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...

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...