As the lodging industry continues to lose sleep over the bed bug epidemic, it’s more important than ever to maintain effective, proactive pest management practices at your hotel. Unfortunately, many facilities have turned to improper techniques in their efforts to fight bed bugs—with serious consequences for their guests and the environment. In November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) issued a health advisory to alert the public to the dangers of improperly applying pesticides for bed bug control. According to the advisory, over the past few years, there has been...

Meeting planners and attendees today are looking for more than just a nice hotel in a hip city to have their meetings. Green meetings—events and conferences organized with a lens toward reducing environmental harm—have become much more common, although the levels of “greenness” vary widely. Now groups are embracing “green” in a broader sense, one that includes social responsibility, by seeking ways to give back to the communities they are visiting. The hospitality industry is all about serving the needs of others. Therefore, it makes sense that meetings destinations and venues partner with local nonprofits to offer community service opportunities....

“I turned on the water in the shower and waited for 10 minutes. Warm water finally started flowing, however it never lasted more than a minute and alternated mostly with cool to cold water.” That’s the exact quote extracted from an online review of a guest who rated a hotel in Pennsylvania on Tripadvisor.com. The reviewer gave the hotel a rating of two out of a possible five. The site is full of similar comments from guests complaining about how long it took them to get hot water when they wanted to take a shower or wash their hands. In the...

As a result of cost savings and consumer demand, the hotel industry has jumped on the green and sustainability bandwagon. Rarely do you find a hotel that still uses incandescent light bulbs, does not have some type of policy limiting how often sheets and towels are washed, or has not installed aerators or low-flow systems in faucets and showerheads. These actions not only help promote sustainability, they help improve the bottom line as well. As to consumer demand, studies continue to indicate hotel guests prefer green and sustainable hotels. Many corporations looking for lodging for their staff now make this...

America is in the middle of a wake-up call when it comes to water usage and costs—an issue that has long-term implications for hotel properties. This past summer saw the worst drought on record in the United States since the 1950s. And this wasn’t only in California, Nevada, or Arizona, states that have often been plagued with water shortages. No, these record-breaking droughts occurred in large sections of the Midwest. In the past these areas have occasionally experienced dry years, but they rarely suffer official droughts. In fact, 60 percent of the United States was actually labeled a drought...

As a global hospitality consultancy, HVS is oftentimes asked to comment on emerging technologies that are potentially applicable to hotel and resort operations—both from the perspective of hoteliers who want to learn further about opportunities for the modernization of their assets, and vendors who are keen to expand their hospitality product and service offerings. These technologies are especially prevalent in building equipment, given an expanding focus on sustainable development and operation. Regardless of the nature of the technology or whether HVS is approached by a hotelier or a vendor, our response to these sorts of inquiries is consistent: we contend...

You’ve no doubt heard the term LED. And, perhaps you are even considering converting to LED lighting. Sure, you’ve heard it will drive down your energy costs and move your hotel to a “greener” future. But, why is today’s LED lighting technology really the best solution for you and your hotel? Why LED Lighting? Overall, LED lighting is a more efficient product. As a hotelier, you no longer have to sacrifice quality of light. LED lighting provides the light quality needed to help transform your hotel into a home away from home. In addition, it drives down maintenance costs and reduces...

When our company first developed energy management technology back in 1992, an occupancy sensor paired with a PTAC controller capable of dynamic setback was significant. Now, 20 years later, “energy management” refers to more than just basic HVAC control. A current energy management solution can integrate with a property management system, remotely monitor every drop of power that flows into a room, produce detailed savings reports—and go completely unnoticed to the average guest. In unoccupied and unsold guestrooms, a single energy management solution can take complete control of the space. An energy management system can set back the room temperature, disconnect...

Imagine a hotel recognized and supported by customers for its responsible environmental practices. A hotel where employee and customer satisfaction rankings, along with occupancy rates and margins, are consistently above average. Yes, this IS possible. All it takes is a well-managed sustainability program. Grass Roots Versus Deep Roots Until recently, many hotel managers were content to task sustainability initiatives to employee-driven green teams—voluntary groups of enthusiasts with a personal mission to “green” operations. Using this approach, hoteliers quite often saw some successes—reduced waste through material re-use and recycling programs or reduced water consumption by switching off taps, to name a few. Real,...

It might seem a bit strange to find an article advocating green cleaning in a publication whose readers already understand the merits of cleaning and operating their facilities in a more environmentally preferable manner. This is even more true when discussing the value of green cleaning to the lodging industry, which has been at the forefront when it comes to implementing green cleaning. However, the truth of the matter is that there are still a number of negative perceptions about green products—specifically green cleaning products—that make it hard for some hotel administrators to accept them. In fact, some distributors of...