LAS VEGAS—The Green Key Eco-Rating Program, the largest international program evaluating sustainable hotel operations, has awarded 12 MGM Resorts International properties a distinguished Green Key designation for green business operations. The resorts are the first in Nevada and Michigan to receive Green Key ratings, which are designed specifically for evaluating commitment to sustainable green operations in the hospitality industry. Green Key has more than 1,400 member hotels.
Green Key evaluates hotels on a scale of one to five Keys, with five Keys being the highest ranking. Results are based on a comprehensive evaluation of the hotel’s sustainability efforts. Green Key member properties are listed at www.greenkeyglobal.com, a resource for environmentally conscious travelers. Green Key rankings are recognized by major travel services including AAA, Travelocity and Expedia.
“This is the first time that our operations have been placed under this kind of microscope and the first time that our company’s everyday commitment to green practices have been formally validated,” said Cindy Ortega, senior vice president of energy and environmental services for MGM Resorts International. “We see this rating as quite an accomplishment, as it acknowledges our company’s commitment to sustainability, while allowing guests the ability to let environmental stewardship play a role in selecting a hotel when they travel. Ratings like Green Key offer real confidence in those choices.”
CityCenter Hotels Earn 5 Keys
The MGM Resorts International properties earning “5 Keys” are ARIA and Vdara at CityCenter. “4 Keys” designations went to: Bellagio, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand Las Vegas, The Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York-New York and MGM Grand Detroit. Circus Circus Las Vegas earned a “3 Keys” designation.
“The leadership of MGM Resorts has seriously embraced the responsibility of reducing their properties’ environmental impact, and demonstrated from top to bottom a genuine commitment to sustainability practices,” says Zachary Conen, spokesman for the Green Key Eco-Rating Program in the United States. “We are exceedingly impressed with the consistency of these efforts, considering the size and scope of the operations within each of these resorts.”
Following the philosophy of Conserve Today, Protect Tomorrow, MGM Resorts’ approach to sustainability focuses on five goals: natural resources conservation, sustainable construction and renovation, waste management, sustainable procurement, and communication and education. This strategic framework of raising environmental awareness and promoting sustainability forms the platform from which MGM Resorts is fundamentally changing the way its properties do business.
Waste Reduction Efforts Pay Off
Through its efforts in 2009, MGM Resorts’ properties diverted more than 20,000 tons of material from landfills. Content ranged from thousands of wine corks, to hundreds of gallons of hydraulic oil used by the high-tech, revolving stage in the MGM Grand’s KÀ Theater. The company also makes significant contributions in more mainstream recycling efforts and represents about 21 percent of the glass recycled in Clark County, Nevada.
Other recent initiatives at MGM Resorts International include retrofitting lighting with energy-saving fixtures, implementation of variable frequency drives which conserve energy, upgrading boilers to more efficient models, landscaping with drought-tolerant plants and installing water-saving, low-flow plumbing fixtures.
MGM Resorts’ newest property, CityCenter, is a global showcase of urban design and human sustainability. As a part of this development, ARIA and Vdara were each awarded LEED Gold certification for sustainable design and construction from the U.S. Green Building Council. The properties have extended this level of commitment into operations, as evidenced by the receipt of a “5 Keys” designation, a certification level achieved by only about 1 percent of all hotels rated by Green Key. ARIA and Vdara offer a full complement of sustainable options for meeting and convention planners, feature the world’s first fleet of guest limousines powered by efficient compressed natural gas (CNG), include the liberal use of organic foods on restaurant menus, and deploy a host of other sustainable business practices.
Upon completion of the Green Key audit, the property is awarded a Key ranking, as well as a comprehensive performance report that includes recommendations, best practices and potential areas for improvement and savings.
Go to MGM Resorts.
