DENVER—Sage Hospitality has upped its own ante on helping the environment with its new Green Choice program. The “opt in” initiative offers guests the choice to decline daily housekeeping to reduce their carbon footprint while saving hotels money on energy, water and other costs. Introduced in March 2010 and currently offered at 18 Sage hotels across the country, such as The Renaissance Blackstone Chicago Hotel and the Nines in Portland, Ore., Green Choice reflects a growing trend as hotel groups seek innovative solutions to save money—and the planet—amid challenging times for the travel industry.
Green Choice has seen great success as participating hotels put their own spin on the program. At The Blackstone, guests are encouraged to opt in with a $5.00 food and beverage credit or 500 Marriott points. Management reports an average of 100 guestrooms participating weekly, reducing the hotel’s water use by four to five gallons per room and overall linen load by 200 pounds per week. Green Choice has further reduced The Blackstone’s transportation and chemical needs while increasing satisfaction among green-conscious Platinum Elite members who stay at the landmark hotel on a weekly or monthly basis. Taken together, The Blackstone expects Green Choice to save 350 gallons of water weekly and 13 gallons of chemicals a year.
“Saving money and protecting the environment should always be priorities in the travel industry, especially in the current economic climate,” said Bryan Boyce, director of Energy Operations for Sage Hospitality. “Our new Green Choice Program benefits member hotels, guests and our planet alike.”
To learn more about Sage Hospitality’s Green Choice program and other green initiatives, visit www.sagehospitality.com/greenchoice.
