Having been personally committed to helping save our environment for as long as I can remember, it is exciting to read lately about the numerous hotels and hotel brands that are minimizing their impact on the environment, reducing waste and even introducing “Green Rooms” as an accommodation type. While this is all exciting, there’s still the vast majority of hotels that have yet to make any effort to reduce waste or to help guests go “green.” Not to worry; today’s business and leisure travelers face numerous opportunities every day to immediately reduce their negative impact on the environment. All we have...

Use of the term “sustainable” has been increasing in the business world, especially in tourism. By definition, “to sustain” means to give support or relief. “Sustainable” businesses function to maintain or improve the present and future quality of people’s lives. Companies continue to realize that consumers are spending their money consciously, considering more than just the material goods they take home from the store. Consumers are beginning to realize that when they support sustainable businesses, their dollars can impact social and environmental concerns. This group of influential and leading-edge thinkers, representing LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability), seeks out companies...

Green is the new black. Climate change is now embraced by the likes of Wal-Mart. Even Chevron and GMC are feeling the heat. Consumers are increasingly concerned about the food they eat, their children’s toys, and the cleaning products they use at home. Undeniably, sustainability presents one of the hottest business opportunities today. However, the challenges are real. Many hotels are still unsure about what it means to be green and where to begin. They’re uncertain that consumers are really willing to pay more for green rooms, meetings or amenities. Some hoteliers believe that green and a polished guest experience...

If trends are any indicator, the state of hospitality, having undergone a recent boom, now approaches a trough. Standards, whether in quality or performance, are low; the product has significant highs, a modest middle ground, and a disappointing base. Service delivery is spotty, the attitude is careless, and the reception is disinterested. And now we layer another consumer expectation—green. Enter the meeting/convention planner, who must navigate the unsure landscape, further exacerbated by the down economy. We will see new momentum and demand for change through the efforts of those agents who dictate the most traffic—the meeting and convention planners. They...

As the manager of your property, you know every inch of it. That’s helped you identify key areas where green practices can be employed to save the facility in expenses and create a better feeling for guests staying on the property. Now be honest, have you taken a close look at your laundry? Have you talked with your chemical company representatives and equipment distributor to assess how the laundry’s setup and practices mesh with your green focus? Take a moment to think about how many hours your laundry operates. I suggest even stopping in and taking a look at the...

NATIONAL REPORT—Weddings are always good business for hotels, and holding an eco-friendly event is the latest trend. This environmentally-conscious wedding/event “how-to” guide will help “green minded” facilities take advantage of this significant opportunity. Buy Local, Organic Food Buy seasonal and local foods, organic if possible. Local food is fresher and tastier, and requires less processing, packaging, refrigeration, transportation and marketing. To find local food producers, including farmers’ markets and community-sponsored agriculture, try networking sites like Local Harvest (www.localharvest.org) or GreenLeaf Market (www.greenleafmarket.com). Conventional production of meat requires huge amounts of resources and contributes greatly to pollution of rural areas. Choose meat certified...

With more and more Americans looking to go “green” when they travel, a number of Web sites have begun to offer eco-friendly travel options. In a partnership announced April 15, Orbitz—a leading online travel company—has aligned with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program to give travelers the option of choosing Energy Star labeled hotels when they book with Orbitz. As an Orbitz “micro-site” that was launched in April 2007, www.eco.orbitz.com provides eco-friendly options and guidance to help individuals make informed decisions and reduce their environmental footprint when traveling. Now, in addition to renting hybrid vehicles, purchasing carbon offsets,...

In a previous column (click here) I detailed how to make it known you’re “green” during your trade show experience. I covered the trade show booth, general marketing tips and effective ways to disseminate your information in a green way. You’ll next need to get the word out and create a buzz (more PR functions); these can be done through announcements, events, and so forth. Just make sure they are green. Prior to exhibiting at a trade show or consumer show, you need to get the word out about your company and the fact that it will be exhibiting green. If...

As any facility manager will tell you, energy costs have become a major budget concern for those in the lodging industry, and as energy prices continue to climb, the future doesn’t appear to offer much relief. And while energy-wise green building principles are quickly catching on for new construction, many managers are unaware of the basic opportunities for saving energy in their existing facilities. How does one go about finding such opportunities? Often, the solutions begin with an audit of your facility’s existing energy and water use. While such audits can come in many levels of detail, even a simple...

Businesses nationwide are feeling the pinch as energy prices continue to rise. As the price of energy increases, so does the cost of production, transportation, and commodities necessary to keep hotels up and running. The need to cut expenses and maximize each dollar is more important than ever. For many hotel property managers facing rising energy bills, energy costs have come to the forefront as a major budgeting issue. The current energy market makes large bills unavoidable to a degree, but what many facility managers don’t know is the volatility of the energy market is a huge factor in determining...