With plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicle sales on the rise, the mantra “if you build it, they will come” is quickly becoming a reality for hospitality managers as guests search for overnight EV charging as an amenity option. A TripAdvisor review headline tells the story: “The Electric Vehicle Charger is Why We Chose This Hotel”—December 2013. This is supported by a recent survey conducted by Morpace, which found that plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) drivers actively seek out and frequent establishments that offer charging using mobile apps to locate charging stations. In fact, 94 percent of survey respondents have chosen...

Considered the largest sector of the travel and tourism industry, the hotel business will be increasingly challenged in its effort to keep up with demand without causing damage to the environment. There are various challenges that the hospitality sector faces with regards to green initiatives, including rapid growth in the travel industry, transient occupants, and long hours of operation. Nevertheless, strong efforts have been made throughout the industry to realize the environmental and financial benefits of upgrading existing buildings to improve energy efficiency, reduce water consumption, and improve the quality of the space in terms of air, noise and...

Operating around the clock, whether there are only two guests or 200, hotels consume tremendous amounts of energy. For a full service hotel in the United States energy costs are usually between 4 and 6 percent of revenue. International properties, historic hotels and luxury resorts can see energy costs hit 10 percent or more—so it’s not surprising that sustainability efforts in the hospitality industry are usually focused on energy efficiency measures first. Leading hospitality brands and smaller boutique hotels are both pioneering the charge to go green, incorporating conservation and efficiency measures into all operations. Nearly all hotel brands, from...

Advanced controls. Remote monitoring. Automatic warning e-mails and maintenance reminders. Innovations including spray rinse and over-dry prevention. Welcome to the future of on-premises laundries (OPLs) in the digital age. The advancements in technology, and the way in which on-premises laundry facilities operate, have changed significantly during the last 20 years, even the past year. With these technology innovations and advancements, the laundry industry has responded to a more sophisticated OPL and tech-savvy laundry manager. In return, managers are experiencing reduced costs, increased efficiencies and throughput and extended linen life. Advanced Controls Today’s OPL manager is looking for unprecedented control of his or...

The spa culture is based upon a paradigm of luxury. Traditional spas often reference the Roman baths, for instance, where excess and decadence were the standard. A more modern approach references Asian practice, including Shirodara and Ayurvedic treatments, but in these settings as well, luxury is expressed in an abundance plush and thirsty robes and towels, heat and steam features and other amenities which require substantial energy/fuel, water and labor to sustain. “Greening” a hotel spa therefore requires redefining the client’s sense of luxury. The key to creating a client experience which is unmistakably deluxe, yet ecologically conscious, is to...

Going green through reduction or elimination of thousands of pounds of unnecessary everyday waste created throughout the lodging industry has become a hot topic over the last couple of years. One of the largest waste producers for a hotel are the millions of amenity bottles and bar soaps that are used once and thrown away every day. Imagine the sheer amount of waste with three bottles and two soaps from every room being thrown away. A 180 room hotel will throw away about 9,700 pounds every year—less than 40 percent used. It has been estimated that in the United States...

In our 60+ year history, we have never encountered a client that was not interested in energy cost savings. As architects, we believe in directing our energies toward an environmental architecture, born of human needs and responding to vital physical, social and economic circumstances. While sustainability has become an industry buzzword, we have always embraced it as a responsibility. A healthy environment is intrinsically valuable and essential to a healthy society. Through the design of the built environment, we have the opportunity to positively impact the natural environment and enhance the quality of human life. Furthermore, because our firm’s founder,...

What is the first thought some decision-makers have when approached about a green initiative or product for their hotel or restaurant? Higher costs of course. Every so often though, green initiatives or products turn out to be great for the bottom line because they are replacing older or more inefficient products or services. Phasing out traditional bottled water in favor of a greener alternative happens to be one of those instances when a restaurant or hotel can become more sustainable and increase their profits at the same time. Traditional bottled water is costly for exactly the same reasons it is...

Any new endeavor requires an element of change. And as we all know, change is hard. Even positive change is hard. But change is also a vital part of development, productivity, and—let’s face it—survival. As Andrew Carnegie once said, “Anything in life worth having is worth working for.” Businesses that lack the ability to adapt and grow will stagnate and decline. On an optimistic note, the changes we make do get easier (i.e. more natural) the more we practice doing them. It may not be easy, at first, to be green, but that fact in itself adds substance to...

I am a college student who worked for Xanterra Parks & Resorts at Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 2013. I was a room attendant for their housekeeping department—you know, the person who you ask for more towels or an extra roll of toilet paper? My fellow employees and I were all trained with a lecture by Dylan Hoffman, Director of Sustainability, on Xanterra’s green practices. In spite of this, during my day-to-day work I didn’t think too much about whether or not the procedures I followed were green—and if they were, why? Then, in January 2014, I came...