Home Publisher's Point of View TripAdvisor Uses Earth Day to Officially Launch GreenLeaders Program

TripAdvisor Uses Earth Day to Officially Launch GreenLeaders Program

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A number of companies made big announcements this past week—appropriate given that April 22 was Earth Day. You can read about the announcements on the Green Lodging News website in the News & Features section. The biggest announcement, however, was the official launch of TripAdvisor’s GreenLeaders program. It was just a little less than two months ago that TripAdvisor advised our industry that it would soon launch its green accommodation recognition program.

“We were really pleased to launch on Earth Day,” said Jenny Rushmore, director of responsible travel at TripAdvisor. “We have had a great response from hotels.”

Already, more than 1,000 lodging establishments have received recognition in the program that enables them to reach one of four levels on the TripAdvisor website—Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. Accommodations that do not meet the requirements for GreenLeaders, but do have TripAdvisor’s seven minimum green practices in place, are awarded TripAdvisor GreenPartner status.

Almost immediately after the official launch of GreenLeaders, I began receiving press releases from properties and companies that have earned GreenLeaders status. MGM Resorts International, for example, already has 12 properties that fall into one of the four levels. Participating in GreenLeaders is certainly a great way to gain additional exposure for your property—through press releases, social media, etc.

Most Participants Are Independents

Jenny told me that of the approximately 1,000 recognized properties, 60 percent are independents and 40 percent represent a chain. Ten percent have achieved Platinum, 20 percent have achieved Gold, 25 percent have achieved Silver, 30 percent have achieved Bronze, and 15 percent have achieved GreenPartner status. The cities with the most represented so far: New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, and Austin, Texas. The states with the most represented so far: California, Florida, New York, Texas, and Maine. All of the above numbers and lists are subject to change as the program grows.

“We expect the program will get a lot bigger in the coming months,” Jenny said. “Response has been overwhelmingly positive. There has been a desire in the industry for a long time to make green hotels more prominent.”

Please be sure to search on the Green Lodging News site for previous articles about GreenLeaders. Also be sure to visit the TripAdvisor site to view examples of hotels that have reached GreenLeaders levels. You may want to start with this page. If interested in registering for the program, click here.

GreenLeaders is currently for U.S. hotels only; it will be expanded outside of the United States later this year. Unique to GreenLeaders will be travelers’ ability to comment on the green practices a property says it has. Jenny told me these types of comments eventually will be published—just not quite yet.

Be sure to keep me updated on your experience with GreenLeaders. I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com or by phone at (216) 848-1406.

Green Lodging News Adds Onity Case Study to Website

Green Lodging News, has added an Onity case study to its Vendor Case Studies section. The case study details how the Carolina Grande Resort in the heart of Myrtle Beach, S.C., is saving an average of $1,300 dollars a month in HVAC costs and meeting customer needs since installing an Onity SensorStat DDC Thermostat system.

In 2008 the resort installed Onity’sSensorStat DDC Thermostat, combined with online energy management software from Control Green to monitor and manage all 118 of the units on the property. Almost immediately, the resort realized positive results in energy cost savings. Five years of data confirm the savings have been substantial—between 14 and 20 percent per year, depending upon occupancy rates.

Custom Energy Solutions, an Onity Energy Management Dealer, installed the system that uses passive infrared (PIR) technology for HVAC setback controls and Control Green software. Guests can manually adjust the heat or air-conditioning while in the room; when the motion sensors detect the room is vacated, the thermostat returns to the property’s desired set back level. The sensors also detect when a patio door remains open. After 20 seconds, the air-conditioning will automatically shut off. To read the entire case study, click here.

For more information on Onity, call (866) 866-6489, e-mail steve.lyons@onity.com, or go to www.onity.com for more information. 

Who is Your Sustainability Champion?

Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (216) 848-1406, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Looking for Guest Columnists

Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (216) 848-1406, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Planning Advertising for 2013?

Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2013. Many excellent spots are available on the website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2013 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (216) 848-1406, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. A media kit can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.

Social Networking Sites

Green Lodging News now has 1,322 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 415 Facebook followers.

As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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