Because green buildings—those certified as such by the EPA’s Energy Star program or U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program—are historically a relatively new phenomenon, data to back the energy and financial performance of these structures has been relatively difficult to come by. It is that way in the lodging industry because there are just a handful of hotels that are LEED certified and only about 250 properties that are Energy Star rated. For those wanting to build a case for building green, two recently released studies should help immensely. Even though the studies are not specific to lodging, I...

I write about a lot of hotel companies but I have to say that one of the companies that has impressed me most so far is Tifton, Ga.-based Stafford Hospitality. Greg Brosius, president of the company, and Susan Smith, controller, are Sherlock Holmes-like in their constant search for ways to save energy, water and reduce other operations-related costs. Stafford manages a collection of 12 hotels, eight of which it owns, and has two other hotels under development. Some of the brands represented in its inventory include: Hampton Inn & Suites, Comfort Suites, Howard Johnson, Holiday Inn Express, and Ramada...

With its cost at up to $10 a gallon, one would think we would stop buying it. I am not talking about oil; I am referring to bottled water. Whoever came up with the idea of selling it in small plastic bottles, in different flavors, and with vitamin enhancements, is a genius. We are all so gullible. In the United States, bottled water, including sparkling water, is a $5 billion industry. Some brands experienced triple-digit growth last year. You may have recently heard about the level of pharmaceutical drugs found in drinking water around the United States. It was...

This past week I attended the UNLV/JMBM Hotel Developers Conference in Las Vegas. Two articles on Green Lodging News highlight some of the most noteworthy comments made at the event. While not the first Hotel Developers Conference organized by JMBM’s Jim Butler, it was the first time he focused on green hotel development. I applaud Jim and his team at JMBM, as well as UNLV, for taking a chance on this first-time conference. Over the past two years, I have attended most of our industry’s green-themed conferences and I have to say that this past week’s event had the...

I picked up the business section of my daily newspaper this morning in search of some good economic news. It was not easy to find. Here are some of the headlines: “Commodities soar”; “Housing market in spiraling free fall—Foreclosures hit all-time high”; “Oil prices gush to record high as dollar falls”; “Dollar continues slide as euro climbs”. Is it time to worry yet? Or, maybe the headline writer just forgot to take his anti-depressant? Except for the fact that the strengthening euro is bringing more international travelers to the United States, the other trends are going to impact your...

This past week I attended the Hotel Association of Canada’s (HAC) annual conference in Toronto. In case you did not know, HAC runs the most widely accepted green hotel rating system in the world—the Green Key Eco-Rating Program. While at the conference, I took some time to chat with Walter Willett, director of business development for HAC. Walter explained that the rating program now has 740 hotels participating, up from 620 in November and 300 a year ago. By the end of this year, it is likely that more than 1,000 Canada-based properties will be Green Key members. In recent...

American Idle. No, not the show, which I admit I do not watch. American Idle, as in idling your vehicles. Do you do it? I recommend avoiding it as much as you can. I received an e-mail from a reader last week that dealt with vehicle idling. Here is what she wrote: “As a flight attendant, I am constantly staying in hotels and taking shuttles from the airport to the hotels. The hotel shuttles and private shuttle services constantly run their engines while they wait for passengers, while loading bags and otherwise. In the dead of winter or summer...

Las Vegas’ travel and tourism industry received some good news and some bad news last week. First the good news. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the city drew a record 39.2 million visitors in 2007, an almost 1 percent increase when compared to 2006. Now the bad news: A pair of researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, reported that there is a 50 percent chance Lake Mead—the primary source of water for Lake Vegas—will run dry by 2021 if the climate continues to change as expected and future water usage is...

Attracting the best and brightest talent that schools have to offer has always been a challenge for the lodging industry. The industry has a reputation, whether accurate or not, for demanding long hours and not offering competitive salaries. According to some experts, it is not going to get any easier, especially if your company fails to convince prospective employees of your commitment to environmental responsibility. According to a survey on green employment conducted by MonsterTRAK.com, a job Web site targeted at students and entry-level hires, 80 percent of young professionals are interested in securing a job that has a positive...

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles. I had never previously attended ALIS. It was exciting to see so much attention paid to green hotel building and operations. The event’s organizers did a great job selecting the speakers and moderators for each of the green panel sessions (four total). Each of the sessions was well attended. The relationship between business and the environment was the focus of the keynote speaker, Emma Duncan, deputy editor of The Economist, and the top executives of companies such as Global Hyatt Corp. and...