TripAdvisor just released the results of its recent environmentally-friendly travel survey of more than 1,200 U.S. respondents. For anyone running and marketing a green establishment, the survey includes some results worth noting, including this alarming finding: Seventy-two percent of travelers think hotels are more interested in marketing themselves as environmentally-friendly than actually being green (72 percent!), while just 10 percent think hotels are genuinely interested in being environmentally-friendly. Yikes! What has our industry done to create such skepticism? Has greenwashing—defined as deceptive marketing—been that prevalent in our industry? What is at the root of this mistrust? Is it the towel...

This week will be an exciting one for the global hospitality industry. Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22, and lodging organizations around the planet will participate in thousands of different ways. Employees of 29 Joie de Vivre hotels in northern California will leave their single occupancy cars at home and commute to work by foot, bike, share ride or public transportation. Guests who stop by any Sofitel Luxury Hotel property in North America can enjoy a 30-minute lunch made entirely from ingredients grown organically. Later the same day, guests can indulge in a three-course dinner focused around fresh herbs...

I am excited to announce the addition of a new Classified Ads section to the Green Lodging News website. The section can be linked to from the “Classified Ads” link on the left side of the website or from the bottom of every page on the site. A link to the site also appears at the top of the weekly Green Lodging News newsletter and from the Green Lodging News Blog page. The Classified Ads area will give those seeking employment, and those looking to hire, a place to post advertisements. The new section is also for those companies...

In any kind of organization—hospitality, publishing, government, etc.—it is important every now and then to report on the “state of the union”—whether to assure stakeholders, advertisers, taxpayers, readers or others. That is why I am taking this opportunity to let you know that Green Lodging News is doing just fine and is continuing to grow. The weekly e-newsletter that you receive each Monday will soon hit the 10,000-subscriber mark. The website that is updated each weekday is consistently drawing more than 23,000 visitors a month and this month should hit 24,000. The website will also be very close to...

The Earth will be getting a lot of attention in the next several weeks because of two events: Earth Hour, which will take place on March 28, and Earth Day, which will be celebrated on April 22. Lodging establishments around the world will be participating in both events. For those of you not familiar with Earth Hour, it was launched in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund. For an hour, beginning 8:30 p.m. here in the United States, properties will turn off their lights in recognition of the need to take action on climate change. Companies ranging from Accor...

The Walt Disney Company just released its 2008 Corporate Responsibility Report—a very polished review of its progress in areas such as children and family, content and products, environment, community, and the workplace. Disney’s impact on the environment is huge, as one would expect with its resorts, theme parks, film studios, stores and other ventures. Recognizing its impact, Disney is setting some ambitious goals to reduce waste, energy and water consumption, and the volume of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) it generates. The complete details of Disney’s long-term goals can be found through the link below but here are just a few...

“There should be solar hot water heating on 90 percent of hotels.” “Just do it! This technology has arrived.” These are just two examples of the types of comments I heard when conducting research for my recent article on solar hot water heating (click here for article). To be honest, I did not hear one negative comment about these systems. I cannot say that I spoke with every single hotel user but those I did speak with are all happy with how their rooftop systems are performing. In previous columns I have written about “no brainers,” systems one would...

Can a lodging property be considered “green” but still set aside some of its rooms for smoking? I don’t think so. What do you think? We all know the fatal results of first-hand smoke. According to a 2006 Surgeon General report, second-hand smoke leads to the death of 50,000 Americans each year and there is no safe level of exposure. A January 2009 article in Pediatrics, the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, makes a case for the dangers of third-hand smoke. Third-hand smoke is the residual tobacco smoke contamination that remains after the cigarette is extinguished. What...

As interest in green lodging has exploded the last couple of years, few books have come along to provide guidance to those interested in greening their operations, greening a building’s design from the ground up, or highlighting the success stories of those who have successfully built and operated green establishments. I occasionally receive press releases about new text books that touch on the topic in a chapter or two but a book dedicated specifically to green lodging? I have not seen any—until now. Late last year, "High Performance Hospitality, Sustainable Hotel Case Studies," was published by these three organizations: the...

With an inventory of more than 4,100 hotels and more than 600,000 guestrooms, it is incredibly important for the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) to pay attention to its carbon impact. As of September 30, 2008, the company had 1,700 hotels in its pipeline. If those hotels were to open today, they would add another 243,000 guestrooms to the more than 600,000 currently open. IHG’s brand portfolio includes InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. Recognizing its environmental impact and the potential for significant...