From small, limited-service properties to deluxe accommodations, a range of properties have found innovative means to make going green work in Energy, Operations, Certifications, and Water conservation to give ideas for implementing strategies that guests, employees, and hotel will appreciate.
Energy
Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort
With a hotel mascot named Captain Kilowatt, this Hyatt Regency property, located on the Chesapeake Bay, overhauled their hotel operations in order to focus on reducing their impact and changing employee behavior. The Hyatt Regency started their program by asking their associates to bring in plastic grocery bags to exchange for a bag made of recycled materials. Collecting over 1,000 bags for recycling, the property then implemented a unique and long-term recycling and conservation program, including a cell phone recycling program. The hotel also “greened” its guest rooms by changing light bulbs to energy efficient ones and adding water reducers for toilets and sinks, saving 2,198709 kWh to date.
Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association
The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association’s (CHTA), with the help of other local tourism groups, has launched a 24-month project to help the Caribbean hotel sector move towards energy efficiency. The Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency Action Program (CHENACT) encourages local properties to use renewable energy as well as implement energy efficient practices during the design process and in operations. While energy efficiency is the primary goal of CHENACT, the project will also consider complying with many international green guidelines, and obtaining carbon credits for reduced CO2 emissions.
Holiday Inn Resort Waikiki Beachcomber
Hawaii’s Holiday Inn Resort Waikiki Beachcomber has received Energy Star designation by the Environmental Protection Agency for its superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. The Energy Star is awarded to qualified commercial and industrial buildings that rate in the top 25 percent of facilities in the nation for energy efficiency. The Hawaii property earned certification by replacing the building’s original chillers with variable frequency drive chillers, installing a guestroom air-conditioning energy management system, replacing light bulbs with energy-efficient T-8 bulbs, and installing motion sensors to shut off back-of-house lighting. By earning the Energy Star, the property will use about 40 percent less energy than a typical building and release about 35 percent less CO2, saving money, reducing the carbon footprint, and earning national recognition through the EPA.
Operations
According to the Food Research and Action Center, 2012 was the fifth year that the Gallup organization posed the following question to hundreds of thousands of households: “Have there been times in the past twelve months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?” Of all households, 18.2 percent answered “yes” to this question. As of 2013, 49 million Americans (16 percent of the total population) are food/toiletries insecure. One in four men between the ages of 25-34 earned poverty level wages in 2013. In May 2009, following a meeting the New York Marriott Marquis management team including Mike Stengel, Diana Shapiro, and Corlette James, we piloted our first Hotel Wrap! asset recovery program of toiletries generated from the hotel. The recovery covered toilet paper, tissue boxes, shampoos and conditioners and other vanity items which had previously been discarded when guests checked out of their room. The Marquis, with 1,950 rooms, has allowed us to conduct a training and awareness workshop for the entire housekeeping staff covering the social and environmental impact of helping the poor and reducing waste to land fill. Representatives of Rock and Wrap It Up! partner agencies, who would be conducting the recovery efforts also addressed the house staff. Emphasis was placed on the fact that all collected items were staying in the New York area. We received great feedback and started the collection.
The Radisson Suite Hotel at the Toronto Airport
The hotel implemented numerous strategies to help the hotel go “green.” In general, the hotel is recycling aluminum cans, glass, plastic water bottles, and corrugated cardboard. Blue boxes in which guests and associates can discard their used beverage containers have been placed throughout the hotel. Cardboard, newspapers, and office paper are also being recycled. In guest rooms, the hotel has a linen and towel reuse program in place. When the linens and towels are no longer usable in the hotel, they are donated to a local shelter. Any used soaps are also sent to a local charity. And, guest room lamps, where appropriate, have been fitted with energy saving bulbs. In back-of-house operations, batteries and light bulbs are being recycled. Recycled paper is being used for all in-house printing and, where possible, double sided copies are being made.
The Country Inn & Suites By Carlson at the Manchester, New Hampshire Airport
In general, the hotel has become a non-smoking hotel. They installed energy efficient exterior windows and doors and used recycled carpets throughout the hotel. The indoor pool and whirlpool have been converted to mineral saline. In the guest rooms, they installed low-volume toilets and shower heads, as well as energy efficient fluorescent and LED lighting where appropriate. Each guest room is also equipped with auto censors for heating and cooling. As an added benefit, they installed four sheets of drywall between each guest rooms. This acts as an insulator for each room. In back-of-house operations, the hotel installed energy efficient washing machines in the laundry.
Nonantum Resort
Certified by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine is a leader in the area for its efforts in water and energy conservation. Also focusing on eco-friendly cleaning products, and supporting local F&B suppliers, the Nonantum initiated its green efforts by creating a school project for a local middle school. The general manager of the property began a program that allowed students to redecorate a room at the hotel in an environmentally-friendly way. Three years old, the program has grown to include a $6,000 budget per room and a variety of initiatives including low-flow toilets, organic bedding, and bamboo flooring.
The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort motivated its staff to share the common goal of preserving the environment and reducing its carbon footprint. By creating the Shawnee Green Team, the property was able to educate its staff and implement a variety of programs; including installing new recycling bins in all offices, replacing disposable goods with compostable alternatives, using green cleaning products for the entire property, and replacing an old washing system with a machine that supports biodegradable detergent. In addition, the property:
Naturalized areas for birds and other wildlife on its golf course.
Uses mowers that place clippings back into the ground to facilitate the growing process.
Serves bulk perishable items such as ketchup, butter, and cream cheese, rather than individually wrapped items.
Provides incentives for staff who carpool to the Shawnee.
Installed energy efficient windows throughout the resort.
Replaced old golf carts with electrically-powered ones.
Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Phoenix
The Arizona Biltmore initiated its green tactics in 2007 when the property modified its spa practices and created a green spa experience. After experiencing the benefits and receiving praise from guests, the hotel implemented an all-encompassing green program one year later, hoping to significantly reduce its global footprint, create a more efficient and environmentally friendly operation, and establish the property as a leading eco-friendly resort. Under the guidance of green committees, the property began using chemical-free, organic and vegan products in the spa, using electric lawn mowers, initiated paperless check-in & check-out, and instituted green office operations.
With a new honey program, Fairmont Washington, D.C. is responding to the nation’s honey bee shortage by welcoming 105,000 Italian honey bees to their rooftop as part of the hotel’s environmental stewardship program. The three honey beehives will enhance the culinary program of the property by providing 300 pounds of honey within the first year to be used in soups, salad dressings, pastries, ice cream, and others at the Juniper restaurant.
The bee population has been decreasing in size due to habitat loss and pollution, which in turn effects the pollination of plants. Without pollination, insects, birds, and animals all find it difficult to thrive as deforestation and pollution progress. The Fairmont Washington, D.C. is the only hotel in the area currently raising honey bees.
Cavallo Point, next to the scenic village of Sausalito in the Golden Gate National Parks, has a pending LEED certification, a commitment to sustainability through the Institute at the Golden Gate, and boasts a comfortable environmentally-responsible lodge. Cavallo Point believes in stewardship and preservation, focusing its team’s efforts on re-using historic materials, restoring landscape with native plants, using green building elements, and partnering with Good Night Foundation, which raises funds to support local and global programs that improve the safety, health, and appeal of various tourist destinations around the world.
Hyatt Hotels
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is encouraging employees to take additional green initiatives through an educational environmental impact program. The training program focuses on aligning Hyatt’s corporate environmental mission to minimize carbon emissions and other harmful pollutants with that of its hotels and resorts. It will continue Hyatt’s efforts to minimize the company’s impact, yet never compromise guest services. Through Hyatt Green Teams, which are placed at every full-service hotel, employees will learn more about the necessary steps to decrease consumption of valuable resources in their daily lives.
Certification
Hotel Burnham, a Kimpton Hotel
Kimpton’s Hotel Burnham, located in Chicago, received the Green Seal Silver certification for its hotel’s sustainability efforts. The pursuit for certification began with the city’s Chicago Climate Action Plan and Green Hotels Initiative. The hotel began to assess its operating procedures focusing primarily on waste minimization, energy efficiency, water conservation, and environmentally-friendly procurement. Faced with retrofitting a 114-year-old building, the Burnham team dealt with many problems in order to meet modern efficiency standards. In October 2008, the Hotel Burnham became one of the first five hotels to receive its certification in Chicago. Specifically, the hotel began purchasing products in bulk to reduce packaging waste, updated its lighting, put its systems and appliances on a preventative maintenance schedule, improved the energy efficiency of its windows, uses “gray water” – waste water from laundry or bathing—to wash its sidewalks, has switched to less harmful cleaning agents, including biodegradable dishwashing detergent, recycles clothes hangers, and reuses nylon bags for removal and return of newly-cleaned clothes.
After a 2004 renovation, the Hotel Carlton became the first solar powered hotel in San Francisco. Focusing on creating a more sustainable property by conserving water, improving its recycling program, introducing green meeting options, and training staff appropriately, the Hotel Carlton also maintains a sustainable purchasing policy and is actively reducing its carbon footprint. The property was the recipient of the Energy Star Award from the Commercial and Industrial Branch of Energy Star, and the Green Business Award-Small Operator from the City of San Francisco. It is currently seeking LEED-EB Gold Certification and implements small practices and good habits daily to cultivate a property dedicated to helping the environment.
Marriott Pursues LEED
Marriott International continues to show commitment to the environment through a variety of initiatives, ranging from protecting the rainforest to greening their headquarters. Marriott recently announced that it will pursue LEED certification for its Maryland-based global headquarters as well as for 30 additional hotels.
Marriott have a variety of brands in multiple locations certified by the United States Green Building Council. The hotels will either seek greener alternatives in design, development, construction, or management. Initiatives will range from offering eco-friendly amenities, to preferred parking for fuel-efficient vehicles, to solar tracking skylights, and to switching to biodegradable disposable containers. Employees will also be encouraged to use public transportation. A few hotels currently seeking LEED certification include the Residence Inn Arlington Courthouse in Virginia, and Courtyard Hotels in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Portland, and Pittsburgh.
Michigan Welcomes the First Hyatt LEED Hotel
The Hyatt Place in Wyoming, Michigan geared toward business travelers, opens its doors as the first Hyatt LEED-built hotel in Michigan, and in the world. The 5-story, 113-room hotel offers many LEED-related features:
Use of green cleaning compounds
Boasts in-room motion sensors to control heat and lighting
Recycles leftover shampoo and soaps onsite. The property then converts the remains into laundry detergents, which are used to wash the hotel’s linens.
Water
Kalahari Resorts Focuses on Reducing Water Waste
A property committed to the environment, Kalahari Resorts has added the AquaRecycle system to its long list of green programs. The 740-room property located in Wisconsin and the 884-room hotel in Ohio both hope to reuse 70 percent of their laundry water, a substantial savings in cost and wasted water. It didn’t take long for Kalahari Resorts to be recognized for their conservation efforts; after one year of efficiency endeavors, the company won the 2006 Wisconsin Partners for Clean Air Recognition Award. Both hotels use low-flow showerheads and dishwasher sprayheads, HVAC energy management systems, LED exit signs and fluorescent light fixtures in the indoor waterparks, and motion-sensored lights in public areas. Individually, the Wisconsin hotel’s greening includes the installation of a 103-panel solar hot water system, and the installation of an energy control system for the guestrooms, while the Ohio property installed a transparent roof system to allow natural light to heat the indoor waterpark, and an ozone laundry system for faster washing and drying, all done with less chemicals and energy.
Let's travel green! 