The vice president of sustainability at a leading hospitality management company recently sent me a note to say he was leaving the company in order to lead a nonprofit environmental organization. He sent me a job description and asked me to be on the lookout for any candidates who might be qualified to fill his position. The job description was very well thought out and could easily serve as a template for any company or property looking to hire a sustainability officer.In the past few years I have definitely seen an uptick in the number of hospitality companies who...

We will have to wait until next spring to see it but the Green Leaf Inn is expected to be one of the most innovative lodging establishments ever to open in North America. Located on five acres in Delavan, Wis., the 19-suite property will showcase renewable energy technologies including solar, solar thermal, wind, cogeneration, and geothermal. The combination of systems will make the inn a net zero energy property, meaning that it will produce more energy than it consumes. The inn will also feature an on-site aerobic waste water treatment system. Yes, that means human waste will be treated...

A recent Ernst & Young LLP survey of chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and tax directors revealed a communication and awareness gap between the accounting department and efforts related to the environment and sustainability. Potentially, this gap could result in missed tax opportunities involving incentives, credits, grants and subsidies. While the survey, entitled, “Environmental Sustainability Tax Survey,” was not specific to lodging, it did highlight issues relevant to any company in our industry.Ernst & Young surveyed 223 senior executives at companies of various sizes and industries, including communication, construction, finance, manufacturing, retail, services and transportation. Of the respondents, 19 percent...

If you are as busy as I am, finding time to social network is a challenge. It does have its place in my daily routine, however, because it provides extra news outlets for Green Lodging News. I Tweet. I post on Facebook. That is about all I have time for. I have not yet dedicated myself to Pinterest or the other social networking sites. While they may be beneficial in one way or another, it gets to the point where you need to hire a social networking assistant. Have any of you actually done that yet?In case you missed...

The latest horror flick, coming soon to a theater near you: “It Came from the Mattress.” The title alone makes you want to scream, doesn’t it? Picture throngs of guests running out of their guestrooms toward the exits—giant bed bugs, dust mites, skin cells (you use your imagination for what the other monsters would look like) in hot pursuit. Could you even stomach the trailer for the movie? The film would not be good for our industry, that’s for sure.After doing a bit of research for an article on mattress and box spring encasements (click here for article), I...

As reported recently, eight of the nine ASTM International standards for sustainable or “green” events are now available for purchase from ASTM (for either $40 or $46 per standard). Our industry has been waiting about five years for the voluntary standards. The eight areas covered include: ASTM E2741, destinations; ASTM E2742, exhibits; ASTM E2743, transportation; ASTM E2745, audio visual (A/V) and production; ASTM E2746, communication and marketing materials; ASTM E2747, on-site offices; ASTM E2773, food and beverage; and ASTM E2774, meeting venues. Still not ready is the ninth standard on accommodations (ASTM WK22056). Within each standard are eight categories...

When guests check in to the 164-room luxury boutique Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, California, they learn not only about the green aspects of the LEED-pursuing property but also the entire city as well. Available to guests is a Santa Monica Green Map that highlights locations of green buildings, sustainable businesses, natural food shops, vegetarian and natural cafés, environmental organizations and agencies, farmer’s markets, solar energy sites, recycling centers, community gardens, dog parks, drinking water, walking trails, bike paths, and alternative vehicle stations. The hotel makes it easy for guests to support area green businesses and activities, if they...

Last year I had a client who was touting a system that offered a five-year payback period. In this day and age, is that good enough? There are certainly lodging operators who have the patience to wait that long or longer for a return on their investment but my suspicion is that most prefer a quick ROI with as little capital as possible upfront. I recall one conference session on energy management at which I was a speaker and one of the attendees—a hotel owner—insisted on a one-year payback or less for any investment he made in energy management....

I never imagined there would be so much to consider or so much to write about as I conducted research for my just posted article on amenity dispensers. The story just kept growing and growing. I finally stopped at about 2,200 words but I could have gone on much longer. There were so many unanswered questions. I strongly recommend reading the article. Be sure to let me know what you think. (Click here for article.)What was never in doubt during my research was the positive environmental and economic impact of dispensers. That will always be clear. The issue of...

Starwood’s Element hotel brand is proof that green done right can catch on. As of February 9, there will be 10 Element hotels open in the United States. There are currently at least four other Elements in the pipeline, according to the Element website. It is great to see Element’s success. Unique to Element is its requirement for its hotels to be LEED certified.Our industry has been waiting quite some time for another green hotel brand to come along with a similar commitment to LEED. Hilton’s Home2 Suites properties have many green features but the brand lacks a brand-wide...