When professional athletes find themselves in the “hot seat” due to some unfortunate incident, commentators never fail to mention that the situation is even more disturbing because it will have a negative impact on children and other sports fans. In fact, today more than ever, professional athletes are powerful celebrities, and what they say and do—good or bad—are widely reported. Of course, just as negative news about or by a professional sports leader can have widespread ramifications, so can positive actions. Consider, for instance, if American basketball star Kobe Bryant were to speak out about making a personal commitment to...

The evolution of LED lighting has been impressively swift. Just a few years ago, LEDs were being discounted in hotel guestrooms due to the harsh light and high price point. These small semiconductor chips that efficiently convert electricity into light were fine for always-on lobby lighting, but too expensive and unattractive for in-room placement. My, how times have changed. Prices are plummeting, education is rising and ambience is in the forefront of manufacturer’s minds. And while LEDs are still more expensive up front than the other options, the long term energy savings combined with long life and low maintenance make...

If you frequent Green Lodging News, you are likely someone who appreciates innovative best practices that not only have curb appeal, but also have a real opportunity to occur. The trend in urban beekeeping within the hotel industry might just be slated for that kind of trajectory. Over the past two to three years, we have seen an increase in articles highlighting hotel beekeeping as a growing trend among popular brands, such as Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Mandarin Oriental and InterContinental to name a few. This trend continues to gain popularity among hoteliers as I have seen myself in...

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,...