Mr. Tuttle

Eco-Friendly Practices

Green is Back and Good for Business

By Clifford Tuttle, Senior Vice President, ForrestPerkins

As the economy is rebounding, green is back, but did it ever really leave? As the public is increasingly concerned about environmental issues, green management is rapidly becoming a strategic tool that can enhance a hotel's competitive advantage.

The travel industry in the U.S. is responsible for $246 billion in spending and 2.3 million American jobs; $100 billion of this spending and 1 million American jobs are linked directly to meetings and events. Environmental issues impact travel decisions. With more than 79 percent of U.S. adults considering themselves environmentally-conscious and increasingly aware of terms such as carbon footprint and global warming, travelers are making decisions based on sustainability criteria.

Consumers are reluctant to pay more to support green travel service suppliers, but they are definitely paying attention to those who are green, even in this down economy, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Therefore the hospitality industry should continue to adopt green practices that have a minimum impact on consumers’ wallets.

Among consumers who would pay higher rates or fares for eco-friendly options, roughly four in ten (39 percent) would pay as much as a five percent rate premium to an environmentally responsible hotel, and an equal percentage would pay between five and nine percent more.

Other key findings of the U.S. Travel Association:

• While consumers believe travel service suppliers should be good stewards of their environment, over half (54 percent) also believe that individuals themselves have the greatest responsibility for preserving and protecting the environment.
• Six out of ten (58 percent) travelers say they believe that environmental programs could have a positive effect on the environment.
• The majority (51 percent) of consumers will continue to patronize “green” travel service suppliers regardless of an economic downturn. In fact, nearly half (48 percent) of travelers say that continuing to support environmentally-responsible travel service suppliers is a necessity, even in an economic downturn.
• Less than one-third (29 percent) say it is easy to find out about environmental policies and initiatives of travel service suppliers.

In today’s business environment, shareholders, employees and customers all have higher expectations of a business’ ability to demonstrate responsible behavior across the triple bottom line of economic, social and environmental management that goes beyond philanthropy. The integration of responsible business practices into every level of the operation enhances a hotel’s reputation and improves its market share and position. As such, the design profession is becoming the most important profession in the 21st century. In today’s market, Sustainable Design is Good Business.

Promote a Sense of Place

First and foremost, we at ForrestPerkins consider the luxury guest experience. Everything communicates an exceptional, indigenous experience. Without compromising the luxury guest experience, we consider the environmental attributes of energy savings, water savings and air quality by selecting and specifying environmentally-friendly finishes and furnishings. The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country opened in January of 2010 and obtained LEED certification in October of 2010. With a design that is both comfortable and contemporary, the resort remains true to its authentic Texas roots, establishing a sense of place that honors the rugged terrain and allows each guest to understand the unique area by having stayed at the resort.

At every turn, touchstones reflect the essence of the Hill Country. The hotel is built of the Austin stone plentiful in the area as well as local woods including pecan, mesquite and oak. The lines of every building are simple, classic and timeless, blending into the natural setting to create a sense of place that could only be Texas. The spaces created, while grand and impressive, feel warm, inviting and comfortable. Materials employed in the interior architecture—hand applied plaster, native woods, indigenous limestone and hammered metals—have a handcrafted sensibility and honest beauty, providing an unaffected background for the palette of warm earth tones and fabrics patterned after local wildflowers. Furnishings are comfortable and substantial, dressed for the most part in leather that will grow more beautiful over time. The emphasis is on richness, texture and elegant simplicity.

The Renaissance Arlington Capital View opened in Arlington, Virginia in March of this year, and is targeted for LEED Silver certification. A unique property with views of the Potomac River, Washington, DC, and Reagan National Airport, the interior design celebrates the evidence of motion with surprises at every turn inspired by the convergence of the river, railroad, parkway and airport. Rhythms are expressed through art, light, water, texture and pattern.

At the Nines in Portland, Oregon, which opened in 2009, the social aspects were considered early on in the design process. Working with local art consultant, Paige Powell, we successfully infused the hotel with a stunning array of artwork by indigenous artists that provides the Nines with a connection to the community

Consider Energy Savings

American hotels spend nearly $4 billion on energy annually, according to the U.S. Travel Association. A 10 percent reduction in energy consumption can be achieved through low cost measures such as operations and management strategies. This would be the equivalent of taking almost 1 million cars off the road for one year if achieved across the industry. It would have the same financial effect as increasing the average daily rate by $.83 in limited service hotels and by $2.45 in full service hotels.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs last 10 times as long as incandescent bulbs and use 75 percent less energy, meaning that one bulb can save $25 over the lifetime of the bulb. Energy management systems that can be linked to occupancy sensors in guest rooms as well as in meeting rooms and back-of-house areas can provide a quick return on investment.

The design for Carmel Valley Ranch, another ForrestPerkins project, is grounded in nature and the surrounding environment. The focus is on creating a relaxed, informal place for guests to enjoy the wonders of the beautiful natural setting, engage in a variety of recreational and educational offerings or unwind with ease in a variety of indoor or outdoor venues designed to heighten a sense of well-being. Everywhere a guest’s eye rests or hand touches there is a carefully considered detail purposefully designed to support a sustained concept of interwoven experiences and services, a place where memories are made and special moments are celebrated. Being environmentally aware, we proposed and implemented compact fluorescent light bulbs in all of the decorative lighting as well as the majority of the architectural lighting in the guest rooms. We also proposed and implemented retrofitting the guest rooms with occupancy sensors, enabling light switches, electrical outlets and thermostats to be controlled by a single key card, which also opens the guest room door. The effect? A luxury experience in which guests truly understand Carmel Valley by having stayed at Carmel Valley Ranch. Moreover, they are charmed and seduced by the seamless weaving of place and experience.

Consider Water Savings

Typical hotels use 218 gallons of water per day per occupied room. Water-efficient fixtures reduce water and sewer bills by 25 to 30 percent. An estimated 20 percent of the available drinking water in the world is flushed down the drain. Waterline leakage can add an additional 8 percent to that figure. A waterless urinal saves on average about 40,000 gallons of water per year. An average hotel with 25 urinals can reduce its water and sewer consumption by 1 million gallons of water yearly. At the Nines, water saving plumbing fixtures and dual flush toilets, which have created excitement on Twitter and Facebook, save approximately 400,000 gallons of water per year.

Implement Recycling

Now that hotels are in the process of renovating, recycling is extremely important. Of note, in 1999, about 1.9 billion yards of carpet were produced in the U.S., which is nearly five million tons, and 2.44 million tons of old carpet was dumped into land fills, which is more than enough to completely cover New York City. Working with Owners and Contractors, ForrestPerkins works to recycle old carpeting, underlay and wall covering, where possible, to limit the amount of waste going into our landfills.

Operationally, hotels should also implement recycling measures. Most operations should be able to implement recycling cardboard and newspapers, glass and metals, plastics, printer and toner cartridges in a cost-effective manner.

Implement a guest room recycling program. Some operations find it easier to separate recyclables at the room level (via separate waste receptacles for these) while others prefer to collect all waste and separate out the recyclables in a back-of-house area. Kimpton Hotels & Resorts, for example, has a recycling bin in each of its guest rooms, which guests do in fact use. We found this to be the case at the Nines as well. Michael Pace has implemented this same practice at the W San Francisco Hotel.

Sustainable Amenities

Historically, hotels have used individual amenities in the form of small throwaway plastic bottles for shampoo, conditioner and lotion in their guest rooms. In 2009, U.S. hotels disposed of an estimated 1 million amenity bottles. One of the easiest ways to cut costs is to implement a refillable dispenser system in guest rooms. Bulk liquids are less expensive to purchase than products in individual containers. You’ll also find that such amenities—from economical to luxurious—are available. Additionally, there aren’t any costs associated with guests taking home the products or having to dispose of half-empty bottles. The hotel only pays for the product that is used. A variety of dispensers are available in different styles to enhance the décor of a hotel’s bathroom. Of note, dispensers should have locking lids to make them tamperproof.

Eco-friendly Housekeeping

As we become more and more social, consider changing the cards imploring guests to reuse towels and opt out of having bed linens changed daily. Consider wording these with something like, “Other guests in this hotel are reusing their towels, are you?” (People are more inclined to do something because others are doing it.) Under Starwood's "Make a Green Choice" optional housekeeping program, which was launched at North American Westin and Sheraton hotels last fall and is expanding to select W, Le Meridien, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft properties this year, skipping maid service earns either a $5 food-and-beverage credit or 500 Starwood frequent stay guest points for each day of a guest’s stay, excluding checkout day.

Incentives for "opt-in" housekeeping are also available at nine hotels managed by Denver-based Sage Hospitality. Under its "Green Choice" program, guests who decline maid service are rewarded with incentives, depending on the property. Fred Kleisner, general manager at the Nines, says, “Our two greatest measures gauging guest feedback are through Trip Advisor and guest service surveys through Starwood. While we do receive a considerable amount of positive feedback surrounding the overall design style of the Nines, sustainability comments pertain to our Green Choice housekeeping program and our sustainable BeeKind amenity line.”

Environmentally-friendly housekeeping products should also be implemented if not already a part of the housekeeping practices. Several currently on the market are non-toxic and when properly used, are effective and have the added advantage of reducing employee sick days. Other Sustainable Operations Practices

Group meeting planners review sustainable operations when considering hotels. The Nines, for instance, has eliminated the use of individual bottles of water for meetings and breakout service. They have replaced individual bottles with larger refillable bottled water dispensers similar to those used to dispense other cold beverages such as lemonade or iced tea. The Westin Kierland Resort has implemented water refill stations on its guest room floors, which are conveniently located adjacent to the ice and vending machines. Guests can easily refill their own water bottles with cool, filtered water. If a guest doesn’t have a water bottle, there is one in the room for sale at a nominal cost. Provide seasonal menus sourcing local and sustainable ingredients for food and beverage offerings, where possible. If you provide free newspapers to guests, make these available at central locations rather than delivering them to each room (where brand standards allow). If food service operations exist at the property, investigate the opportunities for food waste composting and donation of unused food to local food banks.

Social Responsibility

At a time when many companies are pulling back on charitable outreach and giving, Sage Hospitality has significantly expanded its community service program by launching Best In Class, Sage Hospitality’s School Partnership Program. Best In Class is a nationwide program that connects more than 6,000 associates with at-risk and urban schools. Each Sage property is partnered with a local school of its choosing that serves low-income families. More than 55 at-risk schools are being impacted by our associates’ efforts. From painting classrooms and tutoring students to providing backpacks and other necessities to students, Sage continues to give back to these schools.

Dollars for Dreams is a guest donation program that supports Sage’s commitment to positively impacting the communities in which we live and work. This program recognizes the generosity of our guests and offers them a convenient way to give. Since its inception in 2002, Dollars for Dreams has raised nearly half a million dollars for organizations such as the National Children’s Cancer Society, Make-a-Wish, Special Olympics, JDRF, Children’s Hospital Travel Fund and UNICEF.

LEED for Lodging

I had the privilege of working on the Technical Advisory Group for LEED for the hospitality industry. While the LEED rating systems are fairly straightforward for many of the credits, we as a group discovered verbiage in many that required clarifications for the lodging sector. The LEED for Lodging standards are being developed to make it easier for the hospitality industry to navigate the LEED rating systems for both new construction and existing buildings. For example, there’s now a clear guideline for calculating hotel occupancy, which affects the allocation of water-efficiency credits. In addition, clarifications are included under materials and resources to include bathroom amenities, as well as indoor environmental quality standards that provide better guidance on when to use such things as lighting controls. I’m also pleased that a new credit for low-emitting finishes for furniture appears likely to be included in the new standards. Many clarifications have been published for LEED 2010 and several new credits will be published when LEED 2012 is released.

It’s Easy Being Green and It Matters

A study was conducted recently by MindClick SGM to understand the interest in green hospitality and what role sustainability plays in the travel procurement decision. MindClick conducted the research study online with the Association of Corporate Travel Executives membership database. Respondents were U.S.- or Canada-based corporate travel executives representing a range of industries. They tend to procure more midscale hotel rooms (64 percent) than upscale rooms (34 percent).

More than half of all respondents indicated their company currently has or is planning a program for “green” business travel. More important, 72 percent of green travel buyers have or are implementing policies requiring sustainability information from travel suppliers.

For those hotels that position themselves as green, the benefits can be great. As the economy is rebounding, know that green is back. Sustainable hotels are not a policy, not a project, but a way of doing business.

Clifford R. Tuttle manages the interior design practice in the San Francisco office of FORRESTPERKINS. Mr. Tuttle worked as Director of Design for eight years in Washington, DC, before launching the San Francisco branch of the firm. Earlier in his career, Mr. Tuttle was president of Concept Design Group in Honolulu and Concept International Design Group in Singapore for nine years. Mr. Tuttle’s extensive experience in the hospitality design profession includes the design and management of projects in the United States and Southeast Asia. Mr. Tuttle is a pioneer in sustainable design in the hospitality industry. Mr. Tuttle can be contacted at ctuttle@forrestperkins.com Extended Bio...

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