COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—When you have 744 guestrooms in multiple buildings, a spa, restaurants, and three 18-hole golf courses—all on 3,000 acres—maintaining a high level of operational efficiency is always a challenge. At The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., however, the management team has been able to keep up with aging infrastructure thanks to owners who have poured $300 million into the property since 1995. It was in 1995 that renovations began on the historic hotel that was first constructed in 1918.“The main hotel building was built to 1918 energy standards,” says Terry McHale, The Broadmoor’s director of facilities. “It...

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Niagara Conservation, a manufacturer of water and energy-saving products, has partnered with Green Plumbers USA, an organization with an accredited training program that helps plumbers to understand their evolving role in improving the environment and public health. The two organizations will work together to customize water and energy efficiency projects for the nation’s leading utilities, using eco-friendly Niagara products and certified Green Plumber Contractors.“We’re extremely pleased to partner with Green Plumbers USA, an organization whose commitment to environmental sustainability aligns well with our company’s conservation goals,” says Carl Wehmeyer, Niagara Conservation’s executive vice president. “In a time...

Was your property built before 1993? If so, chances are you’re losing money with every flush and use of the sink and shower. After all, you can’t control your hotel guest’s use of utilities. However, you can control your operating costs, and through simple, environmentally friendly renovations to plumbing and electric, you can significantly lower expensive water/sewer and electric bills. Let’s say that you have a 25-year-old, 100-room property with a 50 percent occupancy rate that hasn’t had any updates to toilets, shower heads, sink aerators or continuously operated common area lighting. A guestroom toilet is flushed 15 times a day...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Results of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) 2012 Lodging Survey provide strong evidence that the greening of the U.S. lodging industry is continuing. Funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) and conducted by STR, 52,155 U.S. hotel properties were polled in the survey that is conducted every two years. Similar data has been collected since 1988. There was a healthy response rate of 23 percent to this year’s survey.While most of the questions were repeated from previous years, there were new questions as well. For example, hoteliers were asked for the first time...

CONCORD, CALIF.—It got official as it can get earlier this year on June 5. It was on that day that the Hilton Concord in Concord, Calif., was designated the Sustainability Flagship by Interstate Hotels & Resorts in a proclamation released by the Office of the Mayor of the City of Concord. The 329-key hotel was selected by Interstate to be the green prototype of what could be rolled out across the company’s other five wholly-owned and managed hotels. “Our plan is to implement similar programs and technologies at our other five wholly-owned hotels as part of our annual planned capital...

TUCSON, ARIZ.—Noted green building expert, author, water crisis guru and sustainability planning consultant, Jerry Yudelson has released a three-part video series entitled “Water Wars” on his YouTube video channel. The videos are based on Yudelson’s book, “Dry Run: Preventing the Next Urban Water Crisis,” which outlines how cities can prepare for a coming era of water scarcity throughout the United States and much of the world, brought about by global climate change, increasing urban populations and a growing “water footprint” from human activity. The green building consultant spoke about the “Water Wars” videos, by saying, “What we are trying to accomplish...

NEW YORK—Barclay the Bee has landed in the InterContinental New York Barclay’s guestrooms with a question—“to wash, or not to wash”? The hotel’s friendly messaging mascot is highlighting an important aspect of the InterContinental New York Barclay’s sustainable initiatives—water savings—with a new “Don’t Wash” symbol and fun in-room message delivery. A Bee-shaped cut-out sign designed to sit in a holder on nightstands features Barclay the Bee holding a message advising guests of the hotel’s commitment to every-other-day sheet and towel washing. Guests who desire every day service simply remove the bee card from its holder and place it on...

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF.—ClearWater Tech, LLC, a manufacturer of ozone systems for water and air purification, announced it is now a preferred vendor with the Best Western International Group. ClearWater Tech is the manufacturer of EcoTex Ozone Laundry Systems. EcoTex is used worldwide in the hospitality and senior care market.In the spring of 2011, an EcoTex Laundry Ozone System was installed at the Best Western Plus—Tempe By The Mall facility in Tempe, Ariz. With the installation of the EcoTex ozone laundry system and modification of the washer formulas, the facility has reduced its hot water/natural gas by 86 percent,...

RIPON, WIS.—UniMac, a manufacturer of on-premises laundry equipment, announces the launch of its redesigned UC Series hardmount washer-extractors. The washer-extractor series offers supreme efficiency, helping on-premises laundries reduce operating costs and increase throughput. Using newly developed, advanced technology, the UC Series now uses 33 percent less electricity than two-speed models and 11 percent less water on average than previous models. The utility reductions are due to UniMac’s proprietary advanced inverter drive technology and minimized sump design that optimizes the cylinder water, which also maximizes cleaning results. The machines achieve an extraction speed of up to 200 G-Force, which removes...

DES PLAINES, ILL.—Chicago Faucets, a manufacturer of commercial faucets, merges dependable function and modern style with its new HyTronic Curve electronic faucet. This new faucet features a curved spout and brings water savings to any public restroom.“A public restroom doesn’t have to look industrial to be functional,” said John Fitzgerald, vice president of marketing for Chicago Faucets. “The HyTronic Curve is designed not only for longevity and efficiency, but to also add inviting style to any public restroom.”The Curve, with its chrome finish, offers a variety of flow rates and power options. The above-deck electronics, vandal resistance features, and...