Leaders in the hospitality industry have long understood the value of energy efficiency as an effective strategy for controlling expenses. Recently, however, hoteliers have begun to see energy management as a way to demonstrate their commitment to green operations and are communicating this to an array of stakeholders. A focus on energy efficiency signals that hoteliers are taking active steps to address climate change—the largest green issue facing the commercial buildings sector and the issue capturing the attention of guests, franchisees and the general public.
 |
A recent study published by Deloitte indicates increasing environmental concern among business travelers: One-third of respondents indicated they "seek out hotels that are environmentally friendly," and 28 percent are willing to pay up to 10 percent more to stay at a green hotel. As this demand grows, the industry is responding with resources hotel owners and operators can leverage to communicate their environmental commitment. For example, the American Hotel & Lodging Assn.'s Green Task Force has defined 11 minimum environmental performance guidelines its members should strive to meet in order to make credible green claims. And Orbitz now allows travelers to search for environmentally friendly hotels, including those that have earned the Energy Star. All of this suggests that, now more than ever, it is crucial for hoteliers to demonstrate their green credentials to the marketplace in order to remain competitive.
Recognizing this trend, leading hotel companies are taking action. And for many of these organizations, Energy Star is the first step to green. Though fairly new to the Energy Star program, Best Western International has quickly recognized the importance of its partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—not only to achieve financial benefits from enhanced operational efficiencies, but also as a means to demonstrate the environmental stewardship that can help attract and retain guests. To achieve these goals, Best Western is seeking to educate and empower its more than 4,000 independent owner/operator members with regard to green operations and energy efficiency. Furthermore, through this partnership, Best Western members now can leverage the widely recognized Energy Star brand as an additional way to communicate energy efficiency efforts to guests.
 |
Briefs |
At its annual member conference in October, Best Western's senior leadership announced a companywide push for energy efficiency. To underscore this commitment, Best Western endorsed the Energy Star Challenge—a national call to action to reduce energy use by 10 percent. In order to provide conference attendees with the necessary resources to undertake this challenge, Best Western offered live trainings to introduce members to Energy Star resources and also provided a "Green Booth" for members to learn more about Energy Star and to sign up to take the challenge. In addition, Best Western created an environmental portal on its member website, containing Energy Star co-branded fact sheets, recorded trainings and other educational materials. As Best Western members achieve energy management success, this website also will host member success stories and best practices that can be shared across the company. In the coming year, Best Western will work to ensure its regional service managers are trained on Energy Star's Portfolio Manager tool so these corporate staff members can offer benchmarking support to individual properties during site visits.
By helping its members undertake and demonstrate green activities, Best Western is aligning its organization with the growing environmental interest among the traveling public.
Best Western International is just one of the many hospitality partners joining Energy Star to improve energy efficiency while attracting eco-minded guests. For more information on how your organization can get involved with Energy Star and take advantage of the program's free online tools and resources, visit www.energystar.gov/hospitality.
