The Urban Land Institute (ULI) just released a report entitled, “Sustainability in Hotels: Opportunities and Trends Shaping the Future of Hospitality.” If you are not familiar with the Urban Land Institute, the nonprofit’s mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. The Global CEO of ULI is W. Edward Walter, former CEO of Host Hotels and Resorts.
The report, published by ULI’s Greenprint Center for Building Performance, contains case studies and is informed by insights from 25 leading hotel owners, developers, and investors, including members of ULI’s Hotel Development Product Council and Recreational Development Council.
The report assesses the state of sustainability in the hotel sector, identifies best practices in energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction; highlights industry trends to watch; and finds solutions for obstacles to sustainability, with a goal of accelerating the market’s move toward a more sustainable and impactful future.
“Hotels pay utilities directly and directly recoup all savings from efficiency improvements, resulting in one of the strongest business cases for sustainability in the commercial real estate industry,” the report says. “In addition, guest satisfaction, city policies (both regulations and incentives), internal sustainability goals, and increasing investor interest drive sustainability improvements in hotels.”
Any Hotel Can Benefit
“Opportunities exist for any hotel to improve efficiency and sustainability while also achieving significant financial benefits—and this report lays out some ways to do it, including in-room lighting and HVAC retrofits, renewable energy installations, replacement of water fixtures, and on-site composting,” the report adds.
The report begins by addressing the health of the hotel industry, then makes the business case for sustainability. Charts explain how well the industry is doing in the areas of energy and water use intensity and carbon dioxide per occupied room. One chart explains how a one quartile improvement in sustainability can increase annual energy savings and asset value significantly.
ULI Greenprint partnered with the Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking (CHSB) index to present a comprehensive hotel sustainability performance benchmark for this report and each year’s annual Greenprint Performance Report.
Best sustainability practices in the report were collected from conversations with 25 hotel industry stakeholders with strong success achieving sustainable hotel operations. Case studies feature Hersha Hospitality Trust, the Fairmont Washington D.C., Host Hotels & Resorts, Clarion Partners, MGM National Harbor, Grand Hyatt Singapore, and Terranea Resort.
Obstacles to improved operations are addressed and trends such as modular construction, sustainable materials selection and smart guestroom technology are highlighted.
Be sure to read this insightful report.
Green Lodging News Adds ChemxWorks to Green Product & Service Directory
Green Lodging News has added ChemxWorks to its Green Product & Service Directory. The company’s D-CARBONATOR soak tank removes carbon buildup and the worst fats, oil and grease (F.O.G.) from kitchen equipment (aluminum baking pans, hood filters, baking racks, floor mats and more) using heated water in combination with safe, eco-friendly and proprietary detergent CarbonZyme. The D-CARBONATOR operates at a temperature of 185˚F/85˚C. Equipment removed from the unit is fully sanitized and bacteria free. It saves on labor, utilities, water, equipment and chemicals. The D-CARBONATOR is 12 times less costly to operate than a 3-compartment sink and cleans better than a dishwasher. The stand-alone unit plugs into a regular wall outlet and no plumbing is required. The D-CARBONATOR is available in seven sizes—25, 40, 85, 120, 250, 500, and 500XL gallons. Call (844) D-CARBON or e-mail gary@d-carbonator.com for more information.
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Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Get in the Green Suppliers Spotlight!
Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, announces the launch of Green Suppliers Spotlight, an e-blast to 20,266 subscribers that features the lodging industry’s leading green products and services. The e-blast features multiple vendors—unlike the current Green Supplier Spotlight that allows one supplier to “own” the Green Lodging News subscriber list for one e-blast. (Click here for a Green Suppliers Spotlight sample.)
Green Suppliers Spotlight is published weekly on Thursdays to general managers, owners, management companies, directors of sustainability, directors of engineering, facilities managers and many others who are either in purchasing positions or who influence purchasing decisions. Suppliers of green products and services throughout North America and beyond are invited to participate in the e-blast. (Minimum two suppliers per e-blast.) Green Suppliers Spotlight was created to give vendors an opportunity to reach a high number of industry purchasers at a very low cost—as low as $200 per e-mail. (Click here for rate sheet.)
Those advertising in Green Suppliers Spotlight can include up to 100 words, one image, contact information and multiple links to their website in their ad. At the end of each month, a report will be sent to each supplier with information on delivered e-mails, opens and click-throughs.
Planning Advertising for 2019?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2019. Many excellent spots are available on our new website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2019 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. A media kit can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation
The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlight currently stands at 20,266. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There are “subscribe” links on the Green Lodging News home page. You may also e-mail editor@greenlodgingnews.com to be added to our list.
Green Lodging News & Social Media
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As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
