How far would you go to tell your company or property’s green story? Would you write and publish a book? That is exactly what Six Senses Resorts & Spas has done with its new “SLOW LIFE” book authored by Kate O’Brien. The book was officially introduced at an event earlier this month in New York City. I highly recommend checking out this new book that is printed on 100 percent recycled paper using soy-based inks. The words “SLOW” and “LIFE” are acronyms for “Sustainable-Local-Organic-Wholesome” and “Learning-Inspiring-Fun-Experiences.” The book is packed with valuable information about the state of our planet as it relates to global tourism.
While providing examples of our world’s greatest environmental challenges, the book weaves in stories about Six Senses’ natural resource preservation accomplishments in places such as the Maldives, Thailand, Vietnam, Oman, and Jordan. The book is most definitely a marketing tool for the company but also a valuable resource for anyone working in lodging.
By next year, Six Senses plans to be carbon neutral. By 2020, its goal is to be carbon positive, meaning that it would remove more carbon from the atmosphere than it would add. One of the company’s most ambitious projects so far is a 1.5-megawatt wind turbine in Tamil Nadu. It was installed there with the help of the nonprofit Converging World. The turbine will generate approximately 80,000 megawatt-hours of electricity during its 20-year lifespan.
Deep Sea Water Cooling
Six Senses is also one of the first companies to use Deep Sea Water Cooling as a means to air-condition lodging space. This is done at its Soneva Fushi by Six Senses in the Maldives. Cold water is pumped from 300 meters below the ocean through two miles of pipe to a pump house on the resort island. From there, cold water is directed through trenches to guest villas, where heat exchangers are used instead of air conditioners. The result is efficient cooling and a 70 percent energy reduction when compared to standard air-conditioning.
In Thailand, at the Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa, a biomass absorption chiller converts the heat produced by the burning of garden waste to air-conditioned air to cool the shipping and receiving building at the property. At each of its locations, Six Senses makes its own Six Senses Drinking Water in a reverse osmosis plant. It is bottled only in reusable glass bottles. Composting is done at all Six Senses resorts and the landscaping at Six Senses Destination Spa-Phuket in Thailand is made up of edible plants such as lemongrass, morning glory and banana trees, providing ingredients that often end up on the resort’s menu. These are just a few examples of the environmental innovations described in the book.
Several months ago I received a call from a hotel developer who told me his company is in the process of putting together a book on green hotels—a great way to help educate our industry. When I learn more about his book, I will let you know. To learn more about the Six Senses book, contact the publisher, Editions Didier Millet, or contact the publicist for the book at Meredith@vkpr.com.
Green Lodging News Welcomes WiSuite as Directory Partner
Green Lodging News welcomes WiSuite as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. WiSuite’s Central Control and Monitoring system interfaces with WiSuite’s ZigBee Wireless Digital Thermostats to provide real-time building, zone, room and device level controls, monthly temperature schedules, device history and maintenance alerts. The WiSuite real time PMS I/F is the key to achieving a 35 to 40 percent reduction in heating and cooling costs. WiSuite’s centrally controlled energy management supports a walk-in quota system that allows hotel managers to specify a quantity of rooms to keep ready for sale at any time, putting all other vacant rooms into deep setback. This means walk-in guests always arrive to comfortable rooms, while vacant rooms maximize energy savings. For more information, call (888) 683-3099, e-mail sales@wisuite.com, or go to www.wisuite.com.
Upcoming Green Lodging & Hospitality Conference in Orlando
I will be on a panel focused on greenwashing at the Green Lodging & Hospitality Conference in Orlando, Fla., on Wednesday, December 9. For information on this event, give me a call at (440) 243-2055, e-mail me at editor@greenlodgingnews.com, or click here to access the conference itinerary.
Get in the Spotlight in 2010
Green Lodging News has been publishing the Green Supplier Spotlight each Wednesday since mid-2008. The e-blast reaches the list of Green Lodging News subscribers that currently stands at 10,947. If your company has a product or products it would like to feature in the e-mail Spotlight in 2010, be sure to contact me soon, as Wednesdays are filling up quickly. Also, the Featured Product Spot in the Green Lodging News weekly e-mail newsletter is available December through March. Interested in having your product featured there? Call me at (440) 243-2055, or contact me by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Additional ad spots are also available for the remainder of 2009. Both 2009 and 2010 media kits are available by request or by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Green Lodging News Blog & Twitter
Be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. The address for the blog is http://greenlodgingnews.blogspot.com. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also now on Twitter. To follow my postings, go to http://twitter.com/greenlodging. Be sure to add Green Lodging News to those tweets that you follow. Green Lodging News now has 304 Twitter followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
