It was 33 years ago that the International Hotels Environment Initiative (IHEI) was launched by a consortium of chief executives from 10 global hotel companies, as a result of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. In 2013, IHEI closed down its organization and joined Business in the Community (BITC), part of the Prince’s Charities group, with HRH The Prince of Wales as president (now King Charles III). In 2020, the organization became an independent charity under the name of Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. Last year, the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance was rebranded as the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. If...

I have reported many times over the years—especially during the height of COVID-19—about the impact of indoor air quality (IAQ) on the guest experience. (See the IAQ section of Green Lodging News.) According to EPA, there are a lot of elements of a hotel space that can negatively impact IAQ—everything from carbon monoxide to pesticides to cleaning products to what is off-gassed by pressed wood products. Hoteliers often fail to provide the level of IAQ that guests deserve. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 8 percent of the U.S. population has asthma. An estimated...

If LD 1928 is passed, Maine will join at least four other states—New York, California, Illinois and Washington—that have phased out or are in the process of phasing out single-use plastic amenity bottles. A big tip of the hat to Rep. Lori Gramlich for sponsoring this legislation. I posted an article this past week about the initiative. Support of the bill has been by no means across the board. The Maine House of Representatives voted just 72 to 70 and the Maine Senate voted 17 to 15 to advance the bill. There will be additional votes in each chamber before LD...

This past week’s Green Supplier Spotlight featured something new from Pineapple Hospitality: paper-based single-use packaging for amenities. The product is one example of an attempt to provide an alternative to single-use plastic amenity bottles. Velas Resorts also made news this past week with its Water Bottle Painting Workshop—an invitation to guests to customize their own reusable water bottles using premium paints, fine brushes, and a protective lacquer spray. Also this past week, The Good Plastic Company, a leading sustainable materials manufacturer, announced new and notable developments across its signature Polygood line. Composed of 100 percent recycled and recyclable plastic, including post-consumer and...

In last week’s column I highlighted carbon positive Populus hotels in Denver and Seattle. Carbon positive means they sequester more carbon than they emit over their lifetime. This week I highlight the Radisson Hotel Manchester City Centre (U.K.), now open, and the Radisson RED Oslo City Centre (Norway), which has a planned July opening. Radisson Hotel Group just announced that both hotels have achieved Verified Net Zero status, already meeting the 2040 requirements of the Net Zero Methodology for Hotels. The alignment with the Net Zero Methodology for Hotels is verified by a third party, TÜV Rheinland. The Verified Net Zero...

Populus Hotels is distinguishing itself from other hotel groups in the U.S. with its collection of carbon positive hotels in Denver and Seattle. Carbon positive means the two hotels, through various efforts, are going beyond carbon neutrality by removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than is emitted. Kudos to Urban Villages, a leading developer and environmental steward, for creating the brand. It has done so in collaboration with Aparium Hotel Group, an operator of independent, luxury lifestyle hotels. Each property is a great story of green design, innovation and respect for the local and global environment. “Urban Villages’ mission is to...

Just a few years into my time as a lodging industry journalist—1992—the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the Energy Star program. This was during the administration of President George H.W. Bush. Since then, according to EPA, the program has grown to encompass tens of thousands of organizations, utilities, and state and local governments who have partnered with the government to save energy and reduce emissions. With their help, EPA works to identify and dismantle the unique market barriers that prevent progress, and to provide the information and stability that private markets need to thrive. The environmental impacts are...

Would you support the idea of your guests paying more daily room rate taxes to help mitigate the impacts of climate change in your area? A first of its kind in the U.S., that is exactly what will happen in Hawaii after Governor Josh Green signs SB1396, creating the climate impact fee, or “green fee,” that will help the islands to mitigate the impacts of climate change and the roughly 10 million annual visitors it welcomes to its shores. SB1396 will increase the state’s portion of the Transient Accommodation Tax collections from 10.25 percent to 11 percent as of January...

Since I first entered the lodging industry in 1989, I have come across thousands of new products and technologies. It must have been around 2002 that I first encountered Excel Hand Dryer’s XLERATOR Hand Dryer. I will never forget the first time I placed my hands below it. It was unlike any other hand dryer experience I had up until that time. The air power seemed jet engine strong and unforgettable. I walked away impressed, knowing that company owner Denis Gagnon and his son William had a winner on their hands. I suspect you have experienced one of the XLERATOR Hand...

Green certifying lodging establishments is of course very common these days with the burden on property ownership/management to carry out the initiatives required for certification. But what if the tables were turned and it was the tourists who were asked to be certified before visiting a destination? That is what Discover Puerto Rico is trying to do with The Green Path, an innovative new microsite empowering visitors to become certified “Responsible Travelers” through engaging educational content and immersive storytelling rooted in sustainability. The Green Path was just launched on April 22—Earth Day. “The Green Path was first ideated in August 2024,...