A bit of a controversy has emerged for hotel owners/managers who want to operate a green property but also use carpet extractors that heats water/cleaning solution when performing carpet extraction. This was not much of an issue until the mid-2000s.  But then, a major school district adopted a green cleaning program requiring that only cold water be used when performing cleaning tasks, including carpet cleaning. This was based on the conclusion that using cold water was healthier for the environment. This caused a bit of an uproar for many members of the professional cleaning industry as well as the carpet...

Marrying health and wellness with eco-friendly initiatives in a bicycle-lending program offers a two-prong approach to building loyalty with hotel guests. Ensuring that the progressive way to provide an active and environmentally sound way for travelers to explore diverse destinations meets with success, however, requires a few best practices to consider. A successful bicycle lending program will consist of (1) appropriate quality product (2) parking alternatives (3) service and maintenance considerations (4) a lending management process (5) global logistic capabilities and if your bicycle program source is really good (6) a money generating and additional loyalty building menu of ideas. 1.  ...

Innovation is what today’s destination shoppers need to form an allegiance with a brand. The hospitality industry’s bag of enticements to create guest loyalty must continue to evolve as the priorities of its guests change over time. Health and wellness and eco-friendly initiatives continue to influence marketplaces across disciplines and drive consumer’s buying habits. Specifically, adventure tourism, which focuses on “staying lean and green…and engaging in adventure activities,” is one of the hottest trends for 2011 and beyond. The popularity of green vacations, in all their incantations, is well documented and on the rise. More interesting is that travelers...

YOUNTVILLE, CALIF.—When Bardessono Hotel, Restaurant, and Spa was conceived, the vision was simple—to be the greenest and best luxury hotel in the world. Period. Clearly, this was not an easy undertaking. On February 2, 2009, at the absolute bottom (almost to the minute) of the lodging industry’s economy, Bardessono opened in Yountville in the heart of Napa Valley, California. This 62-room property was developed at a cost of more than $1 million per key, enabling it to quickly join Auberge, Calistoga Ranch, and Meadowood in the elite group of Napa Valley’s finest luxury hotels. Its differentiation was two-fold—its “greenness” and...

At one point, people living in 13th century England noticed something unusual when the bread they were buying from the local bakery simply did not taste the same. Oh, the price was right. In fact, in many cases the bread was even less expensive than it had been a few years earlier. But the taste and even the texture of the bread were different. Bakers, looking for a way to cut costs and compete with other bakers, were mixing “fillers” in with the flour dough. These fillers were typically ground beans and peas. They were safe, but they did...

Every year I spend a bit of time at our local AIA trade show. More often than not I’m just renewing friendships and saying hello to architects I’ve worked with over my 30 plus years as an interiorscaper.  However, a couple of years ago we featured three large photos, one of a green roof, one of a greenwall and one of green plants—and did we have action at our booth—everyone wanted to know about greenwalls! The photo was of a project we installed some 17 years ago. So while greenwalls aren’t exactly new, they are an idea whose time...

If I have learned anything after 20 years of managing engineering departments it is this: the most successful engineers thrive in an environment where their leadership has a thorough understanding and appreciation for what the hotel’s maintenance team does, and how its efforts contribute to the overall success of the property. Sounds obvious, right? But how often is this dynamic a reality? Perhaps more often, general managers’ priorities lay elsewhere, and when it comes to their engineering departments, their paradigm follows the mantra “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” So while their engineers likely welcome the sovereignty, it...

When many people think of hotels, they think of the big bed that will keep them comfortable while they’re on the road. But what happens when that bed wears out? The eco-minded consumer wants to know that their bed was disposed of in the most responsible manner possible. The good news for hoteliers is that mattress recycling locations are popping up all over the country. These companies take away old mattresses and box-springs and process them for safe, responsible recycling. Mattress recycling companies create jobs, help your company achieve green certification, and address a growing problem in the industry—bedbugs. At...

Unless incredibly eco minded, the majority of guests don’t want to hear about a hotel’s greening efforts around reductions in water, waste, energy and chemicals. Happily, the same is not true when it comes to food—a good story around food that’s local creates a unique and memorable dining experience, and adds great value to a guest stay. Letting the guest in on a story about the fungi forager who brings locally foraged mushrooms or fiddleheads to your menu, or details on the Nubian goats at a neighboring farm that produce the chevre for your velvety cheese cake, just makes food...

Featuring a distinctive color palette and the natural warmth of wood, exotic hardwoods can add style to lodging facilities. Their rich hues can contribute to nearly any interior ambience, while characteristics like dimensional stability and durability make exotic hardwoods well suited for flooring, furniture, cabinets, millwork and other decorative applications. Illegal-logging concerns can certainly supersede the design advantages of exotic hardwoods.  While such apprehensions are valid given deforestation problems in many tropical countries, it is important to note there are prominent exceptions. Exotic hardwoods can be—and are—grown and harvested to sustainable standards, and offer other environmental attributes. A primary example...