More than 300 hotels around the country are now certified as "green" by state lodging programs, according to Green Lodging News, an online news site.
"Offering green programs is a win-win situation for both hotel guests and hotel operators," said Linda Hirneise, executive director of the travel practice at J.D. Power and Associates in Westlake Village, Calif. "Guests are increasingly looking for these types of offerings, and hotels are finding that going green actually saves money."
Environmental initiatives are a growing priority at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., the White Plains, N.Y.-based operator of more than 800 hotels worldwide.
Element Hotels, the company's new extended-stay brand, said that the hotels would be built from eco-friendly materials such as carpets with recycled fibers and walls partly made from recycled tires. Low-flow sink faucets and dual flush toilets will save an estimated 4,358.6 gallons of water per room each year, Starwood said.
The first Element hotel is expected to open next year in Lexington, Mass. Additional hotels are expected to debut around the country in 2008 and 2009.
Read more...