Green Hotel Eco News

1. . Aislabeck, Yorkshire Dales

The Dales may be the heartland of traditional Yorkshire, but these eight new cottages overlooking Swaledale are a glimpse of how sustainable holidays might look in the future.

2. Mesmear, Cornwall

The stone-and-slate facade of this stylish 18th-century mill conversion near Polzeath on the north Cornish coast is typical of the region's farm buildings, yet the interior is another world.

3. Blue Reef Cottages, Isle of Harris

Overlooking a vast sandy beach, these two remote cottages (each sleeping two) are rated five-star by the Scottish Tourist Board. Open the door to find a hamper of local produce (black pudding, jam and shortcake) plus a bottle of champagne on ice.

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Hotels around the US are adopting all sorts of environmental measures, says the New York Times. Some are as simple as replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Others involve seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for eco-friendly building designs:

"Environmental issues are one of the hottest issues within the travel industry right now," said Bill Connors, the executive director of the National Business Travel Association. The association is addressing the topic of eco-friendly elements in hotel design and operations for the first time at its annual convention in July.

The major push behind this green shift seems to be coming from these hotels' business guests. For example, Josh Rachlis, a Toronto-based advertising copywriter, states:

"When I'm at a hotel, I always look to see if they use compact fluorescent bulbs, and I try to use as few towels as possible," he said. "Ideally, I'd be looking for a green roof, and if a hotel had recycling facilities, that would be great. I'd be more than happy to take my business there."

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Hotels now are rolling out all sorts of green programs, in part because their business guests in particular are demanding it, and in part because the hotels are finding that going green saves money.

Remember when all a hotel had to do to show its concern for the environment was to ask its guests to reuse their towels?

Hotels now are rolling out all sorts of green programs, in part because their business guests in particular are demanding it, and in part because the hotels are finding that going green saves money.

“Environmental issues are one of the hottest issues within the travel industry right now,” said Bill Connors, the executive director of the National Business Travel Association. The association is addressing the topic of eco-friendly elements in hotel design and operations for the first time at its annual convention in July.

Connors’ view is borne out by the rise in hotels registering to be certified under the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, a commercial-building rating system. “I think it’s a really noticeable trend,” said Max Zahniser, a program manager.

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You've decided to camp in the Costa Rican jungle alongside howler monkeys, sloths, parrots and snakes. That makes you an eco traveler, right? Actually, you can be an environmentally conscientious traveler anywhere you go, from New York City to Nepal's highest summits.

Just ask Glen W. Hanket, author of Underwear by the Roadside: LitterWalk Coast-to-Coast. In 1993, Glen and Sue Hanket left behind jobs, friends and family to stroll across the United States and clean it up a bit. He spent his honeymoon walking from Maine to Oregon bagging more than four tons of garbage.

Traveling with an eye to the environment, however, need not require a Herculean effort. Here are 12 ways for travelers to help the planet.

1. Do your homework. The International Ecotourism Society can help you find a responsible ecotourism company. Green Globe is a worldwide certification program designed to help tourists discover their impact on local environment and communities. Planeta.com specializes in environmental and tourism reporting.

2. Choose your destination carefully. "For example, Iceland has some of the most fantastic whale watching in the world, but that country also started hunting whales last year in defiance of an international moratorium," said Chris Cutter, communications manager for the International Fund For Animal Welfare. "In Africa, Kenya has a strong commitment to conservation and a wide variety of habitats and animals, but countries like Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are much less responsible with natural resources."

3. Select a green hotel. Look for lodges and hotels that have received the Green Seal Certification for environmentally responsible practices. For a list of certified lodgings, visit http://www.greenseal.org/certproducts.htm#lodging. Delaware North Companies, which manages some national parks, created the GreenPath environmental management plan to conserve water and energy, reduce and recycle waste, and maintain the properties' integrity. For a list of GreenPath lodgings, visit http://www.delawarenorth.com/Destinations/Destinations.asp. Vacationing in Canada? The Hotel Association of Canada's ECOmmodation Rating Program recognizes hotels, motels, and resorts that are committed to improving their fiscal and environmental performances. Visit www.hacgreenhotels.com for information.

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I remember the days when I traveled to Toronto (late 1990s) and the hotel had message cards in the bathroom telling you to put your towel in the shower if you wanted a new one ... to help save water and energy from washing a towel that might have only been used once ...

Things have changed ... The Hotel Triton's 7th Floor is ECO friendly. Read on for more

"The days of sacrificing style and comfort to be environmentally conscious are long gone. Hotel Triton is a pioneer ... started with Hotel Triton's one of a kind Eco-Floor™ launched in conjunction with Earth Day in the 1990s. In 2003, the hotel spread its eco-practices to all floors and fostered alliances with organizations such as Trust for Public Land, Green Fusion, Collage Foundation and Happy Planet. ... integrated practices such as a sophisticated waste recycling program, biodegradable cleaning products, recycled paper, and organic coffee. Hotel Triton's environmental efforts became the inspiration and blueprint for Kimpton Hotel's eco-program in 2005, which is now being implemented at all Kimpton Hotels nationwide."

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St Lucia's hotels are coming up in the world, and blossoming, says Maggie O'Sullivan.

The cricket World Cup earlier this year wasn't quite the money-spinner St Lucia had hoped for. But the prospect of hosting the world did at least kick-start a programm of much-needed infrastructural development: the roads may be awful, but they're a lot less awful than they used to be.

Something else has changed, too. Visitor accommodation used to be mainly all-inclusive beach resorts and three-star hotels. Nothing wrong with that, except they don't bring in the big spenders. So over the past few years, St Lucia has been building or renovating hotels likely to appeal to those looking for something a little more luxurious; both Raffles and Ritz-Carlton plan to open resorts here within the next couple of years.

So, is St Lucia destined to be the next Barbados? I hope not. Who wants to see another beautiful coastline blocked by development? Passionate environmentalist Judith Verity, who with her husband recently opened Discovery at Marigot Bay (see opposite page), believes that St Lucians are beginning to appreciate the natural beauty of their island and are making efforts to preserve it. Below is my guide to the best of St Lucia; hotels are arranged in geographical order, from the south and nearest to the international airport.

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Remember when all a hotel had to do to show its concern for the environment was to ask its guests to reuse their towels?

Hotels now are rolling out all sorts of green programs, in part because their business guests in particular are demanding it, and in part because the hotels are finding that going green saves money.

“Environmental issues are one of the hottest issues within the travel industry right now,” said Bill Connors, the executive director of the National Business Travel Association. The association is addressing the topic of eco-friendly elements in hotel design and operations for the first time at its annual convention in July.

Connorss view is borne out by the rise in hotels registering to be certified under the United States Green Building Councils Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, a commercial-building rating system. “I think its a really noticeable trend,” said Max Zahniser, a program manager.

There are currently two certified hotels in the United States Д a Marriott in Maryland and a Hilton in Washington Д and several more are on the way. “At least three-quarters of the projects that have registered are in the last year or two,” Zahniser said.

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Hotels are notoriously wasteful…or maybe it’s just that people are notoriously wasteful when at hotels. Whichever the case, hotels reportedly buy more products in a week than 100 families do in a year. That’s a lot of stuff, and a large portion of it gets thrown away at some point. And the tourism industry is huge, employing nearly 10% of the world’s population – a number that is predicted to double by 2010. Fortunately the eco-tourism industry is growing rapidly as well. The WTO claim that ecotourism accounts for 20% of overall tourism dollars. Because of its recent surge in popularity, there are now all sorts of eco-resorts ready to give visitors a sustainable welcome, a luxurious night’s sleep, a guilt-free vacation, and, more often than not a learning experience.

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New Extended-Stay Hotel Brand to Make “Eco-Etiquette” Intuitive with Smart Design
11 July 2007

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. | Would Al Gore forget to turn off the lights before running out the door? Maybe, if that door led to a hotel room. Travel can turn even the most Prius-like consumer into a gas-guzzling SUV, according to a survey of frequent travelers commissioned by ELEMENT Hotels, a new Westin-inspired extended-stay brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. [NYSE: HOT]. In fact, a majority of frequent travelers [59%] admit to letting their “green routines” slip when on the road.

Guests Check In, Then Throw Out Good Green Habits

Even consumers who make an effort to be green forget to pack their good habits when they hit the road. For example, a majority of people [60%] are more likely to leave a bathroom light on overnight in an unfamiliar hotel room than at home, and nearly 70% of frequent travelers open a new mini-bottle of shampoo and conditioner each time they shower on the road. Sixty-three percent of frequent hotel guests are more likely to leave a light on when they leave a hotel room than home. And although only about a third [34%] of respondents believe it is important to change sheets and towels daily at home, three-quarters think it is important to have fresh sheets and towels daily in a hotel.

Saving the Planet, or $aving a Buck?

When it comes to evaluating eco-options, for most consumers the bottom line is the bottom line. In fact, 62% of respondents agreed that “When I stay in a hotel, one reason I use water and energy less efficiently is because I don’t have to pay for it.” And their reported behaviors for water use reflect this attitude. A whopping 70% of frequent travelers agree that they try to conserve water “as much as possible” at home, while only 18% do the same in a hotel.

A New Approach from ELEMENT Hotels

This disparity is why ELEMENT Hotels will be pioneering a new, smart approach to sustainable hoteling when it opens its doors in 2008. Instead of dictating responsibilities to guests, ELEMENT properties will be designed to make environmentally friendly choices intuitive. Key smart design features include:

* Clean and green: Shampoo and conditioner dispensers will eliminate multiple mini-bottles.
* Stemming the tide: Low-flow sink faucets and dual flush toilets and/or low gallonage toilets will allow guests to optimize water use during their time away from home. This small change conserves an estimated 4,358.6 gallons of water per room each year.
* Smart materials: The ELEMENT design incorporates eco-friendly materials wherever possible, from the floor, which will feature carpets with up to 100% recycled content and recycled carpet cushions, to the walls, where art will be mounted on a base made from recycled tires and where low VOC paints will improve indoor air quality for guests and staff.
* Recycling reminder: About 50% of the waste generated in hotels is recyclable, but most hotel rooms don’t have recycling bins. ELEMENT guest rooms will include bins to help guests maintain their home recycling ritual.
* A bright idea: CFLs (compact florescent lamps) light bulbs will be used throughout the hotel instead of incandescent light bulbs. This small change will result in up to 75% less energy used.
* Nature’s best: Biophilic design, which maximizes natural light and sightlines to the outdoors, will help guests thrive and connect with their surroundings.
* Staying smart: An education program will help guests make smart decisions for the environment while traveling and at home.

These small changes are motivated by the ELEMENT brand’s commitment to creating an environment where guests can thrive and be at their best, from their room to their world.

In the end, it is about creating a balance. “No one wants a lecture on the environment when they travel,” points out Sue Brush, Senior Vice President at Starwood. “The idea behind ELEMENT is to make smart choices intuitive and to support our guests’ sustainable lifestyle, so we can simultaneously accommodate our guests and the environment.”

Methodology

The survey was conducted for ELEMENT Hotels by STUDYLOGIC via telephone interviews with 1,041 respondents, screened for a minimum of 3 hotel stays over the past twelve months.

Lake Placid, New York – As the regions first hotel to be rated 3 leaves by Audubon International in their Green Leaf Eco-rating Program for Hotels, The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort strive to become more earth friendly each year & become a role model for future green hotels in the New York State lodging industry. Currently the following programs are in place in Golden arrow Lakeside Resort to make ecological responsibility second nature to their employees & bring environmental awareness to their guest.

Guest Rooms & Building Materials

As regular light bulbs burn out, Golden Arrow is replacing them with energy efficient compact florescent light bulbs. They also purchase carpets from companies that recycle old carpeting & are very conscious about the effect their industry is having on the planet. The A/C & Heating units in the guest rooms are extremely energy efficient models. On Allergen Free Floor, they chose Bamboo wood flooring because Bamboo is a renewable resource. The showers & toilets are low-flow & do not use as much water as standard ones.

Housekeeping & Back of the House

Golden Arrow uses earth friendly cleaning agents. All of their paper products (tissue, toilet paper, and office paper) are made from recycled content. They recycle as much as they can. Glass, cans, tin, paper etc. are all sorted & recycled. They also encourage guests to recycle by placing separate bags for all recyclables in each guest rooms as well as recycle bins near all of the vending machines.

Landscaping/Grounds

The white sand beach behind the hotel is beautiful. It also helps keep Mirror Lake healthy. Made from crushed limestone, the sand helps counteract the effects of acid rain on the lake - a big problem here in the Adirondacks. Birdfeeders on the grounds help attract & maintain local bird population. In wintertime Golden Arrow use sodium free, environmentally safe ice melter instead of salt on the driveways to keep the driveways free of ice.

“We encourage our guests to travel, but to travel lightly on the earth. To reward this kind of travel, we will give a "Thank you for Being Kind to the Earth" gift bag to anyone arriving at the Golden Arrow by foot, by bicycle, or by hybrid vehicle.” says Jenn Holderied of Golden Arrow. She also says, “Just show us your mode of transportation when you arrive and we will get your "Thank You Bag" ready for you.”

About Golden Arrow: Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort is the first full service hotel in Lake Placid, New York, to have all non-smoking guest rooms. They offer a fine place to relax and enjoy lakeside sports while staying in deluxe accommodation. They are honored with the prestigious “Three Green Leaves Award” by the Audubon Society's Green Leaf Eco Rating Program for Hotels. It’s even known for its pet friendly lodging. Golden Arrow is the perfect place to plan a family vacation while being close to nature.

For an epicenter view of the USA's burgeoning "green hotel" movement, steer your hybrid rental car (or better yet, take rapid transit) to the Chinatown gate.

A block apart in this eco-conscious city, two high-profile boutique hotels are strutting their environmental bragging rights. Like an estimated two-thirds of U.S. hotels (up from about 10% a decade ago), the Orchard Garden Hotel and Kimpton's Hotel Triton ask travelers to conserve water and energy by not having linens and towels changed every day. Both hotels have installed low-flow toilets and showerheads, switched to non-toxic cleaning supplies, and print guest bills with soy-based ink on recycled paper.

But in other ways, the San Francisco competitors are taking divergent paths to the same goals — and their evolving efforts show how confusing and complex going green can be.

In bathrooms on the Triton's designated "eco floor," they're dispensed via refillable, wall-mounted containers rather than tiny plastic bottles destined for landfills. But elsewhere at the Triton, at 39 other Kimpton properties, and at the Orchard Garden (which opened in late 2006 and is one of only a few hotels built to meet the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council's stringent guidelines), amenities still come in individual bottles.

How does the hotel cut energy consumption? Examples include efficient lighting and heating (the Environmental
Protection Agency gives top hotel performers an Energy Star rating), low-flow toilets and showers, and alternative energy like solar or wind power.

Does the hotel have a recycling program, and if so, how extensive is it? Among the options: aluminum, plastic, paper, gray water, composting, unused soaps and shampoos.

Does the hotel contribute to the local community and environmental causes? And, do they use local foods/products when possible?

Source: IndependentTraveler.com

A new style of "no-frills-chic" hotels will gradually arrive in cities across Canada, the first expected to open this year.

These days, the word chic isn't mentioned without implying eco-friendly. The so-called ALT hotels, designed by Quebec architect Viateur Michaud and developed by Groupe Germain, will be on the cutting edge of energy conservation measures.

The hotels will use a heating and cooling system generated by the earth's temperature, as well as geothermally heated tiles on the ground floor and energy-efficient light throughout.

Meant to offer comfortable, sleek rooms at bargain prices ($129 per night) and at the same time address environmental concerns with geothermal technology, the hotel developers are hoping to fill a void in the Canadian market.

"The type of hotel we are introducing today reflects a strong trend in hotel accommodation, especially in Europe and Asia," Christiane Germain, CEO of Groupe Germain, said in a statement. "It's been dubbed 'no-frills-chic' and combines design, atmosphere and chic interiors with the best possible price."

Other green-forward features are rooms equipped with one switch to monitor all lighting and a 100-per-cent smoke-free environment.

Read on...

Element Hotels has a new approach for minimizing the environmental impact of hotel stays. They have some GREAT ideas and I would be a happy guest with the initiatives provided.

* Shampoo and conditioner dispensers will eliminate multiple mini-bottles. I’ve always been bothered by the overuse of supplies when in hotels. I don’t need a new bar of soap every day.
* Low-flow sink faucets and dual flush toilets and/or low gallonage toilets will allow guests to optimize water use during their time away from home. This small change conserves an estimated 4,358.6 gallons of water per room each year.
* The ELEMENT design incorporates eco-friendly materials wherever possible, from the floor, which will feature carpets with up to 100% recycled content and recycled carpet cushions, to the walls, where art will be mounted on a base made from recycled tires and where low VOC paints will improve indoor air quality for guests and staff.
* About 50% of the waste generated in hotels is recyclable, but most hotel rooms don’t have recycling bins. ELEMENT guest rooms will include bins to help guests maintain their home recycling ritual. Wow.
* CFLs (compact florescent lamps) light bulbs will be used throughout the hotel instead of incandescent light bulbs. This small change will result in up to 75% less energy used.

Read More...

Golden Arrow is region's first hotel which was rated 3 leaves by Audubon International in their Green Leaf Eco-rating Program for Hotels, and they are constantly making efforts to become more earth friendly each year.

Lake Placid, NY, July 13, 2007 --(PR.com)-- As the region's first hotel to be rated 3 leaves by Audubon International in their Green Leaf Eco-rating Program for Hotels, The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort strives to become more earth friendly each year & become a role model for future green hotels in the New York State lodging industry. Currently the following programs are in place in Golden arrow Lakeside Resort to make ecological responsibility second nature to their employees & bring environmental awareness to their guest.

Guest Rooms & Building Materials
As regular light bulbs burn out, Golden Arrow is replacing them with energy efficient compact florescent light bulbs. They also purchase carpets from companies that recycle old carpeting & are very conscious about the effect their industry is having on the planet. The A/C & Heating units in the guest rooms are extremely energy efficient models. On Allergen Free Floor, they chose Bamboo wood flooring because Bamboo is a renewable resource. The showers & toilets are low-flow & do not use as much water as standard ones.

Housekeeping & Back of the House
Golden Arrow uses earth friendly cleaning agents. All of their paper products (tissue, toilet paper, and office paper) are made from recycled content. They recycle as much as they can. Glass, cans, tin, paper etc. are all sorted & recycled. They also encourage guests to recycle by placing separate bags for all recyclables in each guest rooms as well as recycle bins near all of the vending machines.

Landscaping/Grounds
The white sand beach behind the hotel is beautiful. It also helps keep Mirror Lake healthy. Made from crushed limestone, the sand helps counteract the effects of acid rain on the lake - a big problem here in the Adirondacks. Birdfeeders on the grounds help attract & maintain local bird population. In wintertime Golden Arrow uses sodium free, environmentally safe ice melter instead of salt on the driveways to keep the driveways free of ice.

“We encourage our guests to travel, but to travel lightly on the earth. To reward this kind of travel, we will give a "Thank you for Being Kind to the Earth" gift bag to anyone arriving at the Golden Arrow by foot, by bicycle, or by hybrid vehicle.” says Jenn Holderied of Golden Arrow. She also says, “Just show us your mode of transportation when you arrive and we will get your "Thank You Bag" ready for you.”

Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort is the first full service hotel in Lake Placid, New York, to have all non-smoking guest rooms. They offer a fine place to relax and enjoy lakeside sports while staying in deluxe accommodation. They are honored with the prestigious “Three Green Leaves Award” by the Audubon Society's Green Leaf Eco Rating Program for Hotels. It’s even known for its pet friendly lodging. Golden Arrow is the perfect place to plan a family vacation while being close to nature.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, which is the greenest hotel of them all? Heck, is there anyway to gauge a hotel's green bona fides, period? In that regard, help might be on the way.

A recent article in the NYT on the greening of the hotel industry noted that numerous hotels were seeking certification by the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) program. LEED's certification is a rigorous process whereby hotels, and all buildings for that matter, meet strict standards for everything from recycling to water efficiency.

Will LEED Certification be to hotels' green efforts what the Good Housekeeping Seal is to, well, gazillions of consumer products? First, a little more on LEED. From its website:

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. ... LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

The certification also includes a credit system, ways for buildings to earn points to earn certification, for everything from water-efficient landscaping and overall energy conservation.

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TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—Friday the thirteenth was a lucky day for participants in the Florida Green Lodging Program, an effort by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to encourage the lodging industry to conserve and protect Florida’s natural resources. It was on that day that Governor Charlie Crist issued an Executive Order that will require all state agencies and departments under his direction to do business only with Florida Green Lodging Program participants as of January 1, 2008.

Crist issued the order during a speech outlining his direction for Florida’s energy future. Additional state government goals include:

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent by 2012, 25 percent by 2017, and 40 percent by 2025.
• Scaling back electric utility emissions to 2000 levels by 2017, to 1990 levels by 2025, and to 80 percent of 1990 levels by 2050.
• Adopting California motor vehicle emission standards and reducing such emissions 22 percent by 2012 and 30 percent by 2016.
• Transitioning to 20 percent renewable energy by 2020.

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The Bali Hotels Association (BHA) has registered its 76 member hotels to take part in a community-led environmental campaign, Clean Up the World, joining 35 million volunteers in more than 120 countries that will take action to reduce the causes of climate change.

From national clean up campaigns to recycling and water reuse projects, volunteers across the globe conduct a variety of environmental projects throughout the year with activities culminating over the Clean Up the World Weekend, celebrated this year on Sept. 14-16 as the article in the Jakarta Post explains.

“In Bali we will be organizing clean-up activities in many of our members’ communities, beaches, rivers and scenic sites and attractions,” said Urs Klee, the BHA’s environmental committee chairman.

“With the support of Clean Up the World, we hope to bring together the tourism industry, banjar (traditional neighborhood associations), schools, tourists and local citizens to collect as much rubbish from their own communities in order for others to reconsider their waste management on the island of the gods.”

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There has been a growing sentiment around the U.S. about becoming more "Green". Corporations are creating initiatives and people are beginning to change their everyday habits to preserve the Earth for future generations.

But what does "Green" exactly mean? There may be different variations to the definition but seem to have a common mission: To become more conscious of the impact that people have on the Earth and begin to realistically change habits that will have a longterm-positive effect on the future.

In conjunction with National Geographic's Green Guide, the NGC Blog will begin to pass along a helpful, easy and more importantly effective tip to help people lessen their human footprint on the Earth.

This Week's Tip: Find a Green Hotel

Whether it's a weekend getaway or a week-long stay, make sure your hotel has the same green habits as you do at home. Since hotels are such large consumers of resources--the hospitality industry spends $3.7 billion a year on energy and typical hotels use 218 gallons of water per day per occupied room--it is especially important to support environmentally conscious businesses whenever possible. Here's how to find them:

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Summer is here and everyone’s off on holiday. Here are a few ways to reduce your carbon footprint without ruining your holiday.

1. Don’t go abroad. I know, the weather ain’t great, but Britain can be pretty spectacular. There are seaside towns like St Ives, Aldeburgh and Whitby; landscapes like Lakeland, Snowdonia or the Scottish Highlands or world class festivals like the Edinburgh Fringe. Or, if you must go abroad…

2. Take the train. If you are travelling to mainland Europe from England, why not take the Channel Tunnel rather than fly. There are direct trains to Paris, Brussels, Lille and Avignon and connections to pretty much everywhere. Trains use a fraction of the carbon dioxide that plains use and it’s not that expensive. London to Paris starts at £60.

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TODAY’S ECO WAKE-UP CALL: A recent survey this spring polled 1047 travelers that said they’re less likely to conserve water and electricity while away from home. Nearly 70% said they open a new mini-bottle of shampoo each time they shower at a hotel. 63% were more likely to leave the lights on at a hotel than at home. And three out of four think it’s important to have their hotel linens changed each day. (Source: USA Today, Starwood Hotels and Resorts survey).

In today’s show, America the Green talks with Yuan-Sing Chang, the creator of the world’s first LEED Gold Certified Hotel, making his hotel and spa the greenest in the U.S.

Resources
Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa the first LEED Gold Certified Hotel in the U.S.

U.S. Green Building Council a non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable building design and construction. Developers of the LEED building rating system.

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By Laura Figueroa, The Miami HeraldMcClatchy-Tribune Regional News

Jul. 17--The pristine white sheets of many hotel beds throughout Miami-Dade County are about to "go green" as part of a water and energy conservation initiative announced Tuesday by county officials.

Commissioner Jose "Pepe" Diaz and officials of the county Water and Sewer Department gathered at the Clarion Collection Las Palmas Hotel and Suites, 8436 NW 36th St., Tuesday morning for a press conference to unveil the county's "Green Lodging Program."

Under the program, hotels would change certain operations to become more environmentally friendly. Hotel light bulbs would be changed to fluorescent bulbs, and consenting guests at participating hotels would have their sheets changed every three days instead of every day to cut down on the water and electricity used for laundry.

"The majority of our guests are corporate guests who stay here more than three days, and we've gotten positive feed back," said Chris Lopez, general manager of Las Palmas Hotel and Suites, the first hotel in the county to sign on to the green initiative. "Everyone just wants to pitch in."

Lopez said the 100 room hotel would save roughly 1,000 gallons of water each day, which could result in lower prices for guests in the long run.

-----

To see more of The Miami Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.herald.com.

Over lunch, a director of a PR company representing travel firms told me she is discouraging them from using the word “green” in copy unless they are really doing something creditable.

About time. Every second email pinging into my in-box is from someone in the travel trade pretending to greenness. An endless number of firms is offering to help air passengers salve their consciences by giving them the opportunity to pay to plant trees. One is even promising to plant a tree “free” in return for every booking. It will do so in Wales — though at least one study suggests that planting outside the tropics could actually contribute to global warming.

Then there’s this kind of thing: “If you want to keep your social conscience clean and your carbon footprint to a minimum, then the Capital Region USA has some great options for keeping your environmental impact to a minimum whilst ensuring maximum fun!” There follows a list of ways in which you can have a “green” holiday, with no mention, of course, of the return flight across the Atlantic that the holiday entails.

The most outrageous nonsense of all, however, comes from the company BCP, which is “urging holidaymakers to go green by taking advantage of the newly opened, environmentally-friendly, multi-story Q-Park car park at Heathrow”.

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There are many other simple and effective strategies we can all start with TODAY. Take a cue from Destination Spa vacations and make a difference with these green ideas:

1. Use your canvas bags. Tote your bags with you when you go shopping to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic or paper bags. Chances are you have a bag from your last Destination Spa vacation or professional conference that you attended or a backpack that you use for picnics or hiking. Put it to good use next time you hit the grocery store, farmer’s market, or department store and say no to the store bags.
2. Drink from your water bottle. Using a refillable water bottle versus buying bottled water can have a big impact. It is a simple equation -- less packaging translates into less energy which is better for the environment.
3. Exercise outdoors.There are so many reasons to enjoy outdoor fitness activities – fresh air, scenery, free, and interaction with nature to name a few. And, it doesn’t require all of the motorized fitness equipment of a gym, the energy to operate a business, or your gas to get there.
4. Eat seasonally and locally produced foods whenever possible. Not only will the food taste fresher and be full of nutrients, but it will also be better for Mother Earth. The less the food has to travel, the less carbon dioxide from the trucks that ship it. Plus it will probably save you money.
5. When traveling, re-use the towels & sheets. Typical hotels use 218 gallons of water per day per occupied room. In addition to the large amounts of water used, excessive use of laundry detergents and other cleaning chemicals pose dangers to the environment and to the housekeeping staff. Many hotels will not replace your towels if you leave them hanging up neatly; if you're not sure, write a note for the housekeeping staff or notify the front desk.

Read the rest of the post...

When Google Maps and Google Earth software made satellite views of the planet free last year, people started mixing up their own sets of data into the maps. As the blog Google Maps Mania shows, such mashups are legion. Suddenly subway directions, cheap gas, apartment rentals, city muggings, tiki bars, and UFO sightings have got a pushpin on a homegrown Google map.

The first mashup released by Google itself yesterday underscores the search giant's understanding that maps wield ecological might. Google worked with the makers of Earth Day to create its Green Summer pages, an eco-friendly sightseeing guide for the top five U.S. vacation destinations: San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, and Orlando. It plots the locations of raw foods restaurants, eco-friendly resorts and hotels, and plays videos to show off the businesses. And of course, you can search there for more green stuff. Sort of like Green Maps, only more interactive.

Read the rest of the post...

In case you haven't noticed, hotels are going green, doing their part to be ecologically friendly. You might call it the Al Gore effect, although the movement began before "An Inconvenient Truth" won an Academy Award this year.

The green efforts go further than asking guests to use towels and bed linens more than once (as they do at home), to conserve water and avoid flushing more detergent-laden water into sewers. It's also more than replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs in guest rooms.

Other green initiatives are more subtle -- things a guest might never notice: recycling, low-flow faucets and shower heads, water-saving toilets and the use of products that don't harm the environment or contribute to global warming.

Whether guests truly care about these hotel efforts is another matter. When you call a hotel to make a reservation, what are you most concerned about -- the room rate and hotel's location, or its conservation efforts? The only green at issue is dollar cost.

Some 59 percent of frequent travelers admit to letting their "green routines" slip when on the road, according to a just-released survey commissioned by the new Element extended-stay brand of Westin Hotels, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Conducted by StudyLogic, a New York research firm, via telephone interviews with 1,041 respondents who had a minimum of three hotel stays over the last 12 months, the survey of frequent travelers found:

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In the lodging industry, “luxurious” and “green” used to be mutually exclusive concepts. After all, the word “luxury” often connotes blissful excess with little concern for waste, whereas “green” implies a stripped-down experience based on conserving resources for the greater good.

Sure, many hotel chains have recently tried to appear more environmentally responsible by letting guests opt to re-use their linens rather than having them replaced each morning. But overall, the industry still falls considerably short of true eco-friendliness. Most hotels and motels still squander more and more energy, generate tons of trash, and send hundreds of gallons of waste and chemicals out into the environment every day.

The figures are startling even at the individual level. A single occupied hotel room uses an average of 218 gallons of water per day, according the California Environmental Protection Agency. And the average guest produces about two pounds of trash each night, according to Michelle White, director of environmental affairs for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. “In some places, it’s five or even six pounds,” she says. So at a single large hotel with, say, 1,000 occupied guest rooms, it’s fair to say that guests alone are generating at least a ton of waste every 24 hours, with the facility’s own operations contributing even more.

As White’s title suggests, some leading hoteliers no longer view “green luxury” as an oxymoron; they’re actively — and successfully promoting themselves as offering eco-friendly yet high-quality accommodations.

Fairmont, a century-old chain with hotels in San Francisco, Toronto and other North American cities, also maintains resorts in locations ranging from Hawaii to Bermuda to Monaco to Kenya. The company began integrating environmental concerns into its operations in 1990 because, White says, “it makes good economic sense. Our destinations and the health of those destinations are tied to our livelihoods. Besides, we all live and work in those locations.”

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LONDON, June 18, 2007 -- Park Plaza Hotels and contractor Gear Construction Project Management, have today announced the next phase in the development of their latest project, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London, their largest hotel management contract to date. The hotel company's aim is to create a destination that becomes the next venue of choice for international conferences and events.

Gear Construction Project Management, the contractor responsible for developing and building Park Plaza's stunning portfolio of UK hotels, has began construction of their newest property.

Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, being built opposite the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, is a major hotel development in the heart of London promising eco-friendly initiatives, urban regeneration and one of the largest hotel based conference spaces in central London.

The striking new hotel, designed by BUJ Architects and Uri Blumenthal Architects & Town Planners, will offer over 2,500 square metres of conference space with 1,000 bedrooms. The hotel will offer conference space for up to 1,250 delegates and will increase Park Plaza's London portfolio to 2,200 guest bedrooms.

In recent years, London's skyline has been redeveloped from Tower Bridge to Vauxhall Bridge, with Park Plaza Westminster Bridge representing the next stage in completing an ultra-modern South Bank cityscape.

Eli Papouchado, Chairman of Park Plaza Hotels, is delighted with the progress already being made at the site, commenting: "I am thrilled to be so closely involved with the development of this striking new hotel, and the significant impact it will have on the regeneration of the South Bank. The area is now one of the most visited in the city, and I am proud to be part of its rejuvenated success."

Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London will be the eighth Park Plaza-managed hotel in the UK to be built by Gear Construction Project Management, following hotels in Leeds, Nottingham and areas of London now enjoying the rewards of extensive regeneration such as Vauxhall and Victoria. The combined partnership of developer and hotel management has proved a winning success across the company's UK estate and extends across to the Continent where Park Plaza Hotels manage, own and franchise some 26 hotels.

Boris Ivesha, President and Chief Executive Officer for Park Plaza Hotels, commented: "Demand for London continues to grow, fuelled by a buoyant business climate, emerging markets such as China and India, the impact of Heathrow Terminal 5 and the London 2012 Olympics. The opening of Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in 2010 and our 400-room Park Plaza County Hall -- due to open on London's South Bank this autumn -- will be welcome additions to London's luxury hotel offering."

Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London will feature some of the latest eco-friendly technologies limiting its impact on the environment. The hotel will have an on-site filtered water bottling 'factory' (Carbon filter process) eliminating the need to transport and dispose of an estimated one million bottles of water per year. The hotel will utilize the latest building insulation technology with triple glazed, energy retaining cladding for heat and cold retention to maximize energy efficiency. Furthermore, the hotel will produce 15 per cent of its own energy using a biomass electric generator. The construction will also recycle 4,500 m3 of concrete from the demolished GLC building that was retained on site for use in the new build process.

Ivesha continues: "Tourism accounts for a significant and growing percentage of GDP in the UK and it is important for the industry to take the lead in finding ways of mitigating our environmental impact. We aim to set a new standard for hotels adopting environmentally friendly policies to give this exciting new development a five-star environ-friendly rating."

The popular South Bank area has enjoyed continued regeneration over the last few years with the latest £110 million refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall continuing the movement. The Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel development will make its own contribution to the regeneration of the area with a total investment of £300 million, with £4.6 million allocated to local regeneration schemes including public transport, employment and the training of local people. A further £1.6 million is allocated towards the creation of a landscaped public space around the hotel. Westminster Bridge Roundabout will become part-pedestrian with a piazza that will limit traffic to taxis and public transport, making it a more scenic and enjoyable area.

"The piazza will create a direct connection between Waterloo and Westminster that will be much easier for tourists and residents to travel between by foot," continued Ivesha.

"Urban regeneration is extremely important if London is to make an impact at the London 2012 Olympic Games. This includes extending the support businesses provide to the city south of the river. This trail blazing scheme is a fantastic way to widen the horizons of Lambeth and create a future landmark for travel and tourism in South London."

The initial announcement was made in October 2005, when financial investment partners Galliard Homes and Frogmore Property Company Limited, together with Eurosea Hotels, declared the multi-million pound project on the south bank for the 14-storey apart-hotel development.

Major hotel chains, big consumers of resources such as power and water, are starting to change their environmentally wasteful ways and design "greener" buildings.

Although most of the efforts are in their infancy, Hilton, Marriott and Wyndham are encouraging the building of eco-friendly and energy-efficient hotels.

Building green hotels isn't about fetching higher rates. Hoteliers view it as an advantage at a time when customers want to patronize green businesses and hotel operators want to cut high bills for electricity and water.

Although green construction is mostly voluntary in the USA, cities such as Dallas, Las Vegas and Arlington, Va., are encouraging it by expediting permits, granting subsidies or requiring it. "People want to be at a hotel that is on the cutting edge," says Dallas Mayor Laura Miller. "Whoever does it first is cool."

Marriott's only green-certified hotel, which is in College Park, Md., uses 30% less electricity than a comparable property. That means it can charge the same rates as rivals, yet earn a better profit, says manager George Trujillo.

Seeing the benefits, chains are slowly embracing new construction guidelines created by the U.S. Green Building Council. Under the program, hotels can get certified by curbing a building's energy and water use, improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions.

Among ways to gain points: recycle construction waste; locate near mass transit; plant water-efficient landscaping; install windows that open; choose low-energy elevators and laundry machines; and cover rooftops with tiles made from recycled tires. Buildings can win one of four certification tiers, ranging from standard to platinum.

Until now, the hotel industry has resisted change. Today, just four U.S. hotels are certified green, vs. more than 800 U.S. office buildings.

But that's changing, especially as green construction costs fall and expertise and material quality rise, says Tom Hicks of Green Building Council, which has 59 applications for U.S. hotel projects, including 7,500 rooms in MGM Mirage's $7.4 billion CityCenter in Las Vegas, said to be the largest privately financed green building project in the USA.

"You say 'green,' and a lot of them think 'tree hugger,'" Trujillo says. "You say 'energy-efficient building,' and they're very interested."

California and New York have the most green hotel projects underway, with 14 and 10, respectively.

Marriott and Hilton each run one green-certified hotel; Marriott hopes to have six more in three years. Marriott is rewriting construction and design guidelines for its Springhill Suites and Courtyard brands. Hilton is doing the same for brands including Hilton, Doubletree and Embassy Suites.

Interest is so keen that Marriott project manager Karim Khalifa says he gets calls daily from owners asking what it takes to get certified.

Last week, Wyndham took its first step toward encouraging green building by launching a spa addition that can be built at its hotels to meet green standards.


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The greening of the Habitat Suites hotel in Austin started with a simple decision in 1991: The hotel stopped using pesticides on the property.

"We're not pulling out machine guns to kill a roach," says general manager Natalie Marquis. "It's enlightened self-interest."

Since then, the hotel (www.habitatsuites.com) has become more environmentally friendly. Some measures were easy, such as replacing standard light bulbs with compact fluorescents and using soap dispensers instead of bars of soap. Other adaptations were more expensive and challenging, such as installing systems to collect solar energy and turn off air conditioners in rooms when guests weren't present.

And some modifications were simply common sense, such as using nontoxic cleansers that are cheaper, better for the environment and easier on the health of the housekeepers. The hotel planted trees to shield the rooms from the sun and landscaped with native plants that require less water.

Though there were some costs initially, in the long run the hotel is saving money. The hotel saved for seven years to pay for what Ms. Marquis says is the largest hotel solar installation in the U.S. Sometimes the solar collectors generate so much energy that the hotel is selling power to Austin Energy, she says.

Beyond being good for the planet, green hotels are attracting travelers who want to reduce their exposure to chemicals and who support conservation.

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July 23, 2007 (FinancialWire) The Doubletree Guest Suites Boston has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star, a symbol for protecting the environment through energy performance. By earning the Energy Star, the Doubletree is using at least 35% less energy than average buildings. The hotel joins approximately 930 buildings nationwide that earned the Energy Star in 2006. The hotel is managed by Hilton Hotels Corp. (NYSE: HLT).

The Doubletree Guest Suites Boston celebrates its Energy Star achievement as part of a multi-phase, hotelwide renovation project at the hotel. The hotel team has worked with the owner of the facility to provide financial and administrative support by making cost-effective improvements to the building through this energy conservation effort.

In-room coffee service with energy saving refrigerators in upgraded guestrooms; 26" LCD flat-panel televisions in living rooms and new lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs are just some of the upgrades recently installed.

In the U.S., energy loss from commercial buildings represents almost 18% of our greenhouse gas emissions. According to the EPA, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved $12 billion and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to those from 23 million vehicles in 2005 alone. The EPA reports that more than 3,200 buildings have earned the Energy Star since 1999.

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The Green Book, by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas Kostigen, has many useful tips for living, working, and traveling more sustainably. Before each chapter, a brief story is given, written by a celebrity about sustainable living in his or her life. The stories are fun, and give the reader a peak into probably unknown parts of the lives of Jennifer Aniston, Robert Redford, Martha Stewart, and others- that Jennifer Aniston takes three minute showers to conserve water, that Robert Redford used to spend his summers working in Yosemite, and that Martha Stewart only heats her house to 64°F because it is so well insulated. The stories seem unconnected to the chapters that follow them, but should nevertheless inspire a large audience, and are a nice break from reading so many tips. Each tip is presented with an impressive statistic about how if each person of a certain sized group of people conserved only a small amount of a certain resource, that it adds up to saving a massive amount of money, energy, or other resources. Some of the statistics are less good than others, though. And when you combine some of the tips, they sometimes seem to contradict each other. For example, in the “Travel” section, the third “simple step” is to “Pack lightly. Every additional ten pounds per traveler requires an additional 250 million gallons of jet fuel per year, which is enough to keep a 747 flying continuously for ten years.”

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