When developing new lodging facilities, profitability often hinges on managing construction and annual building operating costs. In light of tight margins and increased interest in building green, project developers, architects and contractors are re-evaluating how they build. For low-rise lodging facilities—from small bed and breakfasts to resorts to hotel complexes—one of the technologies many are implementing is structural insulated panels (SIPs). SIPs help reduce energy usage up to 60 percent in both cold and hot climates, lessen construction waste up to two-thirds, make efficient use of natural resources, and contribute to indoor air quality. The panels are also structurally strong,...

Although existent for more than a decade in other industries, only within the last few years has sustainability reporting become integrated into sustainability strategy within the hotel industry. Just as in the case of carbon, new terminology has been introduced and many questions have arisen. This article aims to answer common questions by providing an overview of sustainability reporting, its contents, its benefits, and its use within the industry. What is Sustainability Reporting? By definition from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), sustainability reporting is “The practice of measuring, disclosing, and being accountable for organizational performance while working towards the goal of...

On behalf of Chattanooga Green Lodging and the Greater Chattanooga Hospitality Association, thank you for your very thoughtful articles regarding smoking and hotel certification programs. (Click here for feature article. Click here for publisher’s column.) We are now actively discussing an issue that was only in the background until you brought attention to it. At this moment, Chattanooga Green Lodging does not address the issue of smoking, although most of the hotels involved do have a policy, ranging from being totally smoke free to having some restrictions on where smoking is allowed. All provide the option of nonsmoking rooms. The Chattanooga...

So, you’ve made the decision to “go green” at work. You are taking a stand for sustainability. But somehow, the green starting line feels like a lonely place. Sure, you’re committed and ready to move forward, but how will you get your team in the same mindset? It may have taken you some time to make the decision to be green, so don’t be alarmed if your staff is slow to start connecting the eco-dots. Change is hard, even good change. But there are a few things you can do to encourage your team to jump onto the green bandwagon...

As Americans, we often take certain things for granted. Although gasoline and energy costs appear to be fluctuating upward—and will likely increase in future years—water, in comparison, is nothing less than cheap. In fact, according to a recent Water Performance white paper based on studies conducted by a variety of respected private and public organizations, including the General Accounting Office, some water users pay as little as one-sixth of water’s true value. However, water experts question whether we are really “lucky” when it comes to the low cost of water. These experts feel that future substantial costs could be coming...

Guest health and wellness is of prime importance to hoteliers, and one of the most challenging areas is indoor air quality because you can’t see it, feel it, or hear it, and most times you can’t even smell it. It often takes someone getting sick to raise the air quality to everyone’s attention. Indoor air is a difficult topic to get your arms around, no pun intended, and occupant health is a central concern when discussing indoor air quality. Indoor air quality refers to monitoring and reducing indoor air contaminants and providing a place that building occupants can function well...

The economic situation in 2009 led to a dire year for the lodging industry. Room occupancy is estimated to have fallen to around 55 percent, a drop that has only been matched twice since the 1920s. Revenue per available room, one of the main measurements for profitability in the hospitality industry, was off by 17 percent when compared to the previous year, with an even bigger drop for the luxury segment. Although 2010 is expected to bring the green shoots of recovery, hotels are currently struggling. Despite these hardships, customers expect hotels to continue to maintain high standards. This includes...

As a hotelier, you are probably benchmarking most aspects of your business. For example, you already track how your average daily rate, your occupancy, and your RevPAR stack up against those of your competition. Benchmarking your hotel’s energy performance provides the same type of information, helping you to understand facility operations and compare your performance to your competitors while reducing operating costs. Now benchmarking energy performance is even easier, with a number of energy information service providers offering tools to automate the process, giving hoteliers easy access to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) energy performance rating system. As a...

As more and more hotels are seeking to implement environmentally-friendly practices, many are looking to certifications to help them achieve their goals. The ISO 14001 certification, which is applicable to business across many industries, provides a valuable management system and standards for an organization looking to implement environmental practices. Ewald Biemans, owner of Aruba’s Bucuti Beach Resort, recently answered some questions about ISO 14001 certification and why Bucuti chose to pursue it. What is the ISO 14001 Certification? The ISO 14001 certification was published by the International Standards Organization in 1996 and is essentially a road map for organizations seeking to...

Green products have inundated the marketplace and the number of companies making green claims has also exploded. The timing has never been better for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address green marketing claims so that consumers can trust that the products they purchase really do have the environmentally friendly attributes being marketed to them. On August 11, 2009, the FTC placed the green world on notice and charged several companies with making unsubstantiated, false and deceptive claims regarding bamboo fabric and other textile products that were being marketed as “green” and “environmentally friendly.” Why is this important to the...