Many business owners and managers are well aware of the problems caused by hard water—from clogged pipes and iron stains to spotty glassware and inferior drinking water. What they’re not always aware of, however, is the impact of hard water on energy use and the associated costs. In hotels there are several types of equipment that can be affected by hard water, in terms of impaired efficiency and wasted energy: boilers, hot water heaters, cooling towers, humidifiers, washing machines, dishwashers, and shower heads to name a few. Let’s take a look at how hard water affects the energy efficiency of boilers....

WINTER PARK, COLO.—Winter Park Resort is stepping up its efforts to ensure good stewardship of natural resources through its new environmental initiative, Connexion. The Connexion program’s goal is to inform, involve and educate resort employees, guests and the community about the environment. Connexion includes energy reduction efforts with the purchase of sustainable wind energy credits, the utilization of single-use items made from renewable resources in the resort’s on-mountain restaurants, and an expanded recycling program. The new Eagle Wind chairlift is the latest beneficiary of wind energy, continuing Winter Park’s commitment to power all future lifts with renewable energy....

CLEVELAND, OHIO—The historic 1926 Federal Reserve building in Birmingham, Ala., will soon be part of Vantage Hospitality’s Lexington Collection and the only four-star hotel in the downtown area. The Federal Reserve Renovation and Tower is located at 4th Avenue North and 18th Street North, across the street from the Hugo Black Federal Courthouse and the historic former Federal Courthouse. Phase one will involve restoring the 1926 Federal Reserve building and annex into an office and retail facility, including multiple dining establishments. Phase two will create a new office tower, the top floors of which will be home to...

QUITO, ECUADOR—Two eco-lodges in Ecuador—San Jorge Eco-Lodges and Botanical Reserves, and San Jorge de Milpe—are taking advantage of their tropical location and robust bird population to build new business. Located in northwestern South America, the country of Ecuador is rich with bird life. With more than 1,600 species of birds (roughly 20 percent of the world’s total), Ecuador is a birder’s paradise. Less than 20 minutes from the Quito airport, San Jorge is both a birding epicenter and an ecological masterpiece. Home to the Magic Birding Circuit, San Jorge offers their birding guests the unique opportunity to visit...

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND—Earlier this month, the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) won the Swiss Ethics Prize for 2006, which is organized by the Haute Ecole d’Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud (HEIG-VD) and its department known as Unit e²co. The jury, chaired by the President of the Council of State of the Canton de Vaud Pascal Broulis, rewarded EHL for the efforts it has made since 1996 in the field of renewable energy. The school’s heating and power system, the solar cells and the small wind turbine are consistent with sustainable development, and also allow EHL students to familiarize...

NATIONAL REPORT—Flat screen TVs are creating quite a dilemma for the lodging industry. Most hotels today have armoires but the new TVs will not fit. One chain is trying to figure out what to do with its 400,000 armoires. Do you throw them away? Give them away? Recycle them? If Mario Insenga, principal with The ReFinishing Touch had his way, every one of those armoires would be refinished. Insenga’s Alpharetta, Ga.-based company has devised a method to convert armoires to useable pieces of furniture. In short, what The Refinishing Touch does is remove the top of the armoire and refinish...

NATIONAL REPORT—Over the past few years we have heard a lot about the dangers of mold and mildew and especially what has been termed “toxic mold.” The danger is real. In fact, there are an estimated 64,000 types of mold and fungi, and 90 percent of them have airborne spores. They are present in every breath we take. Fortunately, there is lot you can do to control this problem. Fungi can cause health problems to both humans and animals by several different biological mechanisms: infections, allergenic or hypersensitivity reactions, irritant reactions, toxic reactions, and in certain cases they can even...

DENVER—Restaurants around the country are catching on to the health, economic and environmental benefits of offering more locally grown foods, organic cuisine, sustainable seafood, fair trade coffee and other forms of sustainable cuisine. Eating green, however, doesn’t have to be difficult, according to Xanterra Parks & Resorts. The operator of lodges, restaurants and activities in national and state parks and resorts has introduced a variety of innovative sustainable cuisine offerings in its restaurants, and its earth-friendly menus are becoming increasingly popular with guests. “Operating a sustainable kitchen starts with a few simple steps that anyone can take, even people living in...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system, has moved into new offices in Washington, D.C. The new offices and workstations are positioned to maximize day lighting, and all light fixtures were selected for their quality of light and high energy efficiency. Of the energy consumed, 100 percent is offset by renewable sources. The materials chosen are both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally responsible. For example, salvaged wood timbers create a screen forest wall for an elliptical conference room, and rapidly renewable bamboo, linoleum, and...

MADRID, SPAIN—Around a quarter of both business (25.6 percent) and leisure (26.5 percent) travel agents are fielding an increased number of questions from their clients relating to the environmental impact their travel plans are likely to have. This is according to the latest Amadeus snap poll in which more than 115 U.K. leisure and business travel agents were surveyed about the number of customers taking an interest in the environment when booking travel. Amadeus also asked agents what their own agencies are doing to address environmental concerns. A total of 52.5 percent said they are offering customers and...