As published in Green Lodging News in October, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued revised “Green Guides” that are designed to help marketers ensure that the claims they make about the environmental attributes of their products are truthful and non-deceptive. The guides apply not only to products such as amenities but also to companies that own and/or operate green lodging establishments. I strongly encourage you to make yourselves aware of the content of the Green Guides and continue to follow their progress and enforcement.This past week I learned that the FTC approved a final order settling charges that The...

What do the Green Guacamole Margarita, Stories of the Cosmos, Go Green by the Shore, and Wine Cave movie screening have in common? They are among the special features being offered by lodging establishments in celebration of Earth Hour on March 23 at 8:30 p.m. and Earth Day on April 22. How will your property mark these two events?The Green Guacamole Margarita will be offered during Earth Hour at La Hacienda at the Fairmont Scottsdale (Ariz.) Princess. That evening guests will arrive at the front drive, which will be lined with luminaries, before being welcomed into a candlelit lobby....

It could end up being one of the biggest pieces of news to ever impact green lodging. What I am referring to is TripAdvisor’s announcement this past week that it will soon launch a GreenLeaders program on its website that will recognize U.S.-based hotels and B&B accommodations for their green practices. Once launched, travelers will be able to comment on and even critique green steps properties are taking (just as they can comment on their accommodation experiences today). I strongly recommend that you read the article posted on the Green Lodging News site and then click through to the...

If it is hot enough to fry an egg on your rooftop during the summer or any other time of the year, maybe it is time to do something about your rooftop. While I do not touch on every type of cool roof technology in my article posted on the Green Lodging News website this past week, I do focus on white roofs and their numerous environmental benefits. Did you know that a roof covered with solar-reflective white paint reflects up to 90 percent of sunlight as opposed to the 20 percent reflected by a traditional black roof? Or...

At first glance I thought it was a walk-in cooler. I quickly realized it was really a grow room for vegetables, flowers and herbs. What a great idea for chefs interested in using fresh ingredients in the kitchen. The grow room from Eden Grow Rooms was just one of the cool products I came across while walking The NAFEM trade show floor in Orlando. The event was held February 7 to 9 at the Orange County Convention Center. In my NAFEM Show wrap-up article I highlight many of the latest products that can help you save energy, water and...

As mentioned in my previous column, last week was a busy one for me with a trip to Orlando for The NAFEM Show (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers) with stops at the headquarters for Clean the World (the nonprofit that collects new and partially used soap, shampoo, etc. for processing and distribution) and a visit with Dina Belon-Sayre, energy specialist at The Peabody Orlando. Be sure to watch Green Lodging News this week for coverage of The NAFEM Show and my visit to The Peabody Orlando.I have already posted an article summarizing the latest news from Clean...

This week will be a busy one for me with a visit to Orlando to attend The NAFEM Show at the Orange County Convention Center. For those of you not familiar with the event, it is produced by the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers and will include more than 500 exhibitors displaying items ranging from grease traps to ice makers to ovens.I will be walking the aisles of the show looking for new ways to save energy and water in the kitchen. Waste management will also be my focus. Be sure to watch the Green Lodging News...

I recently contacted 30 suppliers of green amenities and asked them to send me a summary of what new and “hot” products they will be making available to the lodging industry in 2013. Eleven companies responded to my query and I put together the collection of responses into an article posted on the Green Lodging News website this past week. While in a perfect green world all properties would be using dispensers to dispense soap, shampoo and conditioner, reality is that just is not going to happen any time soon. (According to the 2012 Lodging Survey, only 6 percent...

It is our industry’s largest collaboration on one cause since the launch of Clean the World. What I am referring to is WHOLE WORLD Water, which was announced through many media outlets this past week. Set to officially launch on World Water Day, March 22, 2013, WHOLE WORLD Water is an effort to raise funds to improve access to safe and clean water for approximately 1 billion people.WHOLE WORLD Water co-founders Karena Albers and Jenifer Willig believe the hospitality industry should be able to raise $1 billion each year for the WHOLE WORLD Water Fund. How? The business model...

There’s been a lot of talk over the years about guestroom cleanliness—in the media especially and most recently in the media in Canada. For a reporter, it seems like doing an exposé on poor hygiene in hotels is as easy as shooting fish in a barrel.Last year, Best Western introduced its “I Care Clean” program that utilizes UV wands and black lights to ensure guestroom cleanliness. I wrote about that program in a previous column. Best Western’s approach is just one example of a brand being big-time proactive about hygiene.This past week I posted an article about the use...