Welcome to the mega-solar installation club, Caesars Entertainment. It was announced this past week that DSD Renewables has completed a four canopy, 6.5 MW solar portfolio for Caesars at the gaming company’s Atlantic City destinations. The solar projects will offset approximately 6 percent of energy needs for the resort properties in the area, taking energy load off the utility, Atlantic City Electric, and making energy resources available for other customers. DSD financed and developed the installations and will serve as the long-term owner and operator of the systems. DSD is exploring additional projects with Caesars at other destinations across the U.S. DSD and...

Over the years I have written about the many upsides to certification, whether focusing on building design, operations, wellness, etc. Any worthwhile hotel certification program incorporates continuous improvement, or levels of achievement. Think about LEED with its Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels. Or Green Key Global, with its 1 to 5 Green Keys. These voluntary programs have both experienced a high level of success and Green Key Global is bound for even greater adoption thanks to the recently announced joint venture company that will own it. Some properties have gone so far as achieving multiple certifications—Hotel Marcel being one...

This past week the Hospitality Alliance for Responsible Procurement (HARP) was launched. Given the number of properties represented by its first members, expect HARP to have a significant impact on pushing the supplier community toward sustainable, low-carbon practices. HARP members include Marriott International, Accor, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group, EcoVadis, and two global hospitality group purchasing organizations, Avendra and Entegra. According to a statement issued by HARP, it will “work to accelerate sustainable practices by fostering close collaboration with trading partners to build transparency and scale positive impact across their value chains.” “As companies seek to engage their...

A few housekeeping items this week. I am sure they are just partial lists, but the number of properties now listed in the Renewable Energy All Stars section of Green Lodging News now stands at approximately 360. These include properties utilizing either hydro, geothermal, wind or solar technologies. By far solar has the longest list with about 300 properties, 208 of which are in the United States. If you currently have a property with electricity supplied by any of the above renewable technologies and it is not on my list, let me know and I will gladly add it. I...

“It is a done deal.” That’s what American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President & CEO Chip Rogers told me regarding the formation of a joint venture company that will own and operate the Green Key Global certification program in the United States and Canada. A letter of intent was signed by AHLA and the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) to form the new company. The announcement was made at the Lodging Conference in Phoenix. When I first launched Green Lodging News in 2006, and even before, the question of why there is not one green hotel certification program that...

If there is one thing you would be a fool to pass up as you are upgrading your hotel—making it more energy and water efficient—it is free money. Getting it could be as easy as working with your local utility or the company they have contracted with to run their programs. The hub online for state incentives can be found at https://www.dsireusa.org/. I moused over the U.S. map and California has the most programs with 187. That did not surprise me. I checked my home state of Florida, and it has 105. In the city of Tampa where I...

Hilton was the biggest newsmaker this past week with its announcement that it has expanded an agreement with Tesla that will result in up to 20,000 Tesla Universal Wall Connectors being installed at 2,000 hotels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico beginning in early 2024. Hilton says it is the largest planned EV charging network of any hospitality company. Kudos to Hilton for taking this bold step to significantly expand North America’s EV charging network. It will certainly pay off in many room nights, meals, coffee breaks and it significantly builds Hilton’s green brand reputation. The White House estimates there are...

What grade would you give your hotel(s) when it comes to engaging guests in sustainability efforts? Think about your guests’ entire experience—from the moment they learn about your property, to the point of reservation, check-in, their stay with you, to the moment they check out. Where are there missed opportunities to let your guests know about what you are doing to minimize your property’s environmental impact? Oftentimes, hotels do a lot to reduce their energy and water consumption and reduce waste, but it is back-of-the-house activity. Or maybe it is right in a guest’s face, but they do not know...

It has been years now since mattress makers have been including memory foam in their products. Perhaps you have purchased mattresses for your guests that include memory foam. I have been sleeping on a foam mattress at home for about 10 years. I have been happy with it but yes, it is time to replace it. It is, in fact, losing its memory. This past week I dug into the topic of memory foam a bit and quickly realized you almost need to be a scientist to understand the health and wellness aspects of it. I spoke with Jack Dell’Accio,...

As a homeowner, I do the best I can with preventive maintenance (PM) but sometimes the tasks can get overwhelming. For example, I had some plumbing work done this past week and the plumber looked at my water heater and asked if I flush and drain it at least annually. I was honest and said I had not drained it since we bought our home eight years ago. Arghh. The tank is probably 24 years old and original to our home. Maybe I need some PM software to make sure I don’t miss important tasks? As has been written...