DENVER—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) recently honored the winners of the AH&LA Achievement Awards, part of the Stars of the Industry Awards breakfast, held during the AH&LA Summer Summit at The Brown Palace Hotel and sponsored by U.S. Foodservice. The awards, created in 1966, recognize individual hotel properties that have developed outstanding public relations campaigns. Among the categories is Good Earthkeeping.
The Onyx Hotel in Boston won the Good Earthkeeping award, small property category, for its integrated approach to sustainable lodging practices. The hotel demonstrates a strong commitment to purchasing eco-friendly products and amenities, as well as innovative recycling methods.
The Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn., and The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Mass., were winners of the Good Earthkeeping award in the large property category.
The extensive efforts of Gaylord Opryland’s Energy Conservation Committee have resulted in dramatic reductions in energy and water use. The resort includes an onsite energy center, which uses clean-burning natural gas to generate electricity for the complex, and a well-water filtration system provides water for laundry, the Delta River, and other non-domestic uses. In addition, the pest control department uses biologically friendly methods, such as the use of predacious insects to keep the pest population to a minimum without pesticides.
The Charles Hotel in Harvard Square incorporates environmental practices systemwide, most notably in the kitchen. The hotel’s chef supports local farmers and fishermen by only purchasing products that he hand-selects from local purveyors. The hotel distributes “Know Your Farmer” baseball-type carts to promote the practice of buying local. In addition, The Charles Hotel sorts kitchen trash for biodegradable and compostable waste, which is sent to a local compost service.
Many of AH&LA’s partner state associations choose their own property award winners, which are submitted to the association for national judging. Making the decisions in this year’s competition were Phil Hayward, editor, “Lodging” magazine; Ginger Croce, director of communications, American Bus Assn.; and Allen Kay, manager of industry relations, Travel Industry Assn. of America.
Contact Enica R. Thompson for more information.
