Have you ever implemented an environmental initiative, only to find out that no one on your property knows it’s been implemented? Or launched a recycling program without increasing your capture rates? In today’s day and age, companies cannot afford to ignore sustainability, nor can they afford to put environmental initiatives in place without ever looking back. These programs, similar to mechanical equipment, need maintenance if they are to work effectively and contribute to savings. Ranging from 15 to more than 95 initiatives in place at various Saunders Hotel Group properties, each was at one point selected and implemented based on...

Being eco-savvy is no longer a trend. It has become a lifestyle, dictating consumer attitudes and spending habits, even decisions when it comes to traveling. According to a recent survey, guest satisfaction is substantially higher among guests who report being aware of their hotel’s green programs and seven out of 10 consumers prefer to patronize a business that demonstrates a commitment to the environment. While many eco-friendly efforts take time and money, small and easy conservation measures are having just as much of an impact on satisfying and retaining guests and contributing to a healthy bottom line. One of...

Does your hotel offer meeting and/or conference space? Have you noticed a trend in the RFPs you receive from groups, asking about your green or sustainable initiatives? All signs are pointing in the direction of a widespread increase in this trend. Even with the current recession, business meetings in the United States alone constitute an amazing $175 billion industry, and Americans make more than 400 million long-distance business trips each year. Don’t let your hotel miss an opportunity to garner its share of group business. Despite a global recession, investment levels in energy efficiency have remained strong, according to the Energy...

Your hotel will achieve its green marketing goals more easily when your team uses public relations (PR) as an organizing principle. Our company does this through an easy approach prioritized around content, search, and social media. An added benefit of this method is that it will help members of your marketing team stay fresh and be effective. This simple focus will enable you to leverage the pressure of daily deliverables instead of being swamped by them. I will explore these priorities one at a time and share a key hub-and-spoke organizing idea. Content By far, content is the most important part of...

Sustainable design trends are touching every aspect of hospitality properties these days. Most manufacturers are touting a “green” product lineup, and consumers are asking hotel owners and brands what they are doing to improve their ecological footprint. It is common to hear about energy and water efficiency and healthy environments but what is going on with materials and furniture? We can start with wood, a high percentage of the interior furnishings and materials in a hotel. We have all become more aware of the destruction from illegally harvested wood; illegal logging is a pervasive problem, causing enormous damage to forests...

Creating a green lodging facility starts long before installation of low-flow showerheads and the purchasing of organic cleaners. For newly built or expanded motels, lodges, bed and breakfasts and other hospitality facilities, some of the most important environmentally responsible features are ones the guests will never see. A case in point is the structural framing—the guts of any building that form the skeleton upon which everything else is built. The type of framing used is important in green construction since it makes up a large portion of the materials in buildings and in turn affects a number of issues ranging...

Standards must keep pace with emerging technology and innovation to better protect the health and safety of people, planet, and profits. In the hospitality industry, business interests cross not only state, but world borders. Our leading green policies and practices are trending toward more holistic, multi-attribute considerations. As we look at the future, the next level of certification or improvements must move from making claims to science supported standards. The success of any certification rests on whether it is based on a trusted, consistent standard, and on the degree to which the industry, customers and supply chain worldwide demonstrate their...

At the beginning of a new decade, have you thought about what has disappeared since the turn of the century and what has become entrenched? Think about the record store. Just 10 years ago we all bought music at record stores. When Napster first appeared in 1999 barely anyone had even heard of an MP3 file. Then along came the iPod and iTunes in 2001 and the need to go to a store and buy music began to die. Along with the music store the CD and video cassettes are also on life support at best. Ten years ago almost everyone...

A writer for the professional cleaning industry recently attended a national carpet cleaning convention. Her goal was to meet with several carpet cleaning technicians to ask what they wanted to see and learn at the show and about their challenges and key concerns. Most mentioned that they wanted to see new types of tools and equipment. Others were most interested in seminars, especially related to new, more effective ways to clean rugs and carpets. And others wanted to meet with seminar leaders and peers to discuss trends that are impacting the industry. But it came as a surprise to the reporter...

There have been numerous articles about how to use social media. What has been less talked about are the whys behind the success of these social media efforts and campaigns. For the hospitality industry, one of the industries hit the hardest by the recession, social media is one of the most important tools to use, especially when one wants to connect with more environmentally conscious travelers. And best of all, it’s an inherently green tool. Last year, Marketing Profs conducted a great study with both business-to-business (B2B) marketers and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketers on what’s working and what’s not in social...