HOUSTON—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) announced the winners of the AH&LA Achievement Awards, part of the annual Stars of the Industry Awards, which honor stand-out initiatives at hotel properties. In a ceremony held during the AH&LA Summer Summit at the InterContinental Houston near the Galleria, these awards, which have been awarded annually since 1966, distinguish individual hotels that have developed outstanding programs, events, and campaigns. Winners were chosen in the categories of Good Earthkeeping, Community Service, and Diversity, among others.
Winning the Good Earthkeeping, Small Property, is the Bardessono Inn & Spa in Yountville, Calif. The Bardessono is California’s first and only LEED Platinum-certified hotel. They have developed a working model that shows a hotel can provide a fully luxurious guest experience and be green at the same time, and that environmental initiatives can be implemented in a practical, economic, and aesthetic manner. Woods throughout the hotel are milled from salvaged trees. Organic linens and cleaning supplies are standard. The restaurant primarily uses local producers. The Inn has designed rooms to get the maximum use of natural light for heating and cooling, and uses low volatile organic compounds for their finishes, glues, paints, and other products.
The winner of the Good Earthkeeping, Medium Property is The Ellis Hotel in Atlanta. This hotel has introduced a number of eco-responsible practices such as timed lighting systems, non- aerosol cleaning products, and a biodegradable room key, just to name a few. The Ellis has partnered with USA Green Communities and Clean the World to make a bigger impact with green products and services. They’ve been featured in many local write-ups and ads in recognition of their eco-friendly initiatives.
Good Earthkeeping, Large Property
The winner in the category of Good Earthkeeping, Large Property is The Emory Conference Center Hotel in Atlanta. The staff of the Emory Conference Center takes pride in being responsible for the environmental impact on all aspects of their operations. The hotel opened in 1995 and sits on 26 acres of forest preserve. It is the only hotel in Georgia that has a single-stream recycling unit, which centralizes all recycling. Food waste is turned into gray water; waste oils are converted into bio-diesel and then used as fuel for transportation at Emory University; and they recycle more than 41 tons of waste annually. They are a member of the Green Hotel Assn. and actively participate in the Adopt-a-Stream program and Clean the World.
Winning the Community Service, Small Property, is the Ambassador Hotel Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla. The Ambassador team participates regularly in the United Way Day of Caring, Clean the World program, and local and national charities. This year they founded the Downtown Backpack for Kids in partnership with the Tulsa Food Bank, which holds fundraisers and encourages sponsorships to keep children fed when school meals are not available. For Turn Tulsa Pink, the Ambassador lit their exterior façade pink and lined the street with pink flamingos. The staff wore pink and all lobby flowers were a cheery pink; all to honor loved ones and bring hope and awareness. And for the 2011 St. Jude’s Dream Home, the hotel was a sponsor and helped in raising almost a million dollars to fight childhood cancer.
Winning the Community Service, Medium Property, is the Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle in Seattle. Pan Pacific was the first hotel in Seattle to partner with Clean the World, which sterilizes used bars of soap and sends them to communities in need. The Pan Pacific also started a program called PanEarth that honors all levels of socially responsible corporate citizenship. Time, talent, and creativity are used to develop events and fundraisers that include the internal and external community. Events are not only hosted to raise money for causes, but to bring awareness and draw in other benefactors. Pan Pacific strives to balance the external efforts between environmental and social initiatives.
Outstanding Community Service, Large Property
The winner of the Outstanding Community Service, Large Property, is the Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North in Scottsdale, Ariz. The hotel actively embraces the Golden Rule, and the company’s three core “Living Values”—supporting sustainability, building communities and advancing cancer research. In 2011, employees formed a Community Outreach Committee and volunteered more than 900 hours of their time to community improvement. One of the Committee’s main efforts is supporting the Valley of the Sun United Way, with an average contribution of $30,000 each year. Employees also support the American Cancer Society by participating in the Relay 4 Life walk. For the past two years, Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale was recognized as a “Platinum Achiever” for raising the most funds.
The winner for the category of Prism (for Diversity), Medium Property is The Four Seasons in Boston. Their Work-Life Balance and Work Environment teams are comprised of enthusiastic employees who work toward staff unity. Their activities include the Cross-Divisional Day Training Series, which was created to give staff a greater understanding and appreciation for other departments and individuals’ roles at the hotel. The goal is to showcase how important and integral each person and position is for the success of the hotel.
The winner for the Prism (for Diversity), Large Property, for the second year in a row, is the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa & Marina in Cambridge, Md. The resorts’ innovative programs aimed at diversity include an active partnership with The Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services. The resort presented a series of hospitality employment readiness classes on a range of topics, from business writing to professional guidelines. Participants were also given the opportunity to practice their interview skills with Hyatt managers and to apply for positions at the resort. Hyatt has a long standing relationship with the Dorchester county Board of Education’s Pathways to Independence program, which teaches life and job training skills to students with learning disabilities ages 18 to 21. Participants job shadow with different resort departments throughout the year to earn credits toward their diplomas. Additionally, the resort provides career guidance to disadvantaged youth in the Maryland Mentor Program.
Click here for more information.
