The Refinishing Touch Blog

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.

Labels: green hotels, LEED, Wyndham

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.

Labels: green hotels, Green Seal, Kimpton Hotels

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.

Labels: Earth Hour 2010, green hotels

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.

Labels: Expedia.com, green hotels, Green Key Global, Hospitality