The events calendar for 2013 is filling up. Be sure to keep checking our Events page for updates throughout the year. Last year was the first year in a long time without a national or regional green lodging conference. (On a more local level, the Greater Boston Energy Efficient Hotels Conference was held in December and was successful.) I have been told that there are tentative plans to hold a green lodging conference in central Florida sometime this fall. I will provide more details when I have them.The first big event this year is the Americas Lodging Investment Summit...

I have always been a fan of Superman. It goes way back to when I was a child collecting comic books. (Interestingly, my office is located just a few miles from the home where Superman was first created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.) Every boy wants to be Superman at one time or another. Who wouldn’t want to have x-ray vision?In an article this week, I explore how an infrared camera can be beneficial to your property. While not exactly providing x-ray capabilities, an infrared camera can reveal valuable information unseen by the naked eye. Thank you to...

The calendar this year dictates the writing of this column in the midst of the holidays. I would like to take a moment to wish all of you a very happy and safe holiday season this year. Thank you to everyone for supporting Green Lodging News in 2012. It has been much appreciated!Looking back at 2012, it has once again been a very fascinating year in green lodging with new properties opening, a steady flow of hotels being green certified, an increasing number of companies measuring and reporting on their sustainability progress, a wide array of new green products...

The Super 8 Ukiah in Ukiah, Calif., is strong proof that you don’t need a wind turbine, solar panels or some other expensive investment in sustainability to create a lot—and I mean a lot—of green buzz about your property. (How many of you have properties with Facebook pages that come anywhere near 41,273 “Likes?”)  Over the past several years I have frequently seen mentions about the two-story, 54-room hotel. This past week I had a chance to chat with its owner, Raakesh Patel, to gain an understanding of what sets his hotel apart from others. What it really comes...

Since launching Green Lodging News more than six years ago, I have closely followed the activities of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) as they relate to green lodging. While the AH&LA and I have not always agreed on everything, I have had a true, professional respect for the sustainability-related work of the organization. Through Pat Maher, the AH&LA’s “Green Guru,” AH&LA has worked hard to have a seat at the table of every important sustainability-related discussion.Ideally, AH&LA should have a full-time person dedicated to sustainability. That not currently being the case, it relies heavily on Pat as...

It is certainly one of the most unique and impactful ways I have heard of to convey a company’s diversity and inclusion, sustainability, community and engagement, and philanthropic message. What I am referring to is “Inspiring Our World,” a musical performance that will be put on by 70 MGM Resorts International employees from December 16 to 18 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. A total of 45,278 MGM Resorts International employees will see one of the nine scheduled 90-minute performances. Perhaps something like this could only happen in Las Vegas?I spoke with Patty Coaley, the originator...

When the history of green lodging is written, a chapter should be set aside for the Ramada Vineland in Vineland, N.J. Last month the two-story, 102-room hotel did what few lodging establishments have done—generate more electricity than needed. It may be the first time a property the size of the Ramada has done this. The hotel’s electricity bill for the month? Zero dollars. Congratulations to John Scipione, owner of the hotel with his family, for reaching the “net zero” goal he set two years ago.I first wrote about the Ramada Vineland in July 2011. What is unique about it...

I attended the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS), Boutique Design New York (BDNY), and Hospitality Leadership Forum last weekend in New York City. New York City was a bit more of a challenge to navigate this year. The gas station located near my hotel kept running out of gas and it seemed like taxis were more difficult to find. Many exhibitors’ booth exhibits were damaged prior to the show because of flooding in the warehouse where booth materials were stored. Thank Hurricane Sandy for that. Because of the storm and other factors, the number of exhibitors at...

It has got to be the most significant commitment to mattress and box springs recycling that our industry has ever seen. I am referring to Hilton Worldwide’s recent commitment and goal to recycle 85 percent of the mattresses and box springs that exit its owned, managed and franchised properties. I spoke with Randy Gaines, vice president, engineering operations for the Americas at Hilton Worldwide, to get more details about the program.Randy told me that as new Serta mattresses and box springs are installed as part of a hotel renovation or scheduled replacement, the old mattresses and box springs will...

Green Lodging News has added Puerto Rico, a Commonwealth of the United States, to its list of state, city and region types of green lodging certification programs. In addition to Puerto Rico, that list now includes 27 states, five cities and two regions. The Puerto Rico Tourism Co. actually launched its Green Lodging Program a year ago but it is just now beginning to make headway in getting properties on board. After quite a stretch of not adding a new program, it is good to see our certifications list grow again.Puerto Rico Tourism Co. (PRTC) now has three properties...