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Today, there are many cost saving alternatives within the sector, especially when it comes to property renovations. For example, by investing in furniture refinishing, re-upholstery and remanufacturing, hoteliers can save up to 80 percent on total expenditure when compared to buying brand new assets.

To gain further insight into other cost-effective tactics, and the benefits of sustainability, this month’s sustainable spotlight shines on Kristen Mckenzie of Hotels Combined. Hotels Combined is a popular travel booking site that recognizes the rising consumer demand for green lodging, and subsequently, created its educational online resource, Green Hotels & Responsible Tourism to “make travel fun, rewarding and responsible.”

Read on for our full interview with Kristen:

The Refinishing Touch (TRT): How have you seen the industry’s commitment to green initiatives change over your company’s history?

Kristen Mckenzie (KM): Green initiatives are becoming more common place than ever before. In large part, this is due to consumer demand. Not only are travelers looking for an ideal location and low price, but they are also looking at recycling, towel linen reuse options and more. Today’s consumer is looking for guilt-free options, even while traveling.

TRT: Which challenges do hotels face when adopting green practices, and how is the industry addressing these?

KM: There’s a misconception amongst some hoteliers that green practices are difficult and costly. With continued education and advocacy, we can change this way of thinking. For instance, offering email receipts at checkout not only saves on the cost of buying paper, but it also helps slow the rate of deforestation. Small actions that are both sustainable and cost-effective build up, and can really improve a hotel both internally and externally.

TRT: What gives you hope when it comes to the adoption of green and environmentally-friendly practices?

KM:  Today, consumers expect their hotel to be environmentally-friendly. It’s become a necessary property feature along with clean beds and good customer service. Not only is going green good for the earth, but it’s also good for business. It’s only a matter of time before more hoteliers realize this and begin to act accordingly.

For more information on Hotels Combined and Green Hotels & Responsible Tourism, please visit the corresponding websites here, and here.

If you are interested in seeing what The Refinishing Touch and our eco-friendly, cost saving furniture renovation services can do for you and your company, please visit our website and request a free quote today.  

But not all brand owners force franchisers to come up with the money for PIPs by themselves. Choice Hotels International, one of the world’s largest lodging franchisers, is giving its Comfort Suites and Comfort Inn hotels the opportunity to snag a piece of its offered $40 million in PIP incentives. The proposed plan provides eligible hotels with the chance to use a portion of the money for establishment renovations, as outlined in their PIPs, to move the brand forward at a faster pace.

And that fast-paced movement is more and more common. As development in the hotel industry has taken a sharp turn for the better, those who are able to take advantage at the right time will gain, and maintain, significant competitive edge. However, it’s crucial for franchises looking to complete PIPs without breaking the bank to consider more superior alternatives to purchasing new furniture. Most PIPs require hotels to meet new design requirements – a particular color nightstand, upholstered headboards, or dressers suitable for plasma televisions – and solutions such as furniture asset management can ensure requirements are met, while reducing costs by an average 80 percent.

By making the choice to refinish, re-upholster or repurpose existing furniture assets instead of purchasing new, hoteliers can re-allocate budget to meet necessary PIPs in the scope of a single project, as opposed to multiple phases or over an expanded time frame. Additionally, by reducing the need to purchase new furniture assets, PIPs can leave your hotel with a green stamp of approval, something that is sure to increase customer retention and ROI.

To learn more about The Refinishing Touch, our projects, and what we can do for you, please visit our website today! For more information surrounding Choice Hotels International’s initiatives, access the full article here.

With our close ties to the lodging industry, we are pleased to share the latest market forecast from STR, the parent company of HotelNewsNow.com. According to STR’s early indications, US hoteliers will experience a busy and profitable summer season ahead, with both the average occupancy and daily rate rising compared to last year.

Revenue per available room is also forecasted to improve, with the average per night ringing in at $78.50, a substantial increase of 5.4 percent from 2012. And with advance booking rates filling up quickly, the predictions are already holding true for several hotel owners throughout the US. Florida’s Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort has begun to reach peak occupancy numbers that resemble the pre-recession hotel industry, some five years ago.

The predicted bounce-back can be attributed to many factors. One of which is the noticeable increase in both consumer and business confidence, as many hotels have undergone renovations to improve appearance and customer satisfaction, while increasing room rates – similar to our recent customer, The Inn at King of Prussia BEST WESTERN PLUS, who updated their armoires to fit new, plasma televisions and improve customer satisfaction. And such room renovations don’t always require breaking the bank – with cost-efficient alternatives like furniture refinishing, re-upholstery and remanufacturing, hoteliers can save up to 80 percent on budget costs while drastically improving on appearance by implementing furniture asset management solutions.

For more information on what is bound to be a successful summer for hoteliers, please read the full list of predictions courtesy of HotelNewsNow.com.

To see The Refinishing Touch’s before-and-after renovation work in action, please watch a quick video of a recent furniture refinishing project completed at The Inn at King of Prussia BEST WESTERN PLUS. Like what you see? Then please email us for a free quote at your establishment today.

Furniture before (left) and after (right) The Refinishing Touch’s furniture asset management services at The Inn at King of Prussia BEST WESTERN PLUS

According to a recent survey from TripAdvisor.com, analyzed responses from 1,300 U.S. travelers revealed that 62% of travelers almost always consider the environment when planning their vacations.  Furthermore, another 69% of respondents vouched they will make even more environmentally-conscious decisions in the year to come.

In response to the increase in consumer demand for eco-friendly amenities, TripAdvisor has launched its new rating service entitled ‘Green Leaders’. Having teamed up with Energy Star, the U.S. Green Building Council and the United Nations Environment Programme, the site will now feature a green button alongside other ratings, helping travelers easily sort through the most sustainable near their travel destination.

Ratings, which range from bronze to platinum, will be given based on various environmental practices such as implementation of linen and towel reuse programs, energy-efficiency appliances and practices, solar panels, green roofing and more. Since its launch, TripAdvisor states that 32 million members have utilized the service and over 100 million green reviews have already been written.

Consumers now have a number of ways to obtain information pertaining to a hotel’s green practices – a new deciding factor when making accommodations. In order to maximize business growth, hoteliers must implement sustainable alternatives – which doesn’t always have to break the bank.

For instance, The Refinishing Touch’s furniture asset management services, which include refinishing, re-upholstery and armoire conversion, achieve maximum cost savings and time efficiency while significantly reducing a renovation project’s estimated carbon footprint. Our studies suggest past clientele have saved over 80 percent in budget costs, and nearly 90 percent in carbon emissions. Similarly, we have also begun recognizing our clients for their commitment to sustainability through our Sustainability Awards, a program dedicated to honoring businesses that have reduced their environmental impact through furniture asset management solutions.

For more information about The Refinishing Touch and our furniture repurposing services, please visit our website here.  To inquire about how your own business can go greener, request a free quote today.

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As a company dedicated to delivering eco-friendly, cost-effective and sustainable furniture asset management services, we have completed renovations within various US courthouses, The White House, military bases, naval barracks and many other government edifices. Because of this, we uphold an avid interest in governmental initiatives and regulations relating to green practices and sustainable development.

In lieu of our thoughts on this issue, we took to our blog page to ask our valued readers, ‘In your opinion, which level of government has been the most responsible in lowering its costs through sustainable initiatives?’ Here’s what we found:

• 40% of readers believed that the most effective initiatives lie in the hands of the state government, with the most effective eco-friendly solutions being set forth by politicians and parties on the state level
• The majority of the vote was split, with another 40% of respondents claiming the federal government has done the best work in terms of achieving  and reinforcing sustainable cost efficiency
• In a close second place, 20% of readers accredited local government, citing that their own towns and cities have made the most sustainable and cost-saving strides within the past years

Overall, The Refinishing Touch is pleased by progress made in all governmental sectors – local, state and federal – on the road to universal sustainability. Due in large part to the rise of regulations and the increase in environmental awareness, the idea of a green future has become far more feasible than ever before.

For more information on The Refinishing Touch’s services within the government sector, please read a case study documenting our renovation work in The White House. To learn more about what The Refinishing Touch can do for your business, visit our website and request a free quote today.

One such university is Drexel University, located in Philadelphia, PA, which has achieved top-tier success in the arena of green building. The ‘Drexel Smart House’ initiative has received significant, ongoing praise for its innovative lightweight green roof, grey water reclamation project and intelligent agricultural structure working together to optimize on-campus sustainability.

David Orr, a highly regarded sustainable development leader, caught wind of the project which made such an impression, he promptly booked a plane ticket to tour the Smart House. On April 18^th, Orr headed to Philadelphia to visit the Drexel campus, explore the development and engage with students, faculty and community members on the importance of going green.

Similarly, when a college campus is looking to replace existing furniture assets, such as those in dormitories and community spaces, campus administrators and decision-makers need to consider more cost-efficient, sustainable solutions that purchasing new. The eco-friendly process of on-site refinishing, remanufacturing and re-upholstering can reduce landfill waste and carbon emissions, saves trees, and protect our air and water resources. By implementing furniture asset management, universities can also save up to 80 percent in budget, when compared to buying new furniture, which allows remaining budgets to be allocated to more important endeavors.

To learn more about The Refinishing Touch’s services and what they can do for your university, hotel or government building, visit our website and request a free quote today.