SAINT CHARLES, MO.—Pineapple Hospitality, owner and operator of the EcoRooms & EcoSuites green lodging certification program, announced that the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) has accepted EcoRooms & EcoSuites as one of its recommended green certification programs. Pineapple also announced that its certification program has been approved as a resource for the ECO icon in AAA publications.
Green certification programs recommended by AH&LA help guide AH&LA members toward green certification programs that meet their diverse needs for developing an environmentally-friendly and sustainable hotel. AAA created the ECO icon to assist consumers who want to know if a property is making a special environmental effort, as part of their overall travel decision-making process.
EcoRooms & EcoSuites was designed with eight of the most stringent criteria to be truly considered a “green” hotel. Recently, EcoRooms & EcoSuites took the additional step to certify its members who pass a comprehensive audit performed by experts from either its board of advisors or EcoGreenHotel.
Program Continually Evolving
“Being recognized by both the AH&LA and AAA distinguishes the EcoRooms & EcoSuites certification program as a ‘go to’ resource for both hoteliers and consumers looking to verify how important the environment is to a property,” says Ray Burger, president of Pineapple Hospitality and founder of EcoRooms and EcoSuites. “At EcoRooms & EcoSuites, we’re always tried to take a leadership role in the greening of the hospitality industry through education, with a board of advisors made up of some of the ‘greenest’ minds in the industry, and by continually monitoring and updating our criteria for membership based on available technology.”
The eight EcoRooms & EcoSuites criteria for membership and certification include:
1. Green Seal certified or equivalent cleaning products are used in guestrooms.
2. Green Seal certified or equivalent paper products (facial and bathroom tissue) are used in guestrooms.
3. Bathrooms feature amenity dispensers or small, practical amenity sizes with guests encouraged to take the remainder of their bathroom amenities home or donate them to homeless shelters.
4. The hotel has implemented a linen and towel reuse program
5. Guests are provided separate and easily identified receptacles and/or bags in which to deposit recyclables. 6. Energy efficient lighting is in place in every applicable area.
7. High efficiency plumbing—1. 6 gallons per flush or less for toilets and 1.5 gallons per minute or less for sinks with water-efficient aerators.
8. One hundred percent smoke-free hotel.
“With so many different certification programs out there, EcoRooms & EcoSuites distinguishes itself through its strict criteria for membership and really focusing on the guestroom experience,” says Pat Maher, partner, The Maher Group, LLC, an organization that evaluates facilities, recommends eco-friendly products and procedures, conducts energy audits, and develops opportunities for cost savings.
AAA introduced the ECO icon to designate “green” hotels in 2009. A bright green “ECO” symbol identifies eco-friendly lodgings in the 2010 editions of the AAA TourBook guides. Additionally, travelers will be able to customize their hotel searches on AAA.com to show green properties first in their search results. AAA’s 26 TourBook guides include detailed information for more than 31,000 hotels.
The ECO icon is one of many used in the TourBook/AAA.com lodging listings as a tool to help members select their ideal accommodations. The symbols depict guest services, leisure activities, in-room amenities and safety features that members say impact their hotel selection and satisfaction.
Pineapple Hospitality also just announced the two latest hotels to achieve EcoRooms & EcoSuites certification: The Residence Inn by Marriott Gainesville I-75, and the Holiday Inn & Suites—West Columbia.
“Both of these properties are shining examples of what it means to provide socially responsible travel accommodations,” Burger says. “Both are recently constructed properties that have embraced sustainability in every facet of their construction and operations. Their innovative ideas certainly not only meet EcoRooms & EcoSuites criteria, but they are helping push forward new ideas and new technologies that can be implemented throughout the industry—for both new and existing properties.”
Go to EcoRooms & EcoSuites.
