NATIONAL REPORT—Everyone is familiar with Motel 6’s “We’ll leave the light on for you” campaign. It was definitely a hit. What is not such a good idea is when your guests leave the light on for you. Research conducted several years ago through the California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research Program confirmed what most hotel operators already know: Many guests leave the lights on when they leave the room and use the bathroom lights as a night-light. You can’t blame your guests, especially seniors, for wanting the extra light but when the lights are on when nobody is there, or...

NATIONAL REPORT—There was a time when energy efficiency was not a high priority when shopping for new PTACs. Today, with energy prices where they are, that has all changed. An educated buyer now considers not only unit size and heating and cooling capability, but also a model’s energy efficiency rating (EER). “EER is a calculation that measures how much cooling you get for a watt of electricity,” says Jane Deming, manager, marketing services for Friedrich Air Conditioning, San Antonio, Texas. “The higher the EER, the better. The benefits to the hotel owner are in controlling energy consumption costs.” Mel Harris, PTAC...

UPPER LAKE, CALIF.—Standing outside the entrance of the 17-room Tallman Hotel and the adjacent Blue Wing Saloon & Café in Upper Lake, Calif., one would never guess that a state-of-the-art geothermal system heats and cools the historic property—or that a solar energy system supplements it with added power. The hotel maintains its 1890s look and the innovative technology is hidden underground and on the roof of the restaurant. Originally built in the late 19th century and then rebuilt again in 1895 after it had been destroyed by fire, the hotel sat empty and unused from 1962 to 2003. In the...

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CALIF.—Offering a completely smoke-free environment is poised to become the latest differentiator in the competitive hotel industry, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study. The study found that 79 percent of hotel guests prefer a smoke-free environment that exceeds the boundaries of their guestroom. While guests of luxury hotels (Four Seasons, etc.) are most likely to prefer a nonsmoking environment, upscale hotels (Hilton, Westin, Marriott, etc.) have been quicker to adopt this policy. Marriott International Inc., for example, recently announced that all of its lodging brands in the...

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WYO.—To entice meeting planners to conduct environmentally friendly meetings and conventions, Grand Teton Lodge Co. has introduced a “Go Green, Get Green” meeting package at Jackson Lake Lodge. With the package, meeting planners can earn up to an 8 percent rebate to their master account for hosting a green meeting. Meeting planners will be able to select from a list of eco-friendly elements to incorporate into their program, and the rebate will be calculated based on the number of these components they choose. Some of the choices include: • Printing registration materials...

CONSTANTIA, SOUTH AFRICA—The five-star, award winning Steenberg Hotel and Winery, located just 20 minutes outside of Cape Town, has developed an eco-friendly plan that maintains and preserves the natural beauty of the wine farm while giving back to the local community. The hotel uses “green friendly” pest sprays to promote the healthy growth of plants on the property. With the re-introduction of hundreds of ladybirds in order to defend the vines and indigenous plant life from harmful insects, such as the mealybug, the Steenberg has been able to establish a natural balance between flora and fauna without having...

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING—At the home of Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, laundry personnel at Xanterra Parks & Resorts are working like a geyser in reverse—saving water and energy efficiently. That is a necessity in a park with nine lodging facilities and 11 restaurants. Xanterra Parks & Resorts, which manages the guest accommodations at the park, cleans more than 2.5 million pounds of linen every year at its Gardiner Laundry Services facility. The linens include bed and bath linen and housekeeping cleaning cloths from more than 2,000 guestrooms. It also includes table linen and kitchen cleaning cloths from...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy honor organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. Award winners will be recognized at the Energy Star Awards Ceremony on March 21, 2007 in Washington, D.C. All organizations participating in Energy Star are encouraged to apply for a 2007 Energy Star Award. To be considered, an organization must meet the specific eligibility requirements in the award application and submit a complete application package by December 15, 2006. Categories include: Efficient Products, Partner of the Year, Product...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Marriott International Inc. announced that all of the company’s lodging brands in the United States and Canada will become 100 percent smoke free beginning in September 2006. This represents the lodging industry’s largest move to a nonsmoking environment, with more than 2,300 hotels and corporate apartments and nearly 400,000 guest rooms under the Marriott, JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn, TownePlace Suites and Marriott ExecuStay brands. “Creating a smoke-free environment demonstrates a new level of service and care for our guests and associates,” says J.W. Marriott, Jr., chairman and c.e.o. of...

NATIONAL REPORT—Looking to trim energy consumption and costs in the kitchen? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star “ Commercial Food Service” Web site is not a bad place to start. The site offers guidance on finding appropriate product sizes and models and features information on the four categories of products for which EPA has established energy efficiency specifications: hot food holding cabinets; steam cookers; fryers; and solid door reach-in refrigerators, freezers and refrigerator/freezers. Energy Star-qualified equipment is designed to use less energy and water, while continuing to provide high performance, reliability, efficiency and life-cycle cost benefits. “In general, Energy...