What Goes On The Road...

The Travel Industry Association took a survey of 2,296 travelers in August, 2007 and reported these findings:

When at home these US Adults report:

85% turn out the lights when leaving a room
67% regulate heating/cooling when not at home
60% recycle
60% turn off water while brushing teeth
59% use more energy efficient bulbs
53% take short showers

Seems reasonable for both economic and environmental reasons, right? So what happens when we leave home? How did we get the idea that hotel VIP guests require:

All the lights, radio and TV turned on when arriving in a hotel room
Their room ready and waiting at a constant 68 degrees
New sheets every day
Dual shower heads
And my personal favorite, a new bar of soap every time you leave the room ( I can’t even figure out how they sneak in there and change it so fast)?

If travelers don’t practice these things at home, why would they want to on the road? Additionally, we know that guests 25-39 years of age are more environmentally conscious than their older counterparts. It is time to ask what the new generation of guests think VIP service is. My guess? Free wireless internet!

Sleep Green

It is exciting to see the hotel industry jumping on the green bandwagon! Green meetings clearly have gone from a "trend" to a "market" for the hotel industry. Here are some valuable resources and information:

Green Lodging News is a great resource for planners and hoteliers
http://www.greenlodgingnews.com/Content.aspx?id=1655

Article about London hotels signing up to be green
http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/article/20080313233047173

The American Hotel & Lodging Association has some new information on green practices
http://www.ahla.com/Environmentally_Friendly_Practices.asp

Green Seal’s Lodging Certification Program website
http://www.greenseal.org/programs/lodging.cfm

Energy Star’s Hospitality Program information:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=hospitality.bus_hospitality

On a personal note: I had the pleasure of staying at the Hotel Carlton in San Francisco several weeks ago. It is very green, global and wonderfully nourishing. From check-in where they ask if you would like $1 from your room rate donated to a battered women’s shelter …to my room where a beautiful glass pitcher with filtered water replaced those expensive plastic water bottles!