As an environmental journalist, I have often found hotel investment conferences a little difficult to attend. Why? Almost every seminar and speech is geared toward growth. Here are just a few of the questions on everyone’s mind: What can my company do to grow the number of hotels we finance, build, manage or franchise? Where can I find the financing I need for my new project? Which markets hold the most growth potential? You get the idea. I don’t blame those hotel developers for thinking that way; it is growth that keeps our country competitive, people employed, room stock...

Every successful supplier or hotel owner has great success stories to tell. What I have discovered from my seat as an editor, however, is that most companies never bother to tell their success stories—at least in a well-documented and organized fashion. They are missing out on a great opportunity to educate our industry and drum up new business at the same time. There are many great green hotel success stories but few have been as well documented as The Nines hotel in downtown Portland, Ore. I was recently sent a 10-page case study of the property by Gary Golla. Gary...

One of my tasks as editor of Green Lodging News is to maintain a list of events on the Green Lodging News website. While not all of the events have a green focus, the majority of them have some type of green component—a session focusing on green design or operations, a trade show where one can find resource-saving products, etc. At this time last year, many of you were gearing up for what was called Green Lodging Education Week. This week in March 2008 included The Hunter Hotel Investment Conference, UNLV-JMBM Hotel Developers Conference and The Second Annual Green...

Over the New Year’s holiday I spent some time in Florida. One day during the trip I drove from Treasure Island on the Gulf Coast over to Myakka River State Park. The park is a great place to watch alligators warming themselves in the sun or to catch a glimpse of the many varieties of birds that make a home there—egrets, herons, and even eagles. Given my interest in the environment, it should come as no surprise that I have an interest in wildlife watching. And, like so many others, I am willing to spend money to do it. A...

Late in 2008, Ernst & Young released a report entitled, “Hospitality Going Green.” I strongly recommend reading through the 16-page document. (A link to it appears at the end of this column.) The report explores some of the major trends and programs initiated around the world to encourage industry participation in sustainability efforts. “Hotel companies are increasingly encouraging environmentally friendly practices and embracing sustainability through both developmental and operational strategies,” the report says. “With initiatives such as education programs, reforestation programs, eco-resorts, the implementation of energy-efficient practices, and the development of buildings that comply with government-defined standards, the ‘greening’...

With this being the last Green Lodging News e-newsletter of 2008, I would like to wish all of you a very happy and prosperous new year in 2009. The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect on the year that has passed and set goals for the year ahead. It is also an ideal time to stop and say “thank you.” So, to all of the readers, guest writers and advertisers who supported Green Lodging News in 2008, thank you very much! Green Lodging News would not be possible without you. For Green Lodging News, 2008 was...

With the holiday season upon us, there is no better time to reflect back on the year that has gone by. And what a year it has been for our industry—for the bad and for the good. Fattened by several record years, it is not teetering on the edge like the automobile companies, but it still took a beating in 2008 and will continue to do so in 2009. Smith Travel Research recently reported that across the United States, our industry’s occupancy rate is now below 50 percent. According to PKF Hospitality Research, RevPAR, which fell 1.1 percent in...

As goes the economy, so goes the recycling markets. Have you heard any grumbling yet from the companies that collect your recyclables? The market for recyclables such as cardboard, plastic, newspaper, mixed paper and metals has collapsed. Waste collectors under contract to collect your recyclables for a fixed price are taking a beating and you may too once your waste collection contract comes up for renewal. Those collecting recyclables have been forced to accept rock-bottom prices or even pay to get rid of them. Some are storing their recyclables in warehouses, hoping that the market will turn around soon. Why...

This past week I had the opportunity to visit the site of the U.S. tourism industry’s largest solar installation. It is located in California in Death Valley National Park, the sunniest place in the country, and meets more than one-third of the annual electricity needs of Xanterra Parks & Resort’s Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort, golf course and employee offices and housing. The four-acre installation is located at the Ranch and is an impressive site with California’s Panamint Mountain Range as a backdrop for the 5,740 panels. You may be thinking that Death Valley is an ideal spot for...

NEW YORK—A U.K. provider of small wind turbines is making a serious push into the North American market. Proven Energy Ltd now has an established network of staff, distributors, dealers and installers to provide renewable energy solutions for businesses throughout North America. “The market potential for small wind in North America is massive,” says Andrew McMullan, CEO of Proven Energy. “People are really tuning into issues of energy independence and putting an end to global warming. This is why we are investing heavily in developing growth here.” Proven Energy, a Scottish manufacturer, has 70 percent of the small wind market in...