HOTELS

Jeff Weinstein

Happy Earth Day
April 22, 2008

There are still a fair share of cynics out there calling the "green" movement a PR ploy by hotel companies. There may be some truth to this point of view and this industry has a long way to go to call itself truly "green," but I am here to tell you most of the hotel companies making big efforts to "green up" are well intended. And why not? Who doesn’t want to save the planet? Earth Day only a few years ago was nothing much to talk about and not on everyone’s lips as it is today. That alone shows how much progress we are making and how much more serious we are taking this issue,

I have to admit the number of "green" hotel press releases that passed my in-box during the last 48 hours has been a little thick and can make you wonder a bit about the sender’s true intention. But if you want "buzz," and we all know how important hotel buzz is to success these days, then the marketing gurus who waited until today to make their big announcements are just doing their jobs. "ELEMENT Mandates LEED Certification," "Accor Launches Towel Re-Use Initiative," "Holiday Inn San Juan Takes Structured Approach To Green Operation." These are just some of the headlines crossing my desk right now and it has certainly caught my attention.

I was also honored to get an invitation today from Sonu Shivdasani, chairman and CEO of Six Senses Hotels & Resorts, to attend an eco-symposium in June at his Soneva Fushi Resort in the Maldives to be a part of a discussion on solar power, deep sea water cooling, wind and other latest advancements. He wants to bring together an elite group of hotel leaders and environmentalists, as well as leading alternative energy management technology leaders. I know Sonu is very well intended and he has been leading by example at Six Senses. There are many more green hotel leaders out there like him. Off the top of my head I think of Jan Peter Bergkvist at Scandic Hotels in Stockholm; Herve Houdre at the Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C.; Ed Fuller at Marriott International; Wen-I-Chang at Gaia Hotel near Napa Valley, California; Barry Sternlicht and his plan for his luxury green "1" brand; our industry’s conscious Lyndall De Marco, who has her own blog on this site; K.P. Ho at Banyan Tree; Chris Cahill at Fairmont; and I could go on.

I have to admit I am not particularly green when it comes to my hotel stays, nor at home, for that matter. I am not alone if you look at research from Starwood that shows 60% of travelers drop their green routine when on the road. However, my wife and daughter are planting flowers in the backyard today and we just bought recyclable shopping bags from Target, where we spend about half of our lives. So, we are making a bit of an effort and plan to do more.

So, instead of trying to call out the fakers, make your own effort. Do your own part. Peace and happy Earth Day.

Posted by Jeff Weinstein on April 22, 2008 | Comments (2)