In its recent Green Assessment Survey, the American Hotel & Lodging Assn. noted a growing trend in the prevalence of environmental initiatives throughout the hospitality industry. Lately, a number of key hospitality organizations have taken another step forward, choosing to emphasize energy efficiency and Energy Star as core components of their green strategies. For example:
- The Orbitz environmental "micro-site" now features hotels that have earned the Energy Star, signaling superior energy performance;
- AH&LA's redesigned website features Energy Star resources as a primary source of information for members interested in the association's green initiative; and
- The Colorado Hotel & Lodging Assn. adopted the Energy Star Challenge as a key component of its efforts to green the Denver area in preparation for the Democratic National Convention.
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As further evidence of this surge in interest, Energy Star is pleased to announce two new partners: Best Western International and Wyndham Worldwide.
Best Western partnered with Energy Star earlier this year and plans to actively promote and support Energy Star's trainings for North American member properties, starting with the company's annual conference this October.
"Best Western is excited to launch its partnership with Energy Star," stated David Kong, Best Western CEO and Secretary/Treasurer of AH&LA. "We see this as an opportunity to work with our hotels and assist them in capturing the environmental and economic benefits of energy efficiency."
With its recent partnership letter, Wyndham Worldwide also is seizing the opportunity to manage energy consumption and enhance customer satisfaction across its 12 brands, which together encompass nearly 7,000 hotels and 145 vacation ownership resorts. CEO Stephen Holmes said: "Wyndham Worldwide is pleased to be a part of the Energy Star program and excited to build upon our commitment to the environment. We will do our part to conserve energy and to be a role model for our guests and our industry."
These organizations understand that energy efficiency can be a key value-added strategy for the hospitality industry. As energy costs rise and consumers cut back on travel, proactive energy management can reduce operating costs without sacrificing guest services or comforts. At the same time, hotels can leverage energy efficiency to demonstrate dedication to greening their operations and attracting environmentally-minded customers.
To learn more about Energy Star, visit www.energystar.gov|~ .
Anna Stark is the national program manager for commercial property markets, ENERGY STAR, United States Environmental Protection Agency.
