Over the years I have written about the many upsides to certification, whether focusing on building design, operations, wellness, etc. Any worthwhile hotel certification program incorporates continuous improvement, or levels of achievement. Think about LEED with its Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels. Or Green Key Global, with its 1 to 5 Green Keys. These voluntary programs have both experienced a high level of success and Green Key Global is bound for even greater adoption thanks to the recently announced joint venture company that will own it.
Some properties have gone so far as achieving multiple certifications—Hotel Marcel being one example with its LEED Platinum certification and recently announced Passive House certification. Behind every voluntary certification there are persons driven to get the property certified—folks who understand the value of certification.
Each major brand, in its own way, is supporting the idea of certification, monitoring the environmental progress of its franchisees, providing guidance, and offering a library of best practices to access. Choice Hotels, through its Room to be Green certification program, offers three levels of certification. U.S. hotels are expected to complete Level 1. Many hotels have gone a step farther and achieved either Level 2 or Level 3 certification.
Wyndham Green Certification
I spoke with Rishi Shah, Senior Director, Sustainability for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts recently and he explained Wyndham’s internal Wyndham Green Certification to me. There are five progressive levels, with five to seven elements per level that address goals including energy and water conservation, waste diversion, and operational efficiency, as well as guest, team member, and franchisee education and engagement. All properties are required to at least be at Level 1.
Shah says the first three levels include low-cost initiatives but at Level 5, more substantial investments are made—renewable energy systems, for example. There are about 10 properties at Level Five.
“Wyndham Green Certification, rolled out just before the pandemic, was developed to show our hotels how to reduce costs through efficiency,” Shah says. “It is a practical guide to make sustainability easy and achievable. We are very focused on providing value to our owners—a roadmap for them.”
Moving forward, Shah says one of his main goals is to get more and more hotels certified and those at Level 1 to Level 2.
Marriott Has 2025 Goal for 100 Percent Certification
Marriott says 100 percent of its hotels will have a sustainability certification by 2025. As part of its 2030 goals, Hilton is aiming to align with global environmental certifications that require third-party verification.
There is no way around it, certification is another layer of work for your company or property, whether pursuing a third-party, voluntary certification or one internal to your own company. It is great to see companies like Choice and Wyndham, which together represent 16,000 properties, organizing their own internal certification programs. I also applaud Marriott, Hilton and every other company that has made certification a priority.
Certification programs provide a path to continuous improvement, less environmental impact, lower operational costs, marketing advantages, as well as numerous other upsides including pride of accomplishment among managers and associates.
For years I have watched many certification programs kind of stumble along—not growing, with LEED being the exception. It is great to see this changing.
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 (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.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 (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
Get in the Green Suppliers Spotlight!
Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, publishes Green Suppliers Spotlight, an e-blast to 19,680 subscribers that features the lodging industry’s leading green products and services. The e-blast features multiple vendors—unlike the current Green Supplier Spotlight that allows one supplier to “own” the Green Lodging News subscriber list for one e-blast. (Click here for a Green Suppliers Spotlight sample.)
Green Suppliers Spotlight is published weekly on Thursdays to general managers, owners, management companies, directors of sustainability, directors of engineering, facilities managers and many others who are either in purchasing positions or who influence purchasing decisions. Suppliers of green products and services throughout North America and beyond are invited to participate in the e-blast. (Minimum two suppliers per e-blast.) Green Suppliers Spotlight was created to give vendors an opportunity to reach a high number of industry purchasers at a very low cost—as low as $135 per e-mail. (Click here for rate sheet.)
Those advertising in Green Suppliers Spotlight can include up to 100 words, one image, contact information and multiple links to their website in their ad. At the end of each week, a report will be sent to each supplier with information on delivered e-mails, opens and click-throughs.
Planning Advertising for 2023 or 2024?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2023 and 2024. Many excellent spots are available on our website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier and Green Suppliers Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2023 or 2024 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation
The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlight currently stands at 19,680. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There are “subscribe” links on the Green Lodging News home page. You may also e-mail greenlodgingnews@gmail.com to be added to our list.
Green Lodging News & Social Media
Green Lodging News now has 1,720 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 more than 1,300 Facebook followers.
As always, I can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
