As interest in green lodging has exploded the last couple of years, few books have come along to provide guidance to those interested in greening their operations, greening a building’s design from the ground up, or highlighting the success stories of those who have successfully built and operated green establishments. I occasionally receive press releases about new text books that touch on the topic in a chapter or two but a book dedicated specifically to green lodging? I have not seen any—until now.
Late last year, “High Performance Hospitality, Sustainable Hotel Case Studies,” was published by these three organizations: the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, University of Michigan; Sustainable Conservation; and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation. Author royalties from the sale of the book will benefit the Erb Institute and Sustainable Conservation. The 202-page book was written by Michele L. Diener, Amisha Parekh and Jaclyn Pitera. The book is the result of graduate work conducted while the three authors attended the University of Michigan.
One objective of the book, according to the authors, “is to evoke serious thought and discussion regarding the advantages and disadvantages of sustainability within the hotel industry. We hope that such discussions will lead to more environmentally friendly hotel construction and renovation projects and business operations practices in the future.” In its case studies, the book focuses on the following properties: Orchard Garden Hotel, San Francisco; Comfort Inn & Suites Boston/Airport, Revere, Mass.; The Inn and Conference Center, University of Maryland University College, Adelphi, Md.; Airlie Center, Airlie, Va.; Hilton Vancouver, Vancouver, Wash.; Mauna Lani Resort, Kohala Coast, Hawaii; The Fairmont Banff Springs, Alberta, Canada; and The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.
More Reasons to Read This Book
The authors analyze the cost, complexity and guest perception of construction and operations features. Their research produced some fascinating results, particularly in regard to identifying what drove each property developer to pursue a high performance building. You will have to purchase the book to learn about all of these drivers but one was, interestingly enough, family values. Here are just a few more reasons you should check out this book:
• The book’s approach is highly academic in nature, with reasonable conclusions and data to back up those findings.
• There is a section that highlights, through anecdotes, the lessons learned by property oversight or project teams while they were implementing environmentally sustainable design, construction, and operations programs. This section alone is worth the book’s price.
• The book addresses the cost premium involved in building or operating a green hotel. It also addresses the specific cost-saving benefits from implementing certain processes, products or technologies.
• Each case study provides a list of the team involved in the project and how to contact them. Each case study also goes into extensive detail about the steps each property has taken to reduce resource consumption and waste—something you will not find in any lodging industry magazine because of space restrictions.
• A significant amount of attention is given to indoor air quality and how each property is working to ensure this through proper selection of construction materials, cleaning products, implementation of smoking bans, etc.
• The book includes actual comments from guests who have stayed at the mentioned properties. Here is one example from a guest who stayed at the Orchard Garden Hotel: “I am pro eco-friendly and it made me very happy to find an eco-friendly hotel. I will stay at this hotel every time I come to the city now. Thank you.”
• Each case study concludes with best practices one can take away and implement. A “Walking Tour” of each property is also provided—with photographs.
What impresses me most about this project is the fact that it was initiated by students, the future leaders of our industry. The book should be viewed as a starting point for future studies—snapshots, if you will—of our industry’s march toward sustainability. Click here to learn how to purchase the book.
Looking for Green Team All Stars
Green Lodging News frequently profiles individuals on its home page in its Personnel Profile section. We are always looking for suggestions for people to feature. The person could be the leader of a green team, an environmental affairs director, the general manager of a leading green hotel or inn, etc. To suggest someone for this section, write to editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
GLN Welcomes Alliance Laundry Systems, Dyson as Advertising Partners
Green Lodging News welcomes Alliance Laundry Systems LLC and Dyson as advertising partners. Alliance’s washer-extractors, commercial dryers and flatwork ironers boast features to help any laundry reduce its operating expenses. By offering sophisticated washer programming features, the biggest opportunity for controlling water consumption, UniMac equipment can reduce both water and energy consumption. Thanks to fast extract speeds, UniMac washer-extractors can reduce drying time. For additional information, call (800) 587-5458, e-mail sales@alliancels.com, or click here.
Dyson’s Airblade hand dryer wipes hands dry with a 400 mph sheet of air in just 12 seconds. It removes 99.9 percent of bacteria from the air used to dry hands. The Airblade contributes to LEED accreditation and is the recipient of the Green Excellence Award for North American hand dryers. When compared to paper towels, the Dyson Airblade offers operating cost savings of nearly 98 percent. It uses up to 80 percent less energy than other hand dryers. For additional information, call (800) DYSON-AB, e-mail airbladeinfo@dyson.com, or go to www.dysonairblade.com.
Green Lodging News Advertising
If you are a supplier selling green products, be sure to call me at (440) 243-2055 to discuss your advertising plans for the remainder of 2009. Several premium spots are currently available, including the top banner position on the website. A 2009 media kit is now available by request or by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Green Lodging News Blog
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.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
