When you offer travelers something they like over and over, or just about anything repeatedly, they will come to expect it. That has certainly been the case with towel and linen reuse programs. According to the recently released American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 2010 Lodging Survey, approximately 90 percent of lodging establishments in the United States now offer this type of program—up from 52 percent of properties in 2004. What I am wondering is whether the day will come when guests also expect to have the option to opt out of housekeeping entirely—and be rewarded for it.
What evidence do I have that this could happen? I spoke with Jennifer Bauchner, director, Rooms and Sustainability, North America Operations, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., for a Personnel Profile interview this past week and she told me more than 150 Starwood properties now participate in the company’s “Make a Green Choice” program. “It is widely used at Sheraton and Westin hotels,” Bauchner said. “We are continuing to expand it. Many of our loyal guests are coming to expect this.”
For those of you not familiar with “Make a Green Choice,” it gives guests the option of not only opting out of towel and linen replacement but also all housekeeping for a day. In exchange for their participation, they are rewarded with Starwood loyalty program points or given a $5 gift card to use at an on-site hotel restaurant.
Sage Hospitality just launched its own version of Make a Green Choice called “Green Choice.” According to Bryan Boyce, director of Energy Operations for the Denver-based company, 18 of the hotels Sage manages now participate in Green Choice and the plan is to expand it to the company’s more than 50 hotels. That means some Marriott, Hilton, InterContinental Hotels Group and Radisson hotels will also be participating.
Idea Hatched in Hawaii
Make a Green Choice was launched first at the Sheraton Kauai Resort by James Gancos. He is now the general manager of the W Istanbul in Turkey. (See article for additional background.) James came up with a great idea—one that is good for the environment. Hotels that participate not only reduce labor costs but also water, sewer, energy, chemical and linen expenses.
There have been isolated complaints from housekeepers who have been unhappy about their reduced work loads or the fact that they have to spend additional time cleaning rooms that have not been cleaned for several days (see article from earlier this summer). Sage’s Boyce says at his company’s hotels housekeepers may clean fewer rooms per day but they are just given other tasks to fill out the work day. If the program results in more guests eating in a hotel’s own restaurants, additional jobs could actually be created.
To educate guests about Make a Green Choice, Starwood is having its associates explain the program at check-in or before they arrive.
What are your thoughts about Make a Green Choice and Green Choice? Are they programs you would consider offering at your property? Do they take too much away from the guest experience? Is a reward for participation always necessary? Please send your opinions to editor@greenlodgingnews.com. I will share them with readers in a future column.
GLN Adds ClearWater Tech Case Study to Website
Green Lodging News has added a ClearWater Tech, LLC case study to the Green Lodging News website. The case study details how Manoir Pierrefonds in Pierrefonds, Quebec has benefited from an EnvirO3matic Advanced Laundry Oxidation System. (For the record, the name EnvirO3matic was developed and trademarked by Coinamatic for equipment manufactured by ClearWater Tech in the United States, for which it is the exclusive Canadian distributor.) The senior care facility has benefited in many ways from the ozone system: 16-minute reduction in cycle time, resulting in an increase of 26 loads per week; 38 percent reduction in water use; 77 percent reduction in hot water requirements; 32 percent saving in supplies; and 25 percent reduction in re-washes, down to 5 percent. The reductions experienced at Manoir Pierrefonds are comparable to what one might expect in a hotel environment. To read the entire case study, click here. You may also call (800) 262-0203 or (805) 549-9724, e-mail sales@cwtozone.com, or go to www.cwtozone.com for more information.
See You in New York?
I will be attending the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show in New York City. The event will be held from November 13 to 16 at the Javits Center. If you plan to attend or exhibit at the show, be sure to let me know. Approximately 700 exhibitors and 30,000 attendees are expected.
Off the show floor, seminars will address everything from adapting to new consumer attitudes and online customer interaction, to powering up profits and developing winning sales strategies. Be sure to catch “Green Certified Demystified” on Sunday, November 14, 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., featuring AH&LA green consultant Pat Maher. This program will address the process and criteria for the top green certification programs, including LEED, Energy Star and Green Key Global.
For more information about the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show, click here.
Advertising Opportunities
Several new advertising spots have opened up on the Green Lodging News website—two skyscraper ad spots on the right hand side of the site, the home page bottom banner ad spot, and the Featured Product ad spot in the lower center area of the home page. Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com if you are interested in these ad spots. There are also other excellent spots available on the website and in the weekly e-newsletter. The 2010 and 2011 media kits are available by request or by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Green Lodging News Blog & Twitter
Be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also now on Twitter. To follow my postings, go to http://twitter.com/greenlodging. Be sure to add Green Lodging News to those tweets that you follow. Green Lodging News now has 535 Twitter followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
