthorn Suites of Naples; Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa; and the Naples Beach Hotel and Golf Club. All have been certified at the One Palm level by Florida DEP. As properties continue to enhance their green practices, they may reach the Two Palm and Three Palm certification levels. Six more Collier hotels have applied to the program and are currently working on their certification.
Jack Wert, executive director of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau issued a challenge to the Collier County Hotel & Lodging Assn. last year for at least 10 hotels to be designated as certified Green Lodging properties in calendar year 2008.
“The lodging association not only met the challenge, they exceeded it, and with their new Green Committee, we are well on our way to seeing a significant increase in certified properties in 2009,” Wert says.
Project Has Marketing Value
International travel is increasing to Collier County and those travelers tend to be very concerned about sustainable energy practices and green living initiatives. “The Green Lodging program’s rapid progress in Collier County is very beneficial in terms of raising our profile with both domestic and international visitors as a conservation-minded and sustainable destination,” Wert adds.
“The development of the Collier County Hotel & Lodging Assn.’s Green Committee will allow our members that are already certified green lodges to share best practices and encourage other hotels to become certified as well,” said Jennifer Robbins, general manager at DoubleTree Guest Suites, Naples and chairman of the Green Committee. “The committee will provide mentorship to those properties that are interested and will partner with Florida DEP to implement ongoing environmental improvement projects in the community.”
Since gaining certification, some of the hotels in Collier County have begun to notice significant improvements in energy consumption and conservation. The Hilton Naples was certified in December 2007. Since then its natural gas usage for laundry and kitchen equipment is down more than 9 percent. Water consumption and the corresponding sewer treatment is down 23.3 percent and due to its recycling initiatives, its landfill tonnage is down by more than half compared to prior years. In a unique conservation move, the hotel has just planted a Confederate jasmine vine garden on the section of the hotel’s roof over the ballroom area.
“The vine will eliminate direct exposure to the sun, thereby decreasing the amount of energy needed to cool the ballroom, and the vine garden will also provide an enhanced view from the guestrooms overlooking that area of the hotel,” said Clark Hill, general manager.
Measurable Cost Savings
Naples Grande Beach Resort, since being certified 10 months ago, has cut its kilowatt usage by 240,811 for a savings of $21, 612. Total estimated savings at the resort for electricity, natural gas, water, sewer and recycling total $93,053 to date.
Statewide there are 365 Florida Green Lodges. The 12 Collier County properties account for 3,173 guestrooms. Based on statewide numbers, DEP reports that Florida Green Lodges are saving, per day per occupied room, an average of 17 gallons of water, an average of 14 kilowatt hours of electricity and an average of six pounds of waste. Assuming an average occupancy rate of 63 percent, DEP estimates the 12 Collier County Green Lodges are collectively saving 34,000 gallons of water, 28,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and six tons of solid waste per day.
“Collier County’s mentoring project stands to be a real asset to the lodging community,” said Laura Comer, Green Lodging Coordinator for Florida DEP. “The green teams at the Collier County Green Lodges are trendsetters and innovators and play an important part in taking Collier County’s green initiative to the next level.”
The Collier County Hotel & Lodging Assn. represents the professional interests of hotels and resorts in Collier County, Fla. The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing and management organization for Collier County, Fla. For more information, go to www.ParadiseCoast.com.
