The Refinishing Touch Blog

Goldman Award recognizes individual green efforts

2010-04-30T09:00:00.002-04:00

As we’ve seen through our clients as well as through organizations worldwide, there are any number of ways to go green. Often times the great work of big companies can seem overwhelming to everyday individuals who want to do their part for the environment as well. The Goldman Environmental Foundation recognizes those individuals who, in their everyday lives, have fought to preserve the environment with its Goldman Environmental Prize, which honors grassroots environmentalists. Last week, the Foundation announced the 2010 award recipients who hail from six regional areas: Africa, Asia, Europe, Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America.

The six individuals who received the award range from a lawyer in Poland, who fought to protect sensitive ecosystems in the Rospuda Valley from being destroyed by a highway project, to an animal activist who worked to prevent the death of Asian elephants by teaching farmers to keep the animals at bay using fences, fireworks, and horns, to a farmer in Michigan, who stood up to large industrial farms nearby that kept its animals in cramped spaces and produced huge amounts of manure that damaged the quality of air and water. Learn about all the award recipients here.

The sustainable work of big companies is important, however the work of individuals is just as important, if not more. Congratulations to this year’s awards recipients, whose efforts have improved the environment and serve as great examples of how everyday people can make a difference.

Wyndham Green initiatives earn Silver LEED Certification

2010-04-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month, Wyndham Worldwide was recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its corporate responsibility and its commitment to the environment with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification. The hotel chain received the honor for its headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey, which meets LEED standards in areas including energy use, lighting, and water use. The building also employs other sustainable policies such as using recycled materials, paints, carpets and furniture throughout the building.

This newly LEED-certified building is just one example of Wyndham’s commitment to sustainability. It has even organized a separate program, called Wyndham Green, that strives to achieve sustainable goals throughout the company in six specific areas: energy conservation, water conservation, recycle/reuse, education, community and innovation. Wyndham, which boasts 70,000 properties worldwide, has also received other accolades, (including one from Newsweek as one of the top 100 greenest companies in the country) and is a finalist in the Corporate Commitment category USGBC's fourth annual "Building a Greener New Jersey" award.

With all these achievements under its belt and its continued commitment to green initiatives, Wyndham is a great example of sustainability both within the hospitality industry and throughout the corporate landscape.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T09:00:00.004-04:00

You might not realize it, but today’s a pretty significant milestone for organizations with a commitment to carrying out business in an eco-friendly fashion. Today is Earth Day, and this year it’s the 40th Anniversary of the annual event.

Since it began in the US in 1970, this celebration of all things environmental has become a rallying point for concerned citizens of all nations. From its position on the fringes, Earth Day has become a mainstream event, an opportunity for politicians and companies to show off their green credentials. And as a business with a genuine focus on recycling, reusing and upgrading, we like to mark the event. As we, amongst others, have shown, green business is good business. It makes sense to reuse and upgrade, whether we’re talking about computers, waste materials or land. The savings in terms of cost and resources are significant, and it’s an opportunity to do both the right thing and the smart thing.

Lean & Green

2010-04-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

As fuel costs continue to rise and the high environmental cost of air travel becomes ever more apparent, people are increasingly looking for relatively local, relatively inexpensive holidays. Whether it’s camping, hiring a motor home or making the journey part of the holiday experience, something relatively inexpensive and authentic has an increasing edge over a lot of the more expensive options. Out of season is always going to have the edge in terms of low cost holidays (and is ideal of you’re not shackled to the school holidays), but there are lots of options for those willing to do a little research. Craigslist is a good place to start, and a lot of inventive people are renting out spare rooms to those looking for a more homey feel.

One of the many great things about our homeland is its infinite variety, and taking the opportunity go get off the beaten track a little and experience something new and interesting can broaden the mind and bolster the bank balance – and help the planet.

Renew, Refresh, Repeat

2010-04-16T13:06:00.004-04:00

We’re committed to delivering value for money to all our customers, and always have been. In the current climate this is more important than ever, and most forecasts predict that the years of simply replacing outdated or worn furnishings are gone. The new watchword for the hotel industry is renew.

From Marriott to Starwood, all the major chains are rolling out significant reburbishment plans alongside their global construction plans – and in the case of Choice Hotels, they’re refurbishing almost to rooms for every new room they bring online.

Good news for us at TRT, certainly, but also recognition of the fact that, whilst the worst of the financial crisis of the past couple of years may have passed, the effects of 2008 – 2009 will linger for some time to come. Refurbishing and refinishing rooms shouldn’t be seen as a lesser option, however. With the techniques we use, it’s a quick, cost-effective way to keep your rooms looking their best, and clean, well appointed rooms can be the difference between a recommendation and a lukewarm review. Even the Las Vegas resort hotels, famous for being in a constant state of change, are opting for renewal – with the high-end Wynn Las Vegas about to renovate every single one of its 2,700 rooms. The only question for hotel mangers is this: if everyone else is doing it, why aren’t you?

The shoots of recovery: Hotel investment capital returns

2010-04-12T20:17:00.005-04:00

As anyone in the industry will tell you, the financial crisis of 2008/2009 hit the hotel hard industry on two fronts. Firstly, custom took a sudden, steep dive. All of a sudden hotel owners had to cut rates to unprecedented levels just to keep up occupancy rates, and there weren’t enough customers to go round. And then, perhaps more seriously, capital all but dried up. All of a sudden financing for construction, refurbishments and overhauls was seriously hard to come by.

Fortunately, the hospitality industry finally seems to be getting a break. It’s early days, for sure, but there are signs that investors are returning and construction is beginning again. Growth is cautious, and concentrated on certain areas perceived as lower risk, but it’s a definite improvement on recent times. We’ve been seeing substantial activity across all our lines of business, and momentum is certainly growing.

So what can the industry expect? In the short term, higher service coverage ratios. Investors may be starting to return, but they’re understandably wary, and that translates into higher charges. Nevertheless, with some industry experts suggesting that RevRAR falls will bottom out in 2010 and then grow next year and beyond, investments look likely to return in force over time. Not to the levels of a decade ago, but enough that smart, customer-focused business owners can finance future growth and development. That’s something that we at The Refinishing Touch welcome along with others in our industry.

Building a Sustainable Education

2010-04-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

Schools with green design are nothing new. Neither are schools with a green curriculum. Schools that use their green design as a key component of a green curriculum, though, are much harder to find.

The Valley View Middle School in Snohomish, Washington does just that. The building follows all of the tenets of green design, but uses its architectural and sustainable features to teach students. All of Valley View’s mechanical equipment, ranging from boilers to water systems, is color-coded and visible to students. This allows the students to, for example, watch rain water travel through pipes to be reused in bathrooms.

The Da Vinci Arts Middle School in Portland, Oregon uses the same teaching methodologies. In addition to a net-zero music room and a water garden for collecting storm water, Da Vinci Arts allows students to track energy use from the school’s photovoltaic solar panels, donated by the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

With an environmental slant, school buildings themselves can turn into a teaching tool, an able supplement to the lessons learned inside, and teachers can see both students and their buildings at work.

Kimpton aims for 100% Green Seal certification

2010-04-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants are on track to achieve an environmental milestone. Based in San Francisco, CA, the lifestyle boutique company has announced its goal for all 50 of its hotels to achieve 100 percent Green Seal certification at the silver level, which would make it the first of its kind in the U.S. to obtain this honor.

For a hotel to be considered Green Seal certified, it must pass both an initial evaluation and on-site audit as well as demonstrate sustainable practices in waste minimization, energy efficiency, fresh and waste water management, hazardous substances and environmentally conscious purchasing.

Roughly half of Kimpton’s hotels have already been certified, with an additional 20 awaiting certification within the next 90 days. The four remaining hotels will begin the certification process sometime this year.

Kimpton has incorporated environmental awareness into its operations since its foundation in 1981. It was among the first in the hospitality industry to include in-room recycling bins and use non-toxic cleaners. The results of its conservation efforts are impressive. For example, statistics show that sustainable practices at Kimpton hotel properties in Chicago have already prevented an estimated 1500 tons of greenhouse gases and diverted about 116 tons of recyclable materials from ending up in landfills.

By working to achieve this goal, Kimpton is setting a great example in how to think big for the environment.

Going Green for Profits

2010-04-02T09:00:00.007-04:00

Today we’re excited to continue our series of guest bloggers with a post from Diana Driscoll. Diana is a principal of Ridgeline Hospitality, a developer of upscale hotels in the Southwest.

Diana's work at Ridgeline includes the launch of HotelRescue, which provides hoteliers with strategies to make their hotels more efficient, increasing cash flow and evaluating and utilizing 'green' initiatives while maintaining an excellent guest experience. HotelRescue helps hoteliers incorporate green practices, lowering operating and energy costs, creating higher hotel value and earning incentives for eco-friendly initiatives. Diana's work aligns with our core values - helping hotels become sustainable and environmentally viable, improving both customer experience and the bottom line. Diana was kind enough to pen a guest post for us about the costs of going, or not going, green in the hospitality industry.

------------------------------------------------

Going Green for Profits
By Diana Driscoll

We all know that going 'green' or 'LEED-certified' is good for the planet and good for people, but what about for profits? What is the ROI for going 'green', and are hoteliers allowed to think in terms of the bottom line, guilt-free? Absolutely!

Hotels are a business – a personal, people-centric and creative investment, but an investment none-the-less. Well said by Dennis Quaintance, CEO of Proximity Hotels (the first platinum LEED certified hotel in the U.S.),

"It ain’t sustainable to go broke!"

Many hoteliers have taken a 'wait and see' attitude before investing in green changes. Fortunately, we now have enough data, both from LEED-certified CRE and hotels to get a good idea of the costs and profit potential for 'going green'. At the time of this writing, there were almost 50 LEED-certified hotels in the U.S., and over 900 hotels were registered for LEED. Additionally, there were 17 LEED-certified conference centers with an additional 85 in the LEED pipeline.

Of course, costs differ according to the specific project, its location, the regional and state incentives and rebates and so on, but developers need a number to start with, and that number is usually much lower than anticipated.

Taking it a step at a time, before exhaustive studies of rebates, tax incentives, available technology and detailed LEED design work is completed, the developer can feel fairly comfortable with the following costs of LEED, based on previous projects:
• Certification: 0-0.8%
• Silver: 1-2%
• Gold: 2-4%
• Platinum: 4-8%.
These percentages are based on hard plus soft costs and exclude land costs.

Indeed, some cities are incorporating LEED points into their building codes, and the cost to achieve basic LEED-certification is almost always cost neutral. I have noticed that most hoteliers will aim for silver or gold certification. Platinum, although admirable, is more difficult to achieve, as even the site needs to meet certain criteria that are out of the developer's control. Again, Dennis Quaintance had some accurate comments about going LEED platinum:

"It wasn't easy. It wasn't hard, either."

Looking at some concrete examples, Good Energies explained to the Wall Street Journal that for the average, non-residential building with an increase of 2% of costs (generally a silver or gold LEED-certification), the payback period averages 3-4 years, and over 20 years the payback is equal to 4-6 times the investment cost.

And what about the increase in sale's price of the hotel? For this estimate, we are lacking hotel comps and need to examine office and retail projects. Generally, sale's prices for energy efficient buildings are as much as 10% higher per square foot than conventional buildings. Most LEED hoteliers anticipate a one percent lower cap rate (higher sales price) upon sale. This increase in profit is in addition to the lower energy and water costs, the lower insurance costs, the lower cost of debt, the increase in group meetings possible, the higher occupancy levels (9% of the population currently seek out 'green' hotels) and the larger pool of potential buyers (pension funds and insurance companies generally look for the most technically advanced buildings, and LEED is considered to be cutting edge, and certainly less likely to become obsolete!).

Looking at 'green' strictly as an investment, the McKinsey and Co's report, "The Case for Investing in Energy Efficiency", $170 billion is anticipated to be invested in energy efficiency over the next 13 years, with an internal rate of return of 17%. This investment will generate $900 Billion of annual savings by 2020. This is a better return than the stock market (which has shown us a 10% return over the long term), or real estate (with its average 16% return). Notably, these numbers are calculated based on a conservative $50 per barrel oil cost. If oil costs go up to $150 per barrel, the internal rate of return triples to 51%, which is five times better than the average stock market return.

So, if your hotel goes 'green' (even gradually), will it be for the planet, for people or for profits? My belief is that if it is not profitable, it will be nearly impossible for developers to go 'green' for purely altruistic motives. Fortunately, we don't have to choose one motivation. Let go of that guilt and know that if you are increasing your profits, the planet is also benefiting.

Diana Driscoll, LEED AP B, D & C
Ridgeline Hospitality, LLC
DDriscoll@RidgelineHospitality.com
Twitter: @dianadriscoll @hotelrescue

Hotel transactions show promise for 2010

2010-03-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hospitality was among the hardest-hit industries in the economic recession. Yet despite declines in hotel operating profits, property values and mortgage capital, both hotel buyers and brokers stand to benefit in the near future in several ways.

One way buyers benefit is that they can purchase properties for bargain prices. Past recessions have demonstrated that hotel values typically drop to between 30 and 40 percent of their replacement cost. HVS, a global hospitality consulting organization, conducted a sample of transactions involving U.S. branded hotels in 2009, and they found that current hotel room prices appeared to be close to the bottom-out range and room prices were significantly less now than they were in 2007.

In addition, many highly discounted hotels are located in neglected areas and markets that have halted or slowed development until the economy recovers. This creates a barrier will help prevent buyers from overbuilding in the future.

Most hotel owners are steadfastly clinging to the hope of economic recovery before putting their properties up for sale. According to HVS, the number of hotel transactions that took place in 2009 were roughly one-quarter the number that took place in 2005. On the bright side, private equity funds have raised billions to purchase deeply discounted hotels with equity capital once they’re put up for sale, which means the funds could provide much-needed financing once mortgage debt becomes available again.

Hopefully the combination of private equity capital, a limited number of transactions and slowly improving occupancy rates will result in increased room rates and an improved market, and with any luck, these efforts will only drive the hotel industry to an even more rapid recovery.

Five small steps to save the planet

2010-03-26T09:00:00.002-04:00

Making a difference in the environment doesn't always have to mean creating an eco-friendly hotel or using solar cells for energy. By making just a few changes to the way you live, you can help the planet in your own small way. The EPA's Pick 5 campaign shows just how easy this can be.

The idea is simple: put into practice any five of the EPA's tips, and we'll all be better off. Keep helping out and convince your friends and family to do the same.

We chose five of our own—try them out for yourself:

• Save water: start turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth or shave, and take showers, not baths
• Reduce electricity: use programmable thermostats, fluorescent light bulbs, and Energy Star products—and don't forget to unplug things when not in use
• Recycle old electronics: bring TVs, old computers and other obsolete or broken electronics in for proper recycling, keeping hazardous e-waste out of landfills
• Rethink your commute: walking and riding a bike are both great ways to get exercise and reduce air pollution, and riding public transportation or carpooling help reduce emissions
• Use chemicals safely: compare products and check labels to make sure the pesticides, paints and cleaning agents you use don't hurt the environment, and remember to dispose of them properly

You’ve seen our choices, now pick five of your own and spread the word.

Counting Down to Earth Hour

2010-03-23T09:20:00.008-04:00

On Saturday, March 27 at 8:30pm local time, hundreds of millions of people will, for one hour, turn off their lights. They won't be going to bed or leaving their houses, but taking part in Earth Hour 2010.

Created to encourage people worldwide to consider their effects on the environment, Earth Hour drew over 80 million American participants in 2009, and nearly one billion worldwide.

Earth Hour has been attracting participants on more than the household level: a number of local governments, businesses and landmarks all have taken part in Earth Hour before. If the Las Vegas Strip and Sydney Opera House can go without light for an hour, your hotel probably can too.

Taking part in Earth Hour is a powerful way to show that you’re engaged in environmental issues, but remember to stay involved after the hour ends. Turn off your lights not just at 8:30, but when you're not using them. Switch to energy-efficient bulbs, drive less, recycle and reuse. The effort doesn’t stop when the clock hits 9:30.

Expedia opens door for sustainable travel with Green Key Program

2010-03-19T08:53:00.002-04:00

One thing that we continue to see in the hospitality industry is that hotels attract customers by meeting consumer demands, and more and more, guests are looking to stay at environmentally responsible hotels.

It seems Expedia agrees. Working in conjunction Green Key Global, Expedia will implement the Green Key Eco-Rating Program into its website. By incorporating the ratings into its website, Expedia users will able to search for green hotels by destination and know that their choices are certified by a third party as environmentally sound.

The Green Key Eco-Rating Program is a system that rates hotels, motels and resorts on a scale from 1-5. These ratings come as the result of an in-depth assessment of the hotel’s business and environmental goals in areas such as corporate management, food and beverage operations, energy and water conservation, hazardous waste management and community outreach. Green Key also conducts on-site evaluations as part of determining a hotel’s rating.

We at TRT have seen firsthand how more hotels are going to great lengths to appeal to the eco-savvy traveler. Now Expedia is making strides in simplifying how these travelers find the hotels that provide exactly what they want.

United We Save

2010-03-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

One of the keys to environmental education is making it standard, rather than supplemental. The Department of Education took a step towards making that happen by including environmental literacy in its budget for the first time this past February.

"Advancing the environmental literacy of our students is key to addressing today's increasingly complex environmental and related economic, social, natural resource, and energy issues," said Don Baugh, Director of the No Child Left Inside coalition.

When all young people are learning how to take care of the environment, it will become expected, not the exception. Students need to make environmentally responsible practices part of their everyday routine, using it to help consider their lifestyles, product choices and careers.

Environmental change can happen on a personal level or on a classroom level; now we get to see it happen on a national level.

Eco-hotels: beautiful buildings, beautiful impact

2010-03-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

Oftentimes we like to discuss “Sustainability around the world” and look at how different companies and organizations in different countries apply sustainable ideas and ideals to their work. Our favorite posts are, of course, the ones about hotels—we’re always excited to see when a hotel on another continent adopts new energy-saving practices or uses recycled materials in innovative ways, which is why this article on Treehugger around design-savvy eco-hotels caught our eye.

The hotels themselves are visually striking: in one case, a geodesic dome blends into its Swiss Alps surroundings, and in another, picture windows frame rooms overlooking an English cliff. But these designs stand out even more because the level of thought extends beyond aesthetic appeal.

For example, the ALT Hotel in Quebec, Canada uses a green heating system recovers heat from laundry water and exhaust, helping to save 7 kg of CO2 per room every day. At the 968 Park Hotel in Lake Tahoe, California, denim from blue jeans are used for insulation and an old pool fence was recycled to make furniture for its lobby.

A number of hotels go the extra mile to stand out design-wise and, increasingly, sustainability-wise. When the two work in combination, the best-looking hotels look even better.

New exciting additions to Touch Textiles!

2010-03-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve expanded our Touch Textiles upholstery fabric collection to include a new line of weatherproof upholstery fabrics, durable enough for both indoor and outdoor use.

We first launched Touch Textiles in 1990, and since then we’ve seen the market for sustainable upholstery grow. In addition to function, our customers want great fabrics with rich textures and bold patterns and palettes –that don’t cost the earth in any way.

The new additions to the range are, as you’d expect, in line with our core values: they’re made with an environmentally responsible manufacturing process with low chemical emissions and a dyeing process that creates no harmful wastewater, and they’re built to last, with durability that lasts up to ten times longer than standard fabrics, with resistance to UV rays, sunlight and cleaning agents. And, of course, they look great.

For more on Touch Textiles, read some of the first press coverage from our friends at Askmando.com, and of course, check out the Touch Textiles website.

Sustainability around the world: Hong Kong

2010-03-05T09:35:00.002-05:00

Hong Kong, one of the world's biggest financial centers, attracts an estimated 30 million travelers each year as part of a thriving hospitality industry. A huge urban center, Hong Kong is not necessarily considered a green place.

However, amidst the bustle of the most densely populated city in the world are signs of green life. Two major Hong Kong hotels have earned significant sustainability accolades. The hotels, the Eaton and the InterContinental, both in downtown Kowloon, each received certification from Green Globe, a program managed by EC3 Global.

The Eaton Hong Kong in downtown Kowloon earned a Green Globe Benchmark Bronze award, hiring a full time environmental manager to ensure the hotel maintains green standards. To date the hotel has earned best practice ratings in energy consumption, potable water consumption, water savings rating, community contributions and pesticide products ratings.

The InterContinental received Silver Certification, ensuring that its staff complies with Green Globe standards in energy and water conservation, harmful substances management, solid waste management and green purchasing. Like the Eaton, the InterContinental has committed to sustainability on a staff level, forming a Green Globe Committee of representatives from major departments, and appointing Green Globe Ambassadors to help other workers follow procedures.

To paraphrase a Hong Kong proverb: 'As long as we have hope, we have direction, the energy to move, and the map to move by. We have a hundred alternatives, a thousand paths and an infinity of dreams. Hopeful, we are halfway to where we want to go; hopeless, we are lost forever."

Hong Kong is headed in the right direction as its hotels embrace green practices. Hope must not be in short supply.

A (green) school grows in Brooklyn

2010-03-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

The 1600-plus public schools in New York City include schools of all different shapes and sizes, with areas of study ranging from language-immersion programs to schools for the sciences and academies for the performing arts. Recently, these have been joined by green schools, or more specifically, schools that have involved environmental education into all subject areas.

The “green” in the name of the Green School in Brooklyn or the Growing Up Green Charter School in Queens isn’t a buzzword, but an essential part of the curriculum. How schools apply their environmental focuses varies: some high schools teach vocational skills, like how to install solar panels and insulation. Elementary schools take a different approach, teaching students introductory lessons about recycling and habitats.

Even with a well-designed, scalable curriculum, these schools face the challenge of appealing to a broad range of students. To do so, they tap into local resources, investigating contamination of Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal or the ecological implications of razing homes. Through the development of practical skills and conceptual frameworks, students are meant to about more than the environment, but that their choices make an impact in the world around them.

Parents and teachers are part of a generation that is learning how to become environmentally conscious. These green schools are part of a larger movement: fostering the growth of a group of young people who already are.

The beat goes on

2010-02-26T09:00:00.003-05:00

Recession has taken a toll on a number of industries, including, as we’ve touched upon here, the hotel business. Companies that have weathered the storm have found unique ways to maintain customer loyalty. Among the businesses that have managed to stay afloat? The modern day jam band.

Bands like Phish and moe. have established a business model that is almost entirely different than other artists. They don’t sell many records, they keep concert prices low and they encourage taping at their show. Although this might seem to hinder the band’s success, when Phish announced a tour in March 2009, it had 10 million requests for 400,000 tickets at $50 each. By keeping tickets relatively inexpensive, Phish promotes a community concert experience. Devoted fans can travel to shows at a fairly low cost, and do it alongside their peers. This experience keeps Phish fans coming back.

Hotels are charged with the same task: generating loyalty amongst travelers. By giving customers what they want, they will return, and what more and more travelers want are environmentally-friendly facilities. If hotels are trying to meet customer demand, establishing green practices isn’t a bad place to start. Battling unfavorable economic conditions requires thinking about more than short-term gain, but about cultivating long-term relationships and financial viability. Taking steps to become environmentally conscious sounds like it fits the bill.

‘Widespread Panic’ is a jam band, not a prognosis for the hospitality industry. Hotels, like jam bands, can learn to appeal to customers and keep them coming back.

Hotel industry pulse weakens slightly on the bumpy road to recovery

2010-02-23T09:14:00.003-05:00

As the economy as a whole continues to recover from last year’s recession, individual industries are facing their own unique hurdles to overcome. The hotel industry is no exception, as noted by the recent decline in the Hotel Industry’s Pulse index (HIP), the real-time monthly composite indicator of business activity throughout the hotel industry, similar to a GDP measure. This includes indicators such as revenue generated by consumers staying at hotels and motels, room occupancy rates and hotel employment. Despite increasing by 2.8 percent in December of 2009, the HIP fell in January, signaling a slight hiccup in the hospitality industry’s economic recovery.

Still, this slight drop doesn’t mean that the hotel industry is heading for another sharp decline. As with any recovery effort, there are going to be bumps in the road, with some months seeing an improvement whereas others see decline. Although January saw a slight decline in the probability of business improvement when compared to December, it still saw a strong probability for improvement of 96.4 percent.

The HIP is a useful indicator of the timing and degree to which the hotel industry and the U.S. business cycle sync, and with December historically seeing a bigger boost in consumer travel, it makes sense that January would fall slightly in comparison. As the hospitality industry continues to improve and learn from the lessons of last year’s economic difficulties, the HIP is sure to reflect those changes with increasing numbers and a more positive outlook.

Gold, Silver, and Green

2010-02-19T09:00:00.001-05:00

Last week the world’s foremost winter athletes descended on Vancouver, kicking off the 2010 Winter Olympics. These Olympics see the realization of more than 12 years of careful planning, and then, only 16 days after they began, they’ll be gone.

The city of Vancouver will be left with more than sporting memories though. In these past 12 years, Olympics planners haven’t just been structuring events schedules and sketching logos; they’ve also been determining what kind of legacy they want to leave in British Columbia. The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Games (VANOC) took a big step in crafting that legacy by creating the Sustainability Stars program, which recognizes initiatives by sponsors, partners and VANOC itself that promote social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Sustainability Star awardees thus far include Purolator, which created a battery-operated electric delivery vehicle called the Quicksider for Vancouver’s couriers. The Quicksider generates 99 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional courier vehicles. The City of Vancouver’s LiveCity Yaletown project, paved with recycled rubber tires, also earned a star. More sustainable than brick or asphalt, the pavers will be used in other parts of the city after the Games end. Teck and the Royal Canadian Mint’s Metal for Medals program is another star recipient. Teck provided metal from e-waste as part of the winners’ medals, created by the Mint, for both the Vancouver Olympics and Paralympics.

Vancouver and the rest of the world will see its share of memorable performances and world records over the course of the 2010 Winter Olympics, the kind of moments that stay with spectators for a long time. These memories are to be cherished, but the Sustainability Stars program ensures that that Vancouver will see its Olympic legacy throughout the city, in tangible, environmentally-conscious ways.

Sustainability around the world: Tunisia waves blue flag

2010-02-16T09:20:00.002-05:00

Since 1985, the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) has operated Blue Flag, an ecological certification program for beaches and marinas. To date, 3,355 beaches and marinas have received this sustainable development award. The North African country of Tunisia recently received its first six of these, and this number appears ready to increase.

To keep pace with the growing sustainable tourism sector, Tunisia’s minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Nadhir Hamada, launched an emphasis on beach protection. This endeavor has already proven fruitful; in addition its six Blue Flags, Tunisia has five more beaches in a trial period for certification.

As a growing tourist hot spot for many European travelers, Tunisia’s push for Blue Flag certification appeals to a burgeoning group of eco-conscious travelers.

The Tunisian campaign for tourists can’t lose. Even if travelers don’t take to Sousse and Tunis in droves, the country and its beaches will have undergone a change for the better. Tunisia, if not the most popular vacation destination, can be the most environmentally viable.

Clean energy movement still findings its legs

2010-02-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

In early January, the Obama administration announced an award of $2.3 billion in Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits, designed to stimulate job growth in the clean energy sector. While the government’s plans are commendable, they need help to succeed. Despite willing workers and an influx of funding, the clean energy movement has been slow to get off the ground. Furthermore, because the term ‘green job’ in the eco-friendly energy sector has such a vague definition and is not held up to any real standards, employers can label any job a ‘green job’ without worrying about accountability.

On top of that, many clean energy projects have been sprouting up, but often without actual jobs in tow. For example, a 36 thousand acre Texas wind farm seemed poised to create a number of jobs, using $1.5 billion of stimulus money, but the project, financed by China’s Shenyang Power Group, fell through. Although it required nearly 3 thousand workers, only 15 percent of those would have been for citizens in the United States.

Luckily, creating green energy jobs while adopting environmentally friendly practices has become a top priority for the government, and the pieces for creating a fruitful clean energy sector are there: a willing administration, an International Labour Organization that sees value in going green, stimulus money and opportunity. With more time and some redirected efforts, decision-makers can take these factors and help turn possibility into actuality.

Corporate Responsibility and the Environment…in the Real World

2010-02-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

Today we’re excited to introduce Stephen Smoke as our first ever guest blogger. Stephen is an accomplished writer who has penned 28 books, the latest of which, Cathedral of the Senses, will be published this spring. He’s also written and directed feature films, including “Street Crimes,” starring Dennis Farina. Most importantly, Stephen is an old friend of our CEO and founder, Mario Insenga.

We’ve always admired Stephen because of his views on personal and corporate responsibility. His Bill of Responsibilities series of books, which includes The Corporate Bill of Responsibilities, highlights how it is important for both individuals and corporations to recognize the social, economic and environmental impacts of their actions, and provides a guide on how to act in a manner that will benefit everyone. Stephen was nice enough to compose a blog post for us in which he describes how, even early on, he and Mario believed in social responsibility and environmental commitment, and how not much has changed in three decades.

------------------------------------------------

Corporate Responsibility and the Environment…in the Real World
By Stephen Smoke

In what seemed like another incarnation, Mario Insenga and I were roommates thirty-five years ago in Toledo, Ohio. Although we hadn’t spoken since then, we had experienced some of the best times of our lives together. Recently he tracked me down via the Internet and we arranged to meet in Los Angeles. Since we’d seen each other, I’d written nearly 30 books, most of them novels, and Mario had founded The Refinishing Touch and built the business into one of the most successful and environmentally-conscious companies in the world.

A Google search revealed that Mario’s clients included the U.S. government, Hilton, Marriott and Westin, among many other well known companies. I streamed a clip of him being interviewed on the Discovery Channel about how his company refurbished existing furniture, on site, in a unique and environmentally-friendly way. Furthermore, I learned that his exclusive refurbishing method resulted in a savings of up to 80% on replacement costs, while dramatically decreasing any negative environmental impact that would result from manufacturing and shipping new furniture and disposing of the old furniture. Finally, I read an interview with him in the Wall Street Journal.

When we got together a few months after our initial phone conversation, it seemed more like three days than three decades since we had last seen each other. We laughed about old times till tears ran down our cheeks. Although we had taken different paths and our lives had been shaped by people and events we could not have anticipated so many years ago, when our paths crossed again, we were still friends.

Even back in our halcyon days we felt strongly about the importance of personal responsibility and environmental stewardship. Therefore, it was not surprising when our conversation turned to talk of the environment and personal responsibility. The difference between our college days and now was that now we spoke not from a purely ideological or theoretical point of view, but from a practical, “real world” perspective.

“I put the green in green,” said Mario one night over dinner at a sushi place in Santa Monica. “Lots of companies want to do the right thing for the environment, but then they look into it and determine that going green will hit the bottom line hard. I believe—and I’m living proof of this—that doing the right thing for the environment can also result in increased profitability and sustainability.”

I knew that Mario was “green” decades before it was fashionable to be green. And the more we talked the more I realized he was pretty much the same “save the planet” guy he was back in the day. One important difference was that he now ran a successful, environmentally-conscious business with offices in several cities, a warehouse, and employees all over the world. He was walking the walk, not just talking the talk.

“It’s not about decorating your company PR with ‘green speak,’” Mario continued. “It’s about understanding ‘sustainability’ and how to manage existing assets. Instead of automatically tossing out assets, whether they’re furniture or personnel, consider how to manage those assets or re-purpose them. Not only is it cost-effective, it makes sense for the environment and for your employees.

“I’ve actually seen people drop high-end desks out of a second-story window because they didn’t want to spend the money to dismantle them, or take the time and effort to donate them. Sometimes outdated tax regulations encourage companies to buy new ‘things’ rather than manage existing assets and recycle in a smart way.

“The current financial situation causes people to think differently. Now clients are very interested in saving 80% on replacement furniture, and at the same time they’re genuinely interested in decreasing any negative impact on the environment.

“Another existing asset that can be managed is personnel. Not long ago I needed to hire someone to do in-house marketing. Instead of looking outside the company, I chose an existing employee who already knew my business well. I believed it would be more difficult and time-consuming to train a marketing person who knew nothing about my business, than it would be to teach marketing strategies and techniques to someone who knew my business inside and out. In a relatively short time that person learned the marketing skills needed to do the job, and my expectations for that position have been exceeded.”

While my old friend continued talking about sustainability and managing existing assets, I thought about our friendship.

And about how true it was that some things were truly worth sustaining.

Post-graduate students merge studies with sustainaiblity

2010-02-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

As we saw with the world trade summit in Copenhagen, central government has a long way to go before reaching concrete solutions to environmental problems. Still, there are other ways in which individuals can work to reach their own solutions. A recent article in the New York Times showcased how universities across the country are training postgraduate students to deliver practical solutions to the sustainability issues that many businesses face.

Universities in Massachusetts, Colorado and New York have taken sustainability focused post-graduate programs and included urban environmental issues to better fit the demographics of the student population, most of which live in urban areas. Whether they began their studies in engineering, biology or public policy, doctoral and masters students are now finding value in incorporating sustainable issues into their programs to better fit the jobs they aspire to have.

One of the major challenges for the future is finding ways to equip people with the practical know-how to engage with existing businesses and show them that making the shift to a more sustainable business model doesn't have to mean sacrificing profitability. We here at TRT have worked hard to build a successful business organized along environmentally friendly lines, to work in a way that balances the need to generate income with the desire to work in a way that is sustainable. We know that it's possible, and these programs are great stepping stones to help get people and businesses to realize that too.