During attempts to arrange interviews for articles, I am occasionally asked—usually by suppliers—if they will have an opportunity to review the article before it is published online. I always tell them no and if I should happen to make an error I will gladly correct it. That is the great thing about the Internet—you can make changes after the fact. After hearing my “no,” in most cases the person will agree to move forward with the interview. Such was not the case the past couple of weeks when I attempted to get Ecolab to participate in an article on...

It was about two years ago at a conference that I first met Jessica Blotter, CEO & Co-Founder of the just launched booking website Kind Traveler. At the time I was impressed by her idea and still am—a booking website that allows one to donate funds to a charity local to the hotel in which one will be staying. I know it took a lot of hard work and patience to get www.kindtraveler.com up and running. I encourage you to check out the website and to work with Kind Traveler to get your property listed. I did a test run...

Back in 2009, the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia (now The Logan) installed three C65 microturbines from Capstone Turbine Corp. The goal of the combined heat and power system (CHP), according to Marvin Dixon, now V.P. of Engineering at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, who was at the hotel at the time, was to take care of all of the hotel’s water heating. The microturbines—the same ones that have been in place since 2009—have also been meeting 20 percent of the hotel’s electricity needs. Dixon says it is doing that cheaper than if the hotel were generating electricity off the...

“It provides a high sense of pride.” That is how Cindy Ortega, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer of MGM Resorts International described the massive solar array atop the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. I spoke with Cindy this past week in regard to the 8.3 MW dc array that includes more than 26,000 photovoltaic panels. The array, certainly one of the largest rooftop arrays in the United States, was recently completed after three years in the making. The array represents one of the most significant, if not the most significant, investments in renewable energy connected...

Losing your job can be the best thing that ever happens to you—if you strategically move on from that separation, do not feel sorry for yourself, and use your imagination to create something positive and fulfilling. It was almost 15 years ago that I did lose my job with a well-known industry trade publication. It took me several years to figure out what I wanted to do and in July 2006 Green Lodging News was born. So yes, this month I celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Green Lodging News website and e-newsletter.What a ride it has been over...

A little more than a year ago I wrote about the McKibbon Hotel Group and its efforts to match orphaned pets with guests staying at its Aloft Asheville Downtown in Asheville, N.C. The hotel paired up with a local animal shelter, Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue, in an effort to increase the dog adoption numbers in the community. As guests arrive at the Aloft Asheville Downtown, a dog welcomes them from behind the registration desk dressed in an “Adopt Me” vest. I thought it was a great idea and at the time of my article “ruffly” 20 dogs had found...

U.S. News & World Report recently listed what they believe to be the World’s Best Places to Visit. Topping the list: the Great Barrier Reef. Hugging the east coast of Queensland, Australia, the Great Barrier Reef extends from Cape York in the north to Bundaberg in the south—a total of 1,250 miles. The Great Barrier Reef encompasses 3,000 coral reefs, 600 islands and 1,625 species of fish and attracts 1.6 million annual visitors annually. An attraction in many ways, the Great Barrier Reef is a perfect example of an area highly vulnerable to climate change—coral bleaching caused by increasing...

A body dryer instead of towels? When Julien Veyron, Architect and CEO of atelier arcau, responded to my request for additional information on the Light Human Hotel concept (see article and column from last week), he mentioned the use of body dryers in the hotels as one step in helping to reduce environmental impact. Yes, all Light Human Hotel bathrooms will include body dryers. (Google “body dryer” and you will find just a few examples of companies that make them.) The use of body dryers is one example of the brand developers’ willingness to innovate and create a guest...

Those of you interested in learning about new hotel brands should follow the progress of the Light Human Hotel. It is a new brand coming out of France and the idea of Julien Veyron and Jean-Pierre Bandeira, two French entrepreneurs who first met during a business summit focusing on Latin America Property Development. Architect and planner, Julien Veyron was there for architecture firm atelier arcau’s business development. Jean-Pierre Bandeira was there to develop YOO Co. (founded by Philippe Starck and John Hitchcox). They met at the outdoor bar of the Trump International Hotel & Tower Panama and started to...

A big thank you to all of you who have already signed up for and/or completed the Green Lodging Survey that was launched by Green Lodging News and Greenview this past week. The survey will remain open through the end of August. If you have not yet visited the survey site, please take a moment to do so. Owners and operators of lodging establishments around the planet are eligible to participate. Please be sure to spread the word about the survey. You will continue to see reminders on the Green Lodging News website and in our weekly e-newsletter.Please be...