MINNEAPOLIS—At the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference here last month, numerous companies were on hand pushing green products—whether on the trade show floor or in the futuristic Guestroom 2010 pavilion. The following is a summary of the featured products. Energy Eye—This Rochester Hills, Mich.-based company demonstrated its Wireless Radio Frequency Energy Management System. It is capable of detecting whether or not a guestroom is occupied through information transmitted to the Energy Eye Brain by the company’s Passive Infrared Detector and Micro Door Sensor. When a guestroom is occupied, the Energy Eye allows the guest to have full control over...

HOUSTON—An increasing number of hoteliers are choosing to set their properties apart by becoming nonsmoking facilities. There are many advantages to making the change: • Providing a healthier atmosphere for guests and staff; • Protecting bathroom counters from burns, carpet from holes, etc.; • Extending the life of soft goods, carpet and interior paint of the property; • Shortening the time it takes housekeepers to clean a room; and • Creating a special marketing niche for your property. The Groveland Hotel near Yosemite National Park has been smoke free for the last 12 years since Peggy Mosley became general manager there. Peggy’s experiences provide boundless...

NEW YORK—The Premier became a fully nonsmoking facility on June 1. The hotel’s smoking rooms (24 rooms in total) underwent a deep cleaning process prior to their conversion to nonsmoking rooms. One hundred and one of The Premier’s rooms are currently nonsmoking. This conversion marks The Premier as one of the first New York City deluxe hotel rooms to become nonsmoking. The Premier is owned and managed by Millennium Hotels and Resorts, North America. The Premier is located at 133 West 44th Street in the heart of Times Square adjacent to the Millennium Broadway. The Premier features a...

DENVER— Xanterra Parks & Resorts has published a 48-page Sustainability Report detailing the concessioner’s extensive environmental management programs, quantifying the progress of those programs and identifying a set of environmental goals. The report is placed in Xanterra guestrooms in national and state park lodges and resorts across the country. This is the company’s second Sustainability Report. Xanterra was the first national park hospitality company to document specific results of its environmental management system. Xanterra was also the first company in the entire tourism industry to create quantifiable environmental performance metrics specific to hospitality. Xanterra’s environmental management program,...

SAN FRANCISCO—As part of its ongoing EarthCare environmental program, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants announced the 2006 Parks for People campaign, a partnership with The Trust for Public Land (TPL). Dedicated to nurturing both its guests and the environment, Kimpton is partnering with the well respected and recognized TPL, the only national nonprofit dedicated to conserving land for public recreation and enjoyment. The 2006 campaign will include events and outreach in all hotel locations during the months of June and July. “Kimpton has always held a strong, eco-friendly outlook at all levels of the organization, which includes a...

HOUSTON—Many years ago hotels began introducing nonsmoking rooms for their guests—maybe a few rooms, then adding 10 more, then a section of one floor, then a whole floor, etc. Today, almost certainly, the majority of guestrooms at most U.S. hotels are designated as nonsmoking. As the years have passed, we have all come to understand that tobacco causes cancer. Second-hand smoke has also been proven to be detrimental to our health and possibly cause cancer. Legislation and lawsuits regarding tobacco use have impacted our society so profoundly that tobacco use and its effects have been hugely reduced. As a result,...

CHICAGO—Among the more than 2,000 exhibitors at the 88th Annual National Restaurant Assn. Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show here in late May were many selling highly innovative “green” products. These products ranged from energy-efficient ovens to furniture made from recycled plastic. Many of the products were featured in a special Green Restaurant Products Pavilion along with the Green Restaurant Assn. Below are descriptions of just some of the many environment-oriented products featured at the show: • Sloan Valve Co., Franklin Park, Ill., featured its new Dual-Flush Flushometer for commercial flush valve style bowls. Lifting the handle up initiates reduced flush (1.1 gpf), eliminating...

TORONTO—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has introduced a new way for hotels to go green. Guests arriving at the brand’s destinations across North America will soon be welcomed at check-in by agents using front desk computers powered by the wind. A longtime leader in environmental stewardship, Fairmont’s recent purchase of Eco-Logo certified wind power for 249 check-in computers will result in a greenhouse gas reduction of almost 100 tons over the next year. Fairmont’s Green Partnership program places significant emphasis on energy issues and recognizes the importance of sustainable energy technology. After evaluating a number of ways to incorporate...

BORA BORA—InterContinental Resort and Thalasso Spa Bora Bora, the newest resort in one of the world’s most idyllic locations, is now open. The property features an environmentally friendly seawater air-conditioning system, cooling every part of the resort with deep sea water and reducing electricity consumption, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Every one of the resort’s 80 rooms sit over the clear waters of a lagoon and features more than 100 square meters of floor space. Each bungalow features its own expansive private terrace and separate bathing deck. The May opening is a precursor to the official September opening...

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.—Everyday in America each man, woman and child generates nearly four pounds of trash. That’s more than one trillion pounds of solid waste or 365 trillion pounds each year. In an effort to teach kids about the power of environmental education in their own communities, Doubletree Hotels has announced its third-year commitment with The National Arbor Day Foundation as a continuation of the brand’s successful Teaching Kids to CARE program. This spring, more than 10,000 first through fifth grade students in 150 communities across North America are expected to participate in activities and events that empower a...