It was more than a year ago that I first wrote about the Greenstay Hotel & Suites brand. (Click here for that column.) I was interested in the property because it was the first time that I was aware of that a developer had actually used the word “green” in a new green hotel brand—one that had the potential to be franchised or expanded. At the time I wrote the column, the general manager (now no longer at the property) told me that Elliott Lodging, LLC, the hotel’s management company and developer, had already received queries from others interested in developing Greenstay properties. I recently spoke with Gordon Elliott, owner of Elliott Lodging, to get an update on Greenstay’s status.
Elliott told me that after converting to Greenstay from the previous Hampton Inn East name, business dropped significantly. This was primarily due to leaving Hilton and disconnecting from its reservation system. Of course it did not help that the economy was still in the middle of a recession. There is good news today, however. “We are up 50 percent over last year and we are still going strong,” Gordon Elliott said. “Many of our customers are from area universities or are people concerned about sustainability.”
Elliott is still waiting for the right opportunity to expand Greenstay. He is keeping watch for properties similar to the one his company converted. Plus, he says, “We are still perfecting Greenstay.”
Looking for More Ways to Go Green
The Greenstay in Springfield, Mo., is in the process of expanding its green initiatives. The 100 percent nonsmoking property has a salt water pool, uses eco-friendly cleaning products, is developing a walking track outside of the hotel, is looking into purchasing wind power, purchases compostable cups and plates for the breakfast area, turns utilities off when a room is vacant, and has dual flush toilets in all guestrooms. “The dual flush toilets have had a huge impact,” Elliott says. “The volume of water used per guestroom dropped from 150 gallons a day to 50. Less water means lower sewage costs.”
Elliott, who added that the hotel has hosted a conference on sustainability, said what has surprised him most about Greenstay is the way the public has accepted it. “There are so many types of people that support this type of thing,” he says. “We are just ordinary people doing our part.”
As mentioned in my original column on Greenstay, the hotel may not be the greenest one I have written about but I give Elliott Lodging a lot of credit for being willing to break new ground when it comes to branding a green property. Few companies have had similar gumption so far.
GLN Adds BioHitech, Reflect and Glow Products as Directory Partners
Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes BioHitech America and Reflect and Glow Products as Green Product & Service Directory partners. BioHitech America distributes a machine that eliminates food waste at the point of generation, diverting the waste from state landfills. The GOHBio 1001 uses microbe technology to break down large volumes of food waste in less than 24 hours in a stainless steel waste decomposition machine, returning the effluent to the ecosystem as water. The GOHBio 1001 contributes to a reduction in truck traffic, air pollution, and labor (transportation of food waste from kitchen to dock). Trash and recycling containers also stay cleaner. For more information, e-mail lgiovannielli@biohitech.com, call (201) 934-6200, or go to www.biohitech.com.
Find-A-Light from Reflect and Glow Products helps guests find the light switch at night without leaving a light on and wasting electricity. With exposure to day light or electric lights the advanced technology of this material provides a super bright glow. Find-A-Light products come in different styles and are available for both rocker and toggle type switch plates. They are easy to install. Simply use the existing screws on the wallplate to fasten Find-A-Light. For more information, e-mail reflectandglow@sbcglobal.net, or call (860) 872-2292.
See You in New York?
I will be attending the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show in New York City. The event will be held from November 13 to 16 at the Javits Center. If you plan to attend or exhibit at the show, be sure to let me know. Approximately 700 exhibitors and 30,000 attendees are expected.
Off the show floor, seminars will address everything from adapting to new consumer attitudes and online customer interaction, to powering up profits and developing winning sales strategies. Be sure to catch “Green Certified Demystified” on Sunday, November 14, 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., featuring AH&LA green consultant Pat Maher. This program will address the process and criteria for the top green certification programs, including LEED, Energy Star and Green Key Global.
For more information about the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show, click here.
Advertising Opportunities
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 weekly newsletter. 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 and 2011 media kits are available by request or by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Green Lodging News Blog & Twitter
Be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also now on Twitter. To follow my postings, go to http://twitter.com/greenlodging. Be sure to add Green Lodging News to those tweets that you follow. Green Lodging News now has 562 Twitter followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
