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.
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