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9/8/2010
BROOKFIELD, WIS.—In the last six months, two states have totally eliminated smoking in the guestrooms of any lodging establishment—Michigan and Wisconsin. In Michigan, the Dr. Ron Davis Smoke Free Air Law went into effect on May 1. In Wisconsin, Wisconsin Act 12 went into effect on July 5. In both states, restaurants are also included in the ban. Steve Yencich, president and CEO of the Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association (MLTA), said that MLTA opposed the Dr. Ron Davis Smoke Free Air Law. “We take the position that business owners should have the right to meet the needs of their customers,” Yencich said. In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Hotel & Lodging Association (WH&LA) lobbied to keep language in Wisconsin Act 12 that would allow up to 25 percent of guestrooms for smoking. According to Trisha Pugal, president and CEO of WH&LA, that part of the bill was eventually removed. According to MLTA’s Yencich, the response from hoteliers and innkeepers in Michigan has been a “mixed bag.”
9/8/2010
SAN DIEGO—The city of San Diego is working with businesses that dispose large amounts of food waste to recycle the material and potentially reduce their disposal costs. Businesses participating in the program could save as much as $30 a ton in disposal fees by recycling food scraps at a discount rate. "Here is a program that benefits businesses in these tough economic times," said Chris Gonaver, director of the city's Environmental Services Department.
9/7/2010
TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—With the addition of a dozen hotels to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Green Lodging program, there are now 650 hotels in the program. The 650th property to join is the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites in Clearwater Beach. “Florida’s Green Lodging Program encourages and enables vacationers to be environmentally conscious even while they are relaxing on a getaway,” said Deas Bohn, DEP director of sustainable initiatives. “While Floridians are vacationing, they can also be conserving water and energy while protecting the state’s natural resources.” To become a designated member of the voluntary program, lodging facilities adopt cost-saving green practices that conserve energy, reduce water consumption, protect air quality and reduce waste. The Florida Green Lodging Program includes facilities of all sizes, from local bed and breakfast inns to resorts with thousands of rooms. All Florida State Park cabins have received Green Lodging designations. Launched in 2004, the Florida Green Lodging Program establishes environmental guidelines for lodging facilities to conserve natural resources and prevent pollution.
9/7/2010
HARTFORD, CONN.—There are now 15 hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts participating in the Connecticut Green Lodging program sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism. The lodging facilities participating in the program are redoing operations and gaining a marketing edge through energy savings, water conservation, green cleaning and other environmentally sound practices.
9/2/2010
NATIONAL REPORT—The American Hotel & Lodging Association is about to release the results of its 2010 Lodging Survey. Green Lodging News was provided with a copy of the survey results prior to the survey’s official release. The survey, which is conducted approximately every two years, was funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation and prepared by Smith Travel Research. A total of 48,954 hotels were polled. The response rate was 18 percent (more than 8,500 participants). The survey report covers 14 green-related areas: Allergy-Free Rooms, Air Purifiers, Liquid Soap Dispensers, Linen/Towel Reuse Program, Energy Management Sensors in Room, Recycling Program, Energy Efficient Lighting, Water Saving Program, Digital Energy Management System, Green Certification, Hotels with Vegetarian Menu Choices, 100 Percent Nonsmoking, Plan to Incorporate LEED, and Incorporated LEED in Renovations. According to the survey, 38 percent of responding hotels now offer allergy-free rooms (up from 24 percent in 2008). The category of hotels most likely to offer allergy-free rooms: luxury, with 66 percent of hotels in that segment indicating they offer them.
9/2/2010
NEW ORLEANS—Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced the launch of Choice Hotels Music, a new music initiative designed to give artists the opportunity to deliver their music to millions of consumers and retain ownership of their works while, at the same time, drive donations from Choice Hotels to leading nonprofit organizations.
9/1/2010
VAIL, COLO.—The Green Spa Network (GSN), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inform, educate, and advise beauty, wellness, and spa-industry professionals and businesses on sustainability issues and green operating practices, announced that it will hold its third annual Congress at the LEED certified Westin Riverfront and Spa Anjali in Vail, Colo. The event, planned for October 3 to 7, 2010, will feature the theme: “Elevate Your Vision; the Sky is the Limit!” “The GSN Congress provides an exceptional opportunity for committed spa and personal-care professionals to respond to the global imperatives for sustainability,” says Michael Stusser, chairman of the board, GSN. “By working together with like-minded spa and personal-care businesses, we can become part of an integrated and powerful response to our current economic and environmental crises.” The Congress will feature informative presentations, interactive workshops, and panels led by wellness visionaries, sustainability experts, and thought leaders from the health, beauty, natural products, and media industries.
9/1/2010
SAN FRANCISCO—On Thursday, August 26, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants CEO Mike Depatie, president and COO Niki Leondakis and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that all of Kimpton’s 10 Bay Area hotels have been awarded the GS-33 Green Seal Silver certification in their pursuit for environmental responsibility. With 41 of its 50 hotels in 22 major metropolitan cities having already received certification, Kimpton is on the verge of becoming the first lifestyle boutique hotel company in the United States to attain 100 percent Green Seal certification at the Silver level or higher.
8/31/2010
HELENA, MONT.—The Montana Innkeepers Assn. (MIKA), soon to be the Montana Lodging & Hospitality Assn., has partnered with Green Directory Montana to launch a Montana Sustainability in Hospitality Program for those owning and operating lodging establishments in Montana. The program was officially launched on August 1 and is the result of the work of a MIKA green lodging committee that had been meeting for more than a year. Stuart Doggett, executive director of MIKA, said that due to Montana’s budget crisis, it became apparent to MIKA that a green lodging program was not going to emerge out of a state agency. “We started a dialogue with Green Directory Montana and decided to endorse them. We had a couple of members already in their program.” To be recognized as a Certified Green Lodging Facility, properties in Montana can now sign up through Green Directory Montana. Under the terms of a new partnership agreement with MIKA, Green Directory Montana will offer discounted fees to MIKA members.
8/31/2010
SHANGHAI, CHINA—Jinjiang Inns, a leading Chinese budget hotel chain, recently introduced a range of new green hotel initiatives that aim to reduce disposable item usage, encourage recycling and reward environmental consciousness. One major new initiative is the “6 Small Pieces” plan, which will offer six different toiletry essentials to guests in rooms. These essentials will be recycled into either plastic or aluminum alloy items after usage, rather than going to landfill.
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