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This article is all about hotels going green and trying to get LEED certified. The one Boston hotel is doing things like having dual flush toilets, low flow showers, shampoo and conditioner in bulk dispensers, and a roofing material that reflects the sun to save energy costs. Another thing involved with getting LEED certified is getting energy from abouther source, this particular hotel is using the wind. It is expensive to do and doesnt appeal to everyone, hotel managers must figure out whats in the best interest for them and getting people in and out of their hotel.

To add onto Marilyns comment, not only are hotels doing the basics to go green, but a lot of hotels in california are taking the extra step, such as The Kimpton Hotels, and The orchard. They have changed the carpets and wallpaper for lower emission. They added recycle bins in every room in all 40 of their hotels across the country. Lastly, and one of the the additions I find most beneficial is their implementation of key card energy control, where a room key will be needed to activate the electricity in each room, and also shutting all electricity off when they leave.

This article is about how starwood hotels are trying to become fullscale eco-friendly but some are hotels are only greenwashing. This article is stating that it is not enough to use one green practice and call yourself an eco-friendly hotel.

Sustainability has been a primary focus for many hotel companies around the world. There are many initiatives that are being created other than your everyday recycling. Fairmont Mayakoba has implemented a tour in which guest can assist in the transplant of coral to help their growth. Hosteling International USA has also become the first of it's kind to develop a system that monitors shower to last at most seven minutes in it effort to conserve water. These are just some of the many ideas that are taking into effect to further progress sustainability within hotel operations.

As guests are getting more environmentally friendly, being sustainable is an important aspect of hotel operations. Before they book a hotel, a lot of guests will look for or read about the hotel's social responsibility program. Hence, going green would bring in more revenue by attracting more guests.

This article explains several ways that hotels and resorts are helping in the fight for sustainability. Some resorts have completely eliminated the use of air conditioning and other ways to get energy for running electricity. For example, the Jade Mountain resort in St. Lucia has designed all their rooms to be open-air rooms which allows for breezes to come through the rooms and ultimately cool down the rooms. This, in turn, eliminates the need for air-conditioning all together. Some hotels are even offering classes on how to live a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. Hotels and resorts have worked towards saving coral reefs, energy and water conservation, preserving food and re-purposing waste, and creating eco-minded communities.

This article was particularly intersting to me because it highlights the active "green movement" in the industry, but it also points out that many hotels that claim to be "going green" are actually employing practices that are anything but sustainable. The "green" notice you see when you enter the property, is nothing more than a marketing ploy in case they may encounter a customer who actually values sustainability. As much as eco-friendly organizations may inspect, certify, and supervise the industry, it is still very easy for companies to take the cheaper, more traditional road of ignoring the very principles of sustainability they claim to operate by. As much as we may try to regulate this movement, our efforts are never enough. Becoming environmentally sustainable has had a global impact already, but the level of awareness is not high enough to reach a globally effective level yet. Sustainability is our obligation to the earth that lets us live rent free. It is our responsibility and we must all take the initiative to ensure our global destinations are still around for future generations to enjoy. The problem, as this article points out, is that you can still polute and waste energy and hide behind the sign on your property that says you are eco-friendly just in case you come across that customer out there who actually values sustainability. It is sad that with all the sustainable technology available today, we still don't appreciate its importance. We have the technology to manage HVAC systems, waste processing, and renewable energy to name a few, but it is cheaper and more convenient to employ the traditional methods that are not sustainable. Many travel industry organizations have figured out that all they have to do is post signs saying they have sustainable technology and what it does without actually having to practice what they preach. I believe government agencies need to move in the general direction of coercing sustainable practices under s

This article is an interview with Leigh Tymms from Green Edge Environmental on the marketing benefits of going green. The most beneficial is generating a positive reputation with customers looking to go green. These customers are increasing everyday. According to the article, a report by Travelocity stated that 80% of travelers are willing to pay extra to visit an eco-friendly destination. Basically, more and more guests are taking into consideration the size of a hotels carbon footprint. Although it may be costly originally, in the long run it is also economically beneficial for hotels to go green. Tymms warns that hotels ignoring the green trend in hospitality risk losing customers. And he also suggest that hoteliers make sure they are actually taking steps to go green and not just marketing false claims for revenue gain. 

The element by Westin brand for extended stay have revolutionized the market and found a niche for travelers who are environmentally conscious and eco-friendly. This brand uses green initiatives from design to construction and eventually during operation. Element hotels use this as a branding strategy but more hotels should adopt this model for conservation and to reduce expenses.

This article highlights how several large chain hotels have taken on the initiative to reduce/eliminate their resource and energy consumption to sustain their communities for tourism. The four main steps taken include: saving the coral reefs, energy and water conservation, preserving food and repurposing waste, and creating eco- minded communities. Hotels have taken on a number a projects such as creating underwater structures to preserve and enhance the coral reefs for guests experience, filtering water from the local river, starting a food waste program to turn left over food items into reusable water, and hosting seminars to discuss sustainability and clean ups to name a few.

This article is about 1 Hotels commitment to sustainable hospitality including their "Save Our Shores" campaign, full-size refillable bottles for toiletries, and using reclaimed materials at their properties.

MODULE 5: This article is about a new booking site was created for individuals who prefer to book hotels that are committed to sustainable practices. Travel Management Companies (TMCs) has worked with BookDifferent.com in launching its Corporate Travel Tool and consumers are able to see the different properties' carbon footprint. This new site offers approximately 1.1 million accommodations with more than 7,000 eco-certified properties. The Corporate Travel Tool works like an add-on feature for TMCs that creates a seamless process for booking properties that can reduce the consumers environmental footprint. Most recently BookDifferent.com has received the 2018 Sustainable Travel Award this past January in the Netherlands.

Cruises are said to be one of those forms of transportation with the highest carbon emissions. "A typical cruise ship with 3,000 passengers generates 1 million gallons of gray water; 210,000 gallons of sewade; 25,000 gallons of oily bilge water; 100 gallons of hazardous or toxic waste; 50 tons of garbage and solid waste…" This expert just proves how non-ecofriendly cruises can actually be. However, regulations set by the government have now pushed cruises into trying to be more environmentally friendly. This article singles out seven green cruises that have found ways in which they can decrease their carbon footprint on the world. One cruise that has taken on the initiative is Holland America Cruises. With tactics such as towel reuse program and the installation of low-flow showerheads this cruise line has been making a conscious effort to operate green. They even ensure the most fuel-efficient means of travelling by studying tide schedules to maximize fuel usage with shorter routes. Another interesting cruise that pushes for the green initiative includes Celebrity Cruises with its solar powered cruise line. Other tactics used by other cruises include reusing waste cooking oil on heavy machinery, ridding of all plastic water bottles, shutting off engines in the winter time and only buying fish that are sustainably harvested are just some ways these 7 cruise lines have taken a stand to become greener. This responsible effort by these cruise lines not only can work in their favor for marketing purposes with consumers but create a sustainable industry for the future of cruises. Something as crucial as waste disposal in the water can greatly affect the future of the industry if not considered by the cruises today. Could you imagine if every cruise were to just dispose of their waste into the ocean with no sort of eco-friendly thought in their mind? I found this article to be extremely interesting, especially since I have been on a cruise. I had no idea ho

I chose this article because it is an opinion article from the Huffington Post about the balance of luxury and being eco-friendly. Joanna Zelman shares her views on green hotels. She presents the question of whether living luxuriously during your hotel visit means sacrificing our planet. She also shares that hotels are indeed recognizing the major amounts of waste they have been producing. Zelman feels that hotels are trying to be green, but in the end they let the guests decide how green they want to be.

"Some hotels now recognize the astronomical amount of waste they produce daily, and a green hotel movement is underway. The Hilton Americas-Houston generates a reported 675,000 pounds of dirty linens per month. With the purchase of an AquaRecycle water recycling system, they reduced their water usage by 75%, from 630,000 gallons to 157,500 gallons per month."

Some hotels now recognize the astronomical amount of waste they produce daily, and a green hotel movement is underway.Element Times Square West is Starwood's most recent endeavor, an "eco-chic" hotel located on W. 39th street in New York City. The hotel proudly touts recycling bins in every room, complimentary bikes, reusable laundry bags, silverware instead of plastic, dispensable bath products, and an organic on-site pantry.But right next to the reusable laundry bag is a plastic laundry bag, beside the ceramic mugs are paper cups, across from the dispensable soap is an individually wrapped bar, and after consuming your organic food, you can rest your guilt-free head on a bunch of down feather pillows. Someone suggests that guests unplug chargers when not in use, turn lights off, and take advantage of linen reuse policies.

In an effort to catch up with emerging technology and trends, it is expected more hotels will begin to "go green" this year with their linens and uniforms. I believe this is in part because hotels are being held to hirer expectations as we emerge from the recession. USA Today reports that American Laundry News surveyed several vendors about new products at the 2011 International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show in New York. Vendors including popular uniform maker, Cintas revealed more items like the washable tuxedo, made from recycled plastic bottles and the Eco-Cobra Jacket for front door staffers. Hospitality textile maker, Riegel is reportedly getting lots of attention from hoteliers for its recycled polyester tablecloths, also made from recycled bottles. The recycled fibers are expected to cut costs on hotel laundry bills. For example, Cintas estimates the washable tuxedos would save them nearly $1,000 each year. I had the opportunity to attend IHMRS this year, and visited the Cintas display. The recyclable material is no new idea. However, it is apparent that changes are being made to improve the durability of the products. I recall when the recycled fibers were initially used. The material seemed cheap and couldn't be ironed for risk of destroying it. Quality seems to be something hotels and restaurants are forgoing in order to "go green". To add, up front costs aren't necessarily saving companies much money. The USA Today article prompts reader responses by asking if hotel/ restaurant visitors even care whether or not a business has "green" products. I believe this is a fair question. Beyond attempts to save on long term costs, what other motivation do hotel operators have to "go green"?

I think it is important to hotel visitors, especially group & corporate, for hotels to go green. Maybe companies and organizations require their employees to book rooms at hotels that meet certain "green" standards. If I am a business owner, and promote the company as "green", then our actions and choices have to be "green" too. The uniforms made of recycled material sound very interesting! I wonder if they are comfotable and liked by employees.

While many U.S. hotels are moving from recession style cost cutting to updating their properties, it would appear that they have become interested in a more green approach, at least in one area, laundry. The American Laundry news explains that as many hotels seek to buy new tablecloths and uniforms for their staff, they are looking for green products that can help to trim their laundering costs. One of the things that caught the interest of hoteliers is the hotel industry's first look at machine washable tuxedos for the wait staff. Cintas partnered with Boardroom Eco Apparel to produce the tuxedo, which uses recycled plastic bottles transformed into polyester fibers. Cintas has stated that this green, machine washable tuxedo can save the hotel up to $1000 per employee annually. Cintas has also garnered interest in its recycled polyester bellman's jackets, as well. Another green product that hotels can use is the recycled polyester tablecloth. These tablecloths also come from recycled bottles and are also very eco-friendly. Riegel, the company behind these, has said that just using one of their table napkins can eliminate three plastic bottles from landfills. While these tablecloths may not save the hotel money in the short run, Riegel says that the hotel can save money in the long run by pitching itself as a "green" hotel. It is important to note that hotels have been slowly switching to greener products over the years, such as energy efficient light bulbs, to recycled plastic water bottles, and even sustainable organic ingredients in restaurant kitchens.

This article takes a look at 3 to 5 star hotels in Zimbabwe and South Africa and their environmentally friendly practices. Research shows that the hotel industry has a huge impact on the environment and the use of natural resources. The hotel industry has been negatively impacting the environment by consuming large amount of energy and water, and by producing large amounts of waste. The government has been demanding that hotels implement green practices, these are methods and products that do not negatively impact the environment. The results from the data collected from these two countries showed that none of the hotels had a written green management policy. Even though some of the hotels insisted that there is a green management policy in effect, it was not written down. It is important for policies like this to be written so there is a clear understanding of what is expected.

It seems the main motivation to implement more eco-friendly practices would be legislation/regulation but I wonder how that would be received? Outside the hotel industry,. I wonder how much focus is generally given to environmental concerns? Interesting research.

This article explained how green ranking benefits hotels. Being green certified will bring Eco-conscious guests to the hotel.

This article is about how technology or different practices can lead to cost benefits for hotels or resorts implementing new standards or eco-centric practices Not only are these great ideas from a public relations standpoint, as the public is more and more concerned with their "carbon footprint," and activities, these are great suggestions for how resorts and hotels can utilize technology to save money at the same time. It's a win-win, whereas, in former times we have been told to be "green," meant spending extra money and losing money in the end. Some of these ideas are about waste practices, some are about LED lightbulbs, some ideas are pretty basic ideas about waste practices. Some of these ideas are about energy-efficient technologies that can be implemented at resorts, and then also training staff to be more energy efficient as well. This is not just a technology idea, but a culture idea as well.

Another simple reason I liked this article has to do with hotels either renovating or hotels being built. Or any venue for that matter. Hire architects that understand you want to "go green," be "self-sustainable" as much as possible. Having the architecture allow in more natural light, or work in such a way that reduces heating and cooling costs, as well as implementing free energy standards such as solar panels, may seem expensive, but reduce long term energy costs, can look amazing, and also draw guests. There have been great examples of this kind of architecture in recent years, and this is something the hospitality industry should definitely adopt. We work with guests and want to not only make them feel comfortable, but also impress them time and again. Implementing these types of changes in terms of starting small like this article suggests, and then aiming big...is something that definitely should be rolling around our minds nowadays. Not only that, but now with COVID19, we must find ways to ensure guests of cleanliness. So we have to issues to think about--green technology, and cleaning technology. Maybe blue light activation is something to consider.

This article was pre-COVID and budgetary restraints I fear will force many initiatives to be placed on the back burner for a while. What I really liked about this article is that it shows the hospitality industry being a driving force in sustainability technologies and taking accountability for amount of resources it uses and waste it produces. I found the "three-zero-concept" particularly interesting for new builds, since it takes a ground-up approach to sustainability. It talks about education and training for staff, which is extremely important for sustainability initiatives to be successful. The article highlights different protocols being used to lower waste, emissions, pollution, and natural resources used.

It's important to build sustainability facility in the hotel. It's a future trend to build a green hotel and sustain the eco-friendly environment. There are many ways to do physical plants. Water consumption Within guest rooms, laundries, kitchens, pools, and spas, hotels continue to phase inefficiencies that reduce water and, in many cases, chemicals that are used to treat water systems and clean facilities. Efforts include the linen and towel reuse programs that are now an industry standard to the installation of low-flow faucets, showerheads, and other fixtures. Hotel Recycling and Waste Reduction With the limited exception for domestic hotels, recycling programs for the basics such as newspapers and beverage containers are becoming a basic expectation. In combination with the recycling efforts, hotels are looking for opportunities to reduce the use of paper and other disposables. Hotels and resorts that can go beyond to implement food waste composting programs can demonstrate waste diverted from the landfill upwards of 40-50%. Hotel Bath Amenities Many hotels are making a statement by offering guests custom formulated amenities. Resort companies such as RockResorts have taken it one step further with an all-natural, essential oil-based custom formulated product made without preservatives and artificial ingredients that are packaged in recyclable containers. Other midrange hotel brands are experimenting with bulk dispenser presentations.

This article discusses that as time continues to progress, more and more hotels, as well as other hospitality/tourism places are starting to implement more "eco-friendly initiatives" into their businesses for the satisfaction of the customers. It is important for the hospitality to be able to adapt in the sense of increasing their "green initiatives." Some hotels have begun doing so by, linen and towel reuse programs, low-flow faucets and shower heads, recycling programs, and much more. Implementing these actions can only benefit the industry/businesses in the long run.

This is a great summary of what event planners are looking for in hotels - "Green Initiatives" that include energy use, water bottle reduction, menu planning, waste management, recycle programs, etc. Very easy to read and recommend for green topic areas for research papers.

This article ties into this week's topic of sustainability and green initiatives, even though it's from 2017, which was dubbed as year of sustainable tourism by the United Nation. The hospitality industry is guilty of having a large annual footprint. Today's traveler is more eco-conscious then ever and is always looking for hotels and properties who support their mindset. The hospitality industry is hopping on the green train and taking action to set precedent for their competitors. Many big cities along with celebrities are promoting the idea of sustainable and conscious living and hospitality, making it the hottest trend. The hospitality industry id one the fore front of this effort because they are one the impacted businesses due to climate change. Many local economies that depend on tourism and hospitality can crumble if they don't start taking action right now. This trend will hopefully create a domino effect and influence other industries to follow suite.

In Scotland, the hotel industry is looking at a new way to be green in their growing market. They say in a study of 1300 US travelers, over 60 percent of them considered the environment when choosing which hotel to stay at. This is a newer development in the 21st century where guest are looking to be more eco-friendly.

The "Going Green" trend has been a true blessing since it's marketability took birth several years ago. Many industries are taking advantage of this technological and ecological trend. There has never been a better time than now to turn our business ethics into the direction of a better world. Basic utility expenses at any hotel or business can sometimes make or break their existence. Technology today has given us the tools to give back to both our beautiful Earth and our bottom dollar. Luxury brands and all the like are implementing new green policies and technologies that will cut costs and even beautiful their environments. By the end of 2015 The Intercontinental Hotels Group plans on equipping over 4,000 of their hotels with a system that monitors and assists in energy use and conservation. They have a goal of reducing their overall water use by 12% in California in part due to the severe ongoing drought. The Loews in Santa Monica Beach is investing $96,000 in a laundry-water recycling system. It will recycle nearly 70% of water use and pay for itself in less than 2 years. Apart from it's ability to cut-costs and truly give back to the environment, "going green" is highly marketable. One of the Intercontinental's General Managers was quoted saying "It's not a huge savings. I think it's about sending the right message." I have personally seen many RFPs from large corporate companies that request green-initiatives from hotels. Improving sustainability is important to the customer and the establishment. Around 60% of travelers consider green initiatives when selecting a destination and activity. Of those 60%, over half said they would even pay more to stay at an establishment that respected and helped improve the environment. In a world where we are fortunate enough to live in excess should we choose to, it's a shame it took this long for a global movement to "go green". Sustainability alone has built such a giant indu

Hotel guests are now more interested in connectivity than they used to. With this technology age guests would like to have access "to all things digital that can enhance their experience." Hotels now are spending more time and resources on network technology as they do for other services. For hotels to gain competitive advantage they need to build rooms where everything is on a network.

This article highlights top technological improvements in a hotel that have proven to be successful, and in return have reflected a positive ROI. The article discusses ideas that are new and upcoming. Some of these ideas include: Digital check-in/check-outs, secure and reliable Wi-Fi, smart phone operated hotels (use of keys), TV as in-room control center where guests can control room temperature and lighting, and restaurant display ordering.

Another topic that is mention, previously discussed in class, is how paper menus will be replaced and guests will now have access to order via touch screen devices. This does not eliminate servers, but increases efficiency of staff, and increases turnover of tables.