“It is smart business. It tells a great story and is the right thing to do moving forward. To be able to do this shows a commitment on the ownership and development side.” So said Loren Nalewanski, Vice President of Global Brand Management TownePlace Suites in describing the just launched 706kW solar photovoltaic installation located on four acres adjacent to the TownePlace Suites Clinton at Joint Base Andrews in Clinton, Md. Loren told me the $1.5 million investment has a 7.5-year ROI and is currently supplying most of the electricity needed by the 115-suite hotel—even though the solar panels...

In this, my last column of 2014, I have many to thank for another successful year. First, I must thank every one of our sponsors. Be sure to send business their way and when you do contact them, tell them that you found them here. Second, I have to thank every reader for faithfully following Green Lodging News throughout the year. Each month my website attracts about 25,000 different folks and 135,000 total visits. It is gratifying to know that Green Lodging News has so many repeat visitors. The circulation of the weekly Green Lodging News e-newsletter and Green...

Many of you are hosting holiday events this month. There is a good chance you are using chafing dish fuel gel to keep food hot. There is a good chance a fair portion of that gel will go unused. There is also a good chance the gel containers will be improperly thrown away. I spoke with several suppliers of what are considered to be eco-friendlier versions of chafing dish fuel gel recently and was a bit shocked when I learned the truth about what hoteliers have been using for years to heat food. One supplier told me 40 percent of...

Anyone looking for concrete evidence that our industry is going green need look no further than the just released report entitled, “The 2014 Lodging Study Hotel Trends: An Inside Look at Popular Amenities and Guest Services.” The report summarizes the results of a survey of more than 9,600 hoteliers. The American Hotel & Lodging Assn., along with STR, produced the survey that was funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation. Green Lodging News has reported in the past on this same survey that is generated every two years.If you are an AH&LA member you can get a...

It is amazing, isn’t it, how expensive printer cartridges are. The profit margin on them has got to be incredible. I think about that every time I have to replace a cartridge. A few cartridge purchases almost equals the cost of the printer itself. This past week I wrote and posted an article on remanufactured printer cartridges. Be sure to read it. Remanufactured (a.k.a. reengineered) cartridges, guaranteed to work just as well as new ones, can save you a lot of money and significantly reduce the flow of cartridge waste to the landfill.  According to Tech-Optics Inc., a remanufacturer,...

This past week I posted an article on Denver’s historic Brown Palace Hotel. The 241-room property has quickly distinguished itself as one of the most ambitious green hotels in the United States. The property won the Good Earthkeeping Award in 2013 from the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Assn. and the Good Earthkeeping Award in 2014 from the American Hotel and Lodging Assn. While the property has had bee hives on its roof since 2009, it really has only been the last couple of years that the hotel has gotten its other green efforts in gear.Hotel management made a smart...

While geared toward gauging consumer reaction to green product claims, a study recently released by UL Environment and conducted by Shelton Group also sheds light, I believe, on how consumers are most likely to react to hotel property green certification claims. In the study, “Under the Lens: Claiming Green, The Influence of Green Product Claims on Purchase Intent and Brand Perception,” 1,017 consumers were presented with a series of visual comparisons in which a problematic claim was paired with a legitimate claim or a certified claim. An example of a problematic claim was language on a product that can...

This past week I attended the annual International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) in New York City. It is a show I have attended almost every year since starting in the lodging business in 1989. For those of you who have never attended, the show is one of our industry’s largest annual markets and runs in conjunction with Boutique Design New York (BDNY). Together, IHMRS and BDNY this year drew 13,017 trade professionals, an increase of 5 percent from the 12,406 last year. IHMRS this year was sectioned into areas covering green, kitchen design, operations, tabletop and technology....

The Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation has released a new research study, “The Future of Financing Advanced Energy Efficient Building Equipment.” The paper, somewhat of a “Financing 101” for building upgrades, defines the growing building energy efficiency market, specifically focusing on project finance for retrofits in commercial buildings; outlines the major drivers and barriers of the industry; examines the latest financing mechanisms; and reviews the newest technologies that are moving the building sector towards a more efficient future. I highly recommend reading the study if you are planning to finance upgrades to your property—many of you I suspect.The study...

The second annual Lodging Green & Sustainability Conference + Expo wrapped up in Las Vegas this past week. The event was held at the LEED Gold certified ARIA Resort & Casino. About 230 attended the event that was organized primarily by Lodging Magazine with assistance from EcoGreen Energy Solutions, Green Lodging News and NEWH. I attended last year’s event in Dallas. This year’s conference and expo attracted about 50 to 60 more people. The growth was noticeable and was exciting to see. The three-day event was packed with educational sessions, a master class on “Waste Management Innovation,” a tour...