I have got Santa Claus on my mind. My son, who turned four in August, has me twisted in knots trying to explain why there are so many Santa Claus look-alikes walking around. When I posed the idea that they were “Santa’s helpers,” he was skeptical. He is a smart kid; he knows Santa’s real helpers are the elves. It is only a matter of time before he figures out the real truth. Arrrgh.Santa also came to mind this past week as I was trying to explain “the chimney effect” in my article about open vents at the top...

One of my biggest challenges over the years has been selling advertising to companies that supply guestroom energy management systems (EMS). I often wonder why that is. Is it that these systems are still a difficult sell and nobody has marketing dollars to spare? Or, is it just a reflection of the overall instability in this niche in our industry. Allow me to give you a few examples. I won’t embarrass any companies by sharing their names.This past week I spoke with a long-time EMS client whose company just had to declare bankruptcy. It is kind of confusing but...

Ten years ago, the National Restaurant Association’s What’s Hot culinary forecast said the top food trend was “bite-sized desserts.” This year that trend is nowhere to be found on the NRA’s top 20 list. Topping this year’s list of trends: “Locally sourced meats and seafood.” The NRA surveyed nearly 1,600 professional chefs—members of the American Culinary Federation—to find which foods, beverages and culinary themes will be hot on restaurant menus in 2016.Interestingly, seven of the top 10 trends have something to do with sustainability and wellness: 3. Locally grown produce; 4. Hyper-local sourcing; 5. Natural ingredients/minimally processed food; 6....

As part of HX: The Hotel Experience, the trade show held earlier this month in New York, I moderated a panel discussion on innovations in the laundry and how one can benefit by saving energy, reducing water and chemical consumption, and extending towel and linen life. There was a lot of laundry experience represented on the stage that day. It was an honor to have companies like Water Energy Technologies and Laundry Consulting, Pellerin Milnor Corp., Xeros, Inc., and P&G Professional Business represented. These companies and a number of other ones that were at HX are dramatically reducing the...

HX: The Hotel Experience and Boutique Design New York (BDNY) wrapped up last week at the Javits Center in New York City. HX, formerly the International Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Show (IHMRS), was a great place to be if your goal was to find new products and technologies to help green up your property. At BDNY, there were many green stories as well, although sometimes not as readily apparent if you were walking the trade show floor.Those looking for radical changes from the IHMRS events in years past did not find them but there were some additions that stood...

You are most likely reading this column while I am attending HX: The Hotel Experience in New York City. The event, what was once the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS), is taking place from November 8 to 10 and is adjacent to Boutique Design New York (BDNY) which is being held November 8 to 9. Both events are at the green roofed Javits Center. I am writing this column in advance of the show and am very excited to see how different HX will be from IHMRS. The owners of the event have invested a lot in...

One of the most impressive reports to come along in recent years is the Green Venue Report. Just released for the second time, it is available for free (sign up here to download it). The 59-page report highlights the results of a 158-question survey. Topic areas range from energy, waste and staff involvement to food and beverage, water and air quality. Conducted in the spring and based on 2014 information, this year’s data set includes 30 convention centers from six countries and four continents. Compared to year one of the report, the number of participants nearly doubled. Twenty-one of...

This past week was a busy news week. First, Marriott International released its 2015 Sustainability Report. Found here, it includes 12 different sections ranging from Business Ethics and Human Rights to Environmental Performance. Of note, Marriott has reduced its energy intensity (kWh of per square meter of conditioned space) by 9.4 percent since 2007, its water intensity (cubic meter per occupied room) by 22.9 percent, and its greenhouse gas emissions intensity (kilograms per square meter) by 10 percent. If you would like to compare Marriott’s performance from year to year, the company now has six years of sustainability reports...

I have written a number of times about shipping containers and how they have been used in our industry. Early this year I posted an article about the Days Inn-Sioux Lookout in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, a property made from 120 shipping containers. At least one hotel—the Ritz-Carlton, Naples (Fla.)—is using a shipping container in a different way—to grow crops. I spoke briefly with Gabrielle O’Boyle, Communications Manager at the hotel, and she told me the container sits in a service drive area of the property and is “not guest facing.” I plan to interview George Fistrovich, the Executive Chef...

Is it just me or do you also feel a bit guilty each time you use a paper towel to dry your hands in a public restroom? Given the advances that have been made with hand dryers (read my hand dryer article that I posted this week) I really don’t understand why commercial establishments and public facilities still offer paper towels. Am I missing something here? If you are still offering paper towels to your guests, perhaps even in combination with hand dryers, what is your rationale for doing so? I would love to know. I asked Robert Green,...