The trade publishing business has taken a hit in the last couple of years. Two publishing companies with lodging magazines filed for bankruptcy protection and one other one shut its lodging publication down entirely (along with 22 other magazines). That is why I feel fortunate to be celebrating my 200th newsletter this week. Yes, 200 columns. Thank you to all of you who faithfully read my publication. Thank you also to those industry suppliers who loyally support Green Lodging News. Without the support of those companies, Green Lodging News would not exist. When looking for green products and services,...

What could be one of the biggest green hotel development stories this year is the launch of the new Adoba Eco Hotel & Suites brand. I included the article in my newsletter last week (click here for article). The brand was officially launched on Earth Day. I receive a lot of press releases on a daily basis but the one about Adoba made me stop and take a second look. As most of you know, our industry is lacking in green hotel brands—those that are truly green from the ground up. There are a few, and I have written...

Recognizing in a huge way that it cannot monitor—or improve upon—what it does not measure, Hilton Worldwide took a giant step toward reducing its environmental impact this past week with the official rollout of its LightStay program. (See article.) LightStay is an internal system used by Hilton to collect and track energy and water consumption data as well as information on paper product use, air quality, transportation, housekeeping practices and much more. Specific examples include tracking where energy-efficient lighting is installed at a property, the average flush and flow rates for faucets and urinals, and the various waste streams...

This week, of all weeks throughout the year, is the time to unleash every bit of creativity you have when it comes to being green. Earth Day is Thursday, April 22. It will be the 40th Earth Day. Some will celebrate the entire week as Earth Week. Others are celebrating Earth Month. In the past few weeks I have heard from properties all over the world, each one detailing what they have planned for Earth Day—events such as tree plantings to community “voluntourism” opportunities to beach cleanups. I don’t know why but the movie “Oh God” came to mind as...

A little more than a week ago I posted an article about the launch of the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association’s Certified Green Lodging Program (click here to read it). The program joins a growing list of city, state and regional green lodging certification programs. Those putting together the Arizona program borrowed parts of applications used in other state programs. For the most part, Arizona’s points-based system was first used in the Maine Green Lodging Certification Program. What struck me about Arizona’s program is the addition of a unique application section called “Sense of Place.” It is something I have...

Consumer demand and demand from commercial customers have helped pressure companies like Ecolab, Procter & Gamble and The Clorox Company to green up their product lines. That is certainly good news for everyone. Meanwhile, many other smaller companies have come along to offer other green cleaning options. I have posted news about many of those products over the last few years. Type in “green cleaning” on the Green Lodging News website and 11 pages of articles are generated. It is great to have so many cleaning product choices. This past week I wrote an article about cleaning products and equipment...

If you are in the hunt for some spring and summer conferences and trade shows that offer an opportunity to learn about green trends, practices, products and technologies, get out your calendar and start planning your travel. There are numerous events to consider and they are all approaching quickly. Many of the events are ones we have all come to expect from year to year; others are new. Be sure to check our Events calendar for a complete list of events. From April 14 to 18, the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show will be held in Chicago. Numerous educational sessions...

The Allen Matkins/CTG/Green Building Insider 4th Annual Green Building Survey results were just released. The survey was conducted by Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP, and CT Energetics, Inc. According to the two companies, their survey of green building professionals is the largest of its kind in the United States. More than 1,600 construction and design professionals participated. While the survey is not lodging-specific, it does offer an interesting glimpse at the current state of U.S. green building. Design and construction professionals continue to overwhelmingly support green construction (96.8 percent in 2007, 93.5 percent in 2008, 92.3 percent...

When I was a child, I could not watch enough cartoons. I am dating myself here but Bugs Bunny, The Road Runner, The Flintstones and Popeye were some of my favorites. My childhood obsession with The Three Stooges? That’s fodder for another column (woo woo woo). Animated characters, whether on screen or in “real life,” fascinate children and sometimes adults, too (Avatar comes to mind). In the last year I have come across three examples of properties using themed, costumed characters to teach kids about environmental issues. I think what they are doing is fantastic. The first property is the...

For a long time I have wondered how the various green lodging certification programs address the smoking/nonsmoking issue. After a bit of research over the past few weeks, I found out. (See article.) What I really wanted to know was whether or not any programs require that a facility be 100 percent nonsmoking in order to be certified (there are two, maybe three). I also wanted to know what programs ask about the makeup of a property’s room mix when it comes to smoking/nonsmoking rooms (not many ask at all). I know there are those who believe there are...