When San Francisco’s boutique Hotel Spero debuted its $16 million renovation in April, it did so with sustainability as a top priority. The following is a list of the key green initiatives, some of which are quite unique: Reusable Water Bottles and Water Stations: Upon check-in guests are provided a custom Hotel Spero water bottle. BeeKind In-Room Shower Products: Hotel Spero is providing its guests with eco- and skin-friendly products from BeeKind, whose formulations are free of artificial colors, dyes, and parabens. BeeKind also supports honey bees and sustainable pollination research at the University of California at Davis’ Entomology...

Overtourism was the focus of sessions at ITB Berlin and the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Global Summit earlier this year. It is also the focus of a new documentary released by activist travel company Responsible Travel. With the current global population at 7.6 billion and more than 1 billion international arrivals each year, there is reason to be concerned. Too much tourism can cause too much traffic, too much pollution, put natural attractions at risk, and, according to one expert, make a destination less competitive. As a baseball fan, of course this quote came to mind: “Nobody goes...

The list of the companies committing to eliminate (or at least dramatically reduce) the number of plastic straws given to guests continues to get longer. I have tried to post each announcement. Here is a list of the companies I have so far: MGM Resorts International, Hyatt Hotels Corp., Delaware North, Meliá Hotels International, Iberostar Group, The Travel Corp., Scandic Hotels, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Sudima Hotels & Resorts, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, The Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels, and The Red Carnation Hotel Collection. Do a search on “straw” on Green Lodging News to find the various...

I have written about or posted about the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City numerous times. The Center hosts the annual HX: The Hotel Experience and Boutique Design New York trade shows. The Center is highly energy efficient and even features a green roof that has been home to honeybees and many different bird species. The New York Times just reported that in 2021 the Javits Center rooftop will be the home of a farm on the roof of the extension currently being built. This farm will certainly be unique and give the Center a competitive...

I attended HITEC this week in Houston. There was just one sustainability-focused educational session and I attended it—Saving Energy While Others Pay the Bill: Sustainability and CSR. One of the most interesting stories told during the session was by Lyle Worthington, CIO at The Student Hotel in The Netherlands. The company with 11 hotels throughout Europe partnered with Wageningen University in The Netherlands on a shower experiment at one of The Student Hotels. Worthington discovered, not surprisingly, that students staying at the hotel shower 17 percent longer at the hotel compared to what is typical in a home environment. The...

It is every hotelier’s aim to offer the best experience for his or her guests. That includes a healthy experience free of bed bugs. Chances are you have never heard of NOBBEL, Inc. NOBBEL is the National Organization of Bed Bug Education for Lodging. Using guidelines set forth by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), NOBBEL has created an online training and certification program for the lodging industry to deal with the growing bed bug epidemic. NOBBEL’S mission is two-fold: 1. To educate the public and the lodging industry about the bed bug epidemic. 2. To offer bed bug training and...

Hersha Hospitality Trust just released its 2017 Sustainability Report. The report represents the progress of the REIT’s EarthView sustainability program which just completed its seventh year. For those of you not familiar with Hersha, the REIT owns and operates 49 branded and independent lifestyle hotels. Since 2010 the company has realized $9.1 million in savings from EarthView. With 2010 as the baseline year Hersha has reduced energy consumption per occupied room by 21 percent, reduced greenhouse gas emissions per occupied room by 25 percent, reduced waste sent to landfills by 45 percent, and reduced water consumed per occupied room...

HITEC 2018 is coming up very soon. It will be held June 18 to 21 at the LEED Silver certified George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. If you are planning to attend the event and have energy conservation or sustainability on your mind, you will need to pay attention to one conference session. The session, “Saving Energy While Others Pay the Bill: Sustainability and CSR,” will take place on Monday, June 18 from 9:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. The following is the session description: “Hospitality organizations that implement and maintain corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices are in a...

In some ways Wynn Resorts has not had a very good year (see article regarding Steve Wynn and his resignation) but the company’s just released 2017 Global Sustainability Report shows the company is stepping up its commitment to responsible business practices. Matt Maddox, CEO of Wynn Resorts, in his introduction to the report, says, “Last year, Wynn Resorts moved into a leadership position in environmental stewardship. In the past 12 months, the company invested more than $12 million in renewable energy resources through solar installations at our Las Vegas resort and in Northern Nevada at the Wynn Solar Facility that...

Volt Lighting has published a resource titled, “The How and Why of Recycling Mercury-Containing Bulbs” which details the importance of recycling mercury-containing lamps, the effect mercury has on public health and the environment, and a listing of state-by-state EPA regulations to help streamline waste management for mercury-containing lamps (as well as batteries and pesticides). Here are some highlights of the information presented on the website: Millions of mercury-containing lamps are sold in the United States each year, including linear fluorescent tubes, metal halide discharge bulbs, bug zappers, tanning bulbs and neon signs. Between 2001 and 2013, at least 40 tons...