Going Green
(Kermit was Wrong!)
11/8/2006
By Francine Cohen

Back in the 1970s Kermit the Frog warbled that it’s not easy being green, and everyone believed him. But now, some thirty years later we’re more environmentally conscious, and travelers with a passion for protecting the environment have spoken up, demanding that hotels exhibit respect for the planet too. Hotel operators are responding by engaging in environmentally sound practices and finding it relatively easy to make the switch which goes well beyond allowing guests to conserve water by reusing linens. It’s a shame to disagree with a cultural icon, but Kermit’s got it all wrong, it really is easy being green!

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts leads the charge for hotels going green. In April they were awarded the World Travel & Tourism Council’s 2006 Global Tourism Business Award which recognizes the world’s leading examples of best practice in responsible tourism development. This prestigious accolade is the result of the company’s environmental initiatives which touch staff and guests alike. Since 1990, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts have been self appointed, and dedicated, environmental stewards; the company’s Green Partnership program was implemented to minimize the hotels’ operating impacts on the environment. Soon, check-in agents will greet guests at wind powered front desk computers. The shift to wind power will result in greenhouse gas reduction of almost 100 tonnes over the next year. The Fairmont Washington, DC property has purchased wind power from local power supplier, PEPCO, and in their administrative offices motion sensors are attached to lights. The hotel’s General Manager, George Terpilowski, admits there have been times he’s been sitting still at his desk and the light has gone off but the minor effort it takes to engage the sensor is worth it as he notes the savings, “In the last year we’ve reduced electrical consumption by 2% which is 161,564 kwh and translates to $16,000.” Saving money by saving power isn’t the only way that Fairmont Washington, DC exhibits their environmental conscious; there’s a hydrocarbon-powered dry cleaning machine that replaces the toxic chemical Perc with an environmentally friendly product, all aluminum cans, newspapers, cardboard and glass used in guest rooms and banquet rooms are recycled, low flow showerheads and toilets were installed throughout the hotel and colleagues are encouraged to take public transportation.

Guest transportation is a key component of Starwood’s aloft brand’s green efforts. The hotel has announced a “see green” program to introduce and promote ecologically friendly products and services. The program begins before guests even enter the lobby; the parking lot has been transformed into an outdoor park-like environment with a variety of trees and shrubbery that reduce noise pollution. And a special area of parking spots is set aside for guests arriving in hybrid vehicles. Guests wishing to take advantage of aloft’s self-service car-washing station will use eco-friendly cleaning agents and reusable cleaning cloths. Inside the hotel the “see green” program is even more prominent. Recycled teak wood is used throughout, Seventh Generation eco-friendly detergent is the brand of choice in the hotel’s laundry facilities, and, in an effort to reduce the use of non-biodegradable plastics, bathroom amenities (shampoo, conditioner, body wash) are dispensed in eco-friendly units in the showers. Brian McGuiness, Vice President of aloft hotels remarks, “Our vision is to empower each guest to make ecologically-responsible choices and to provide the operators the tools to help reduce our overall impact on the environment.”

Since 2005 the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa has harnessed the earth in an effort to go green and used green energy from the landfills to provide heating and cooling services as well as electricity. Borgata Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President Kevin Sullivan remarks, “Using green energy from the landfills is a natural extens to our puruit of energy alternatives.”

Viable alternatives is the message at Kimpton Hotels, a brand strongly aware of their corporate responsibility to the next generation. The Kimpton green experience touches employees, guests, and neighbors. Recently Kimpton hosted and organized a day-long sustainability event that was open to the public. In the back of the house all printing is on recycled paper using soy based inks, styrofoam cups and food packaging have been eliminated, and uniform and dry cleaning coat hangers are recycled. But it doesn’t stop there; in lobbies where complimentary tea and coffee are available, the coffee and tea provided is all organic, at wine hours (a Kimpton tradition) organic wines are part of the selection, and recycling bins are in each sleeping room. Additionally, each restaurant associated with Kimpton has initiated a sustainable seafood policy and introduced organic and sustainable foods and beverages to the menu.

There’s an extensive menu of programs to choose from when a hotel operator decides to become more environmentally friendly. Implementing them one little step at a time is all it takes to prove the frog wrong.