I am fortunate to be the first media person to have access to the results of the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2010 Lodging Survey, our industry’s most comprehensive survey and the one including the most participants. The survey is conducted every two years and is funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation and prepared by Smith Travel Research. A total of 48,954 hotels were polled. The response rate was 18 percent (more than 8,500 participants). Only properties with more than 15 rooms were surveyed. The survey touched on many green topics. My article on the survey summarizes its green findings.
Survey results certainly support the case that our industry is becoming more interested in green operations and certification as time marches on. There were some results that surprised me, a few of the questions in the survey baffled me by their presence, and some of the questions asked were just not specific enough in how they were worded. This produced results, in some cases, that were too general to be of much value. As a whole, however, the survey did a great job touching on areas of operations that are of most interest and I highly recommend getting a copy of the results if you can.
What results surprised me? According to the survey, 38 percent of responding hotels now offer allergy-free rooms. Survey recipients were simply asked, “Does your property have allergy-free rooms?” The problem here is that “allergy-free rooms” was not defined. What does it really mean to have an allergy-free room? How would you define it? I could not define it entirely but I know that such a room would have to have air filtration equipment, use pillow and mattress encasements, be cleaned with green cleaning products, have a chlorine filter in the showerhead, etc. I question whether or not the 38 percent of responding hotels really have these.
Soap Dispensers Surprise
Also surprising in the results is the sharp drop in the number of properties using liquid soap dispensers in the bathroom. In 2006 the number was 6 percent of respondents. In 2008 that jumped to 22 percent. This year it is back down to 6 percent. Was 2008 just a statistical fluke? I suspect the percentage is really closer to the 6 percent but I certainly expected there to be some increase from four years ago.
Linen and towel reuse programs are now common in almost 90 percent of hotels according to the survey—up from 52 percent of properties in 2004. Guests certainly expect to find these programs when they travel today.
For the first time, the survey’s creators asked whether a property has a digital energy management system. Since 2004, however, the survey has asked whether or not energy management sensors are used in the guestroom. I am a little baffled why the separate digital energy management question was needed in the survey. Perhaps the survey should just ask hoteliers whether or not they incorporate sensor-based energy management systems in the guestroom.
Some Still Not Offering Nonsmoking Rooms?
Survey recipients were asked whether or not they make 100 percent nonsmoking rooms available. Fortunately, that number has increased from 38 percent to 56 percent in the last two years. Could it be that 44 percent of respondents are still not offering 100 percent nonsmoking rooms? Yikes! Perhaps they misunderstood the question? Perhaps the better question to ask today would be: “Is your entire property 100 percent nonsmoking?” The results of that question would be much more interesting.
The green questions in the survey were just a small part of the overall survey. The results of the other questions will also interest you. For example, did you know that fewer hotels are offering guests free parking? Or that the number of hotels with on-site ATMs is now at 42 percent?
AH&LA members can download a copy of the 2010 Lodging Survey via the Members Only section of the AH&LA website, www.ahla.com. Individual data points are available for sale from the AH&LA Information Center at (888) 743-2515.
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Several new advertising spots have opened up on the Green Lodging News website—two skyscraper ad spots on the right hand side of the site, the home page bottom banner ad spot, and the Featured Product ad spot in the lower center area of the home page. Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com if you are interested in these ad spots. There are also other excellent spots available on the website and in the weekly e-newsletter. The 2010 media kit is available by request or by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
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