How ready is your community for something like the Seattle 2030 District? For those of you not familiar with the District, it encompasses a large chunk of downtown Seattle buildings—all with owners determined to reduce building energy use, water consumption and CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2030. Three hotels are currently participating in the public/private partnership that is managed by the nonprofit Seattle 2030 District—the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle, and the Westin Seattle. There are 73 total properties involved, comprising 23.6 million square feet of real estate.Discussions surrounding the District began in 2010. Startup funding...

Ever get a tune stuck in your head that you just cannot get out? Since reading a press release about the Hilton New York’s green initiatives this past week, “Up on the Roof” keeps bouncing around in my noggin. Those of you old enough will know the song; it’s a classic. Those of you too young…well, find it on YouTube.There is a lot going on up on the fifth-floor roof of the 48-story Hilton New York, New York City’s largest hotel with 1,981 rooms. Five years ago it became the home for a fuel cell system that meets about...

There was a study done in recent years that showed that travelers are less apt to be eco-sensitive while traveling. They are more apt to let the water run or crank up the air-conditioning or heat than if they were in their own homes. The results of the study did not surprise me. For the most part though, our industry has done a good job keeping those guest desires in check thanks to low-flow fixtures and energy management systems.In regard to the bathroom, what I am wondering is if our industry is ready to take water conservation to another...

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...