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HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW

MAY FOCUS: Eco-Friendly Practices

 

Hilton's Travel with Purpose: Green From The Ground Up

By Bill Duncan Global Head All Suites & Focused Service Categories , Hilton | May 2019

This article was co-authored by Daniella Foster, Senior Director of Global Corporate Responsibility, Hilton

At Hilton, we take the threat of global climate change very seriously and we've made combatting it a top business priority. Over the past decade, we've made promising strides in curbing our environmental impact, including reducing our water use by 20 percent, energy consumption by 24 percent, carbon emissions by 34 percent and waste by 41 percent.

However, we know that there is much more that Hilton, and the lodging industry as whole, can do to minimize our environmental impact.

An Enterprise-Wide Commitment

Hilton's Travel with Purpose initiative is committed to redefining and advancing sustainable travel globally. By 2030, we plan to double our investment in social impact and cut our environmental footprint by half. Last May, we became the first major hospitality brand to set Science-based Targets for carbon reduction approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and in alignment with the carbon reductions stipulated in the Paris Climate Agreement. Our Travel with Purpose initiative also allows us to contribute in a meaningful way to help the international community reach the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.

We also track, analyze and report our environmental and social impact at each of Hilton's 5,600+ hotels through LightStay, an award-winning corporate responsibility measurement system that is helping hold us accountable for our progress toward our 2030 Goals. We continue to innovate LightStay so it can predict and model behavior such as tracking historical energy and weather data to forecast future energy consumption levels and predict the impact of performance on cost. LightStay also provides a framework to encourage positive changes by staff and guests.

For example, our extended stay brands, have shifted to more sustainable housekeeping practices through the Light Touch cleaning program, which offers full-clean services for three instead of five nights of a guest' extended stay. The Light Touch program has also helped us engage our guests in reducing our environmental footprint. Those who opt in not only reduce the impact of their personal stay, but are also rewarded with Hilton Honors points.

Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver – Downtown Convention Center

Laying a Green Foundation

While we've recently enhanced our sustainability goals, Hilton's commitment to sustainability is not new. From design to development, green building has long been important to Hilton. In 2008, we made history when the Hilton Vancouver Washington became the first hotel in the industry to receive both Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) structure and a Green Seal certifications. Hilton also touts the largest ISO certified portfolio in the world, with triple ISO certification for our entire global portfolio of 5,600+ hotels.

But it's not always easy being green. Sometimes, the environmental conditions of a potential property's surrounding area present challenges to being eco-friendly, such as those within urban heat islands. These metropolitan areas are significantly warmer than their surrounding rural counterparts due to human activities, which makes it difficult to keep energy output low. Hilton Garden Inn took on the ambitious task of building a LEED certified hotel in one of these areas at the Miami Dolphin Mall, where temperatures in the city can be up to 17.0° hotter than in nearby rural areas. To reduce the heat island effect, solar reflectance index material was installed on the entire roof and designs ultimately led to an energy performance cost savings of 17.93 percent.

Similarly, Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Downtown Convention Center was not only the first LEED certified hotel for the brand, but in the city of Denver – which is also considered one of the top 10 cities with the most intense summer urban heat islands. Moreover, Homewood Suites by Hilton's first LEED certified property in Philadelphia's University City achieved energy consumption levels at 25 percent more efficient than the city's building code at the time it was built by installing energy-efficient features such as a water-loop heat pump system to power heat and air-conditioning, as well as a smart control system to monitor the building's temperature.

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

The All Suites and Focused Service brands utilize sustainable building practices even at properties that aren't LEED certified. This is accomplished by applying the three R's – reduce, reuse and recycle at every stage of a hotel's lifespan, from development to operations.

Tru by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton, for instance, both utilize soap, shampoo and conditioner dispensers, allowing owners to buy amenities in bulk and reduce their single-use plastic waste. In fact, Home2 Suites by Hilton is one of the most eco-friendly brands in the Hilton portfolio, and incorporates the three R's throughout its development prototype. Key sustainable features of these properties include, but aren't limited to:

  • Landscaping that includes indigenous-only plants, which significantly minimize water usage and irrigation needs.
  • Exclusive use of appliances with Energy Star ratings in guest rooms.
  • Saline-based pools maintained with natural minerals instead of chemicals.
  • Convenient recycling collection both in-room and within common areas.
  • Carpeting made of recycled material.
  • Low flow toilets that use 20 percent less water than traditional toilets.
  • Countertops made of 85 percent pre-recycled and 100 percent post-recycled content.

Home2 Suites by Hilton has also furthered its commitment to sustainability through its unique YOUR2 HANDS™ corporate responsibility initiative. The brand-wide community outreach program allows Home2 Suites hotel team members to select a local charity of their choice to support and help make a difference in ways that reach far outside hotel walls, engaging members of the community and guests, to make the biggest impact possible. YOUR2 HANDS™ projects have included park and beach clean-ups, support of community gardens and much more.

Thanks to the success of the Home2 Suites by Hilton brand, and the ROI delivered by these sustainability measures, similar eco-friendly elements have been incorporated into hotels across the Hilton portfolio.

What's Old Renewed

On the construction side, we implement adaptive reuse builds to take over existing structures instead of occupying new land, which oftentimes leaves them more energy-efficient than their previous form. They also offer Hilton, in partnership with our owners, a chance to possibly impact local communities by preserving a piece of local history.

Each adaptive reuse property inherently comes with an interesting back story and unique architectural elements. Tru by Hilton Downtown San Antonio, for example, was once the façade of the '30s'-era Gillespie Ford Building. The first two floors of the redone property maintained the original pie-shaped framework of the dealership, showcasing restored stuccowork on the exterior and in the lobby.

Extended-stay hotels are especially conducive to adaptive reuse because the prototype lends itself to conversion. Home2 Suites by Hilton San Antonio Downtown Riverwalk transformed the South Texas Building, a 95-year-old former office building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, into a 128-suite hotel while preserving the original property's Beaux Arts-style features, including original windows, elevator doors and exterior.

Homewood Suites by Hilton Downtown Nashville is another beautiful example of the inimitable story each adaptive reuse tells. The former medical office building was originally constructed in 1910 using ornate Renaissance Revival-style architecture, and was lovingly refurbished into a modern hotel at the heart of the city's historic music district.

New bars of soap recycled from old soap left by hotel guests

Suds of Sustainability

Operationally, we've implemented various tactics to reuse materials and reduce waste. One of our biggest recycling accomplishments has been Hilton's partnership with the Clean the World foundation, an organization dedicated to saving millions of lives across the globe while simultaneously diverting hotel waste from landfills. As many as 2.3 billion people around the world lack basic sanitation, and just one bar of recycled soap provides an estimated 180 hand washes. Supplying soap to communities that lack access to proper hygiene can help save lives both directly, by preventing hygiene-related diseases, and indirectly through the elimination of millions of pounds of potential waste product.

The soap recycling process is simple, yet life changing. Discarded soap is collected from hotels and donated to a Clean the World soap recycling center where it's crushed, sanitized, and cut into new bars before being distributing to individuals in need.

Hampton Inn by Hilton Orlando-International Airport was the first hotel in the Hilton portfolio to collect discarded soap for Clean the World in 2009. We have since furthered our commitment to soap recycling by making it a brand standard for the All Suites brands by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, as well as Hampton Inn by Hilton. Through our partnership with Clean the World, Hilton has contributed to the distribution of over 9.6 million bars of recycled soap globally, resulting in more than 2.4 million pounds of soap and amenity bottles being diverted from landfills.

Building Greener – Piece by Piece

In addition to being a leader in soap recycling, Hilton has also been out in front with the trial of new, greener building models for hotel development, such as modular construction. The modular building system offers unmatched efficiency and often meets -- or even exceeds -- the quality standards of traditional construction, while the build is carried out in a fraction of the traditional time.

These projects are essentially built in sections off-site utilizing Hilton's high-quality brand standards and precision design specifications. The "modules" produced at the construction site -- an enclosed, temperature-controlled building -- are then transported and assembled at the hotel site.

Modular construction furthers Hilton's overall sustainability efforts by reducing the carbon footprint for each project, employing green and recycled materials as well as energy-saving systems throughout the construction process. Both the All Suites and Focused Service brands have used this construction method both in the U.S. and abroad. Completed and currently under construction modular projects in the Focused Service category include Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton San Jose Airport in California, Hampton by Hilton Hamilton Park Racecourse in the UK, and Hilton Garden Inn Birmingham Airport in the UK.

As for the All Suites category, Home2 Suites by Hilton will soon open the brand's first-ever modular hotel in San Francisco. Home2 Suites by Hilton San Francisco Airport North will have photovoltaic solar panels that will generate nearly 50 percent of the hotel's energy needs, a bio-retention pond that will filter and use runoff water, an on-site trash compactor, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) plus other elements to help reduce its carbon footprint.

Lobby Artwork at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver – Downtown Convention Center

Multiple Brands are Greener than One

All six brands across the All Suites and Focused Service portfolio use the multi-brand model, which limits carbon outputs by taking up less land per property and sharing certain operational functions.

This model is ideal for owners looking to break into high-barrier-to-entry markets, as it allows for shared construction and zoning. Operationally, these properties combine facilities and back-of-house areas to work more efficiently while decreasing energy outputs – because fewer workers means less energy spent. A report released by Energy Star in 2015 that analyzed energy levels across 10,412 hotel properties revealed that hotels with fewer workers per square foot (related to amenity levels) utilize less energy, on average.

Hilton has a footprint of more than 100 open multi-brand properties and a rapidly-growing pipeline. And many of these projects pair our All Suites and Focused Service brands. The two categories were also featured in Hilton's first-ever tri-branded property at Chicago's McCormick Place, comprised of a Hampton by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn.

Connected Rooms Connect to Reduced Carbon Emissions

Smart design starts with smart technology. Hilton's Connected Room technology is a first-of-its-kind, high-tech guest room that enables guests to personalize and control every aspect of their stay from their mobile device, and it's been a game changer for controlling energy consumption rates.

For example, when guests aren't physically in their booked rooms – typically around 70 percent of the time – hotels can power down devices such as the television, HVAC, and lights, dramatically reducing energy consumption. The technology also gives guests the option to help conserve energy by syncing the air conditioning and lights with their schedule. It also allows hotel operators to monitor how their hotels are managing energy in real time to ensure they are effectively reducing environmental impact.

In 2018, Hilton rolled out more than 1,800 Connected Rooms, with plans to bring the technology to tens of thousands of rooms across the U.S. as well as the first non-U.S. locations.

Our founder, Conrad Hilton, once said, "To achieve big things, you must first dream big dreams." In terms of creating a greener planet, Hilton has taken this statement to heart. We're not just dreamers, we're trailblazers striving to make the path greener for everyone – from owners to developers, guests to hotel staff. Our hope is to create a more sustainable hospitality industry by leading by example. 

As the demand for travel and lodging continues to grow, it is our responsibility to ensure we continue to challenge the status quo and create eco-friendly policies that will preserve each destination where Hilton has had the opportunity to spread the warmth and light of hospitality.

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This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California notwithstanding any conflict of laws provisions. You and HotelExecutive agree that the venue for all legal disputes, controversies, actions of any kind arising under or related to this Agreement shall be San Francisco, California. You and HotelExecutive further agree that in case of any litigation regarding this Agreement, you irrevocably and unconditionally (i) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in the County of San Francisco, California for any litigation or dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement, (ii) agree not to commence any litigation arising out of or relating to this Agreement except in the California Courts, (iii) agree not to plead or claim that such litigation brought therein has been brought in an inconvenient forum, and (iv) agree the California Courts represent the exclusive jurisdiction for all litigation relating to this Agreement.

11. MEMBERSHIP FEES

Hotel Business Review Subscriptions

If you choose to purchase a subscription, member subscription payments can be made in U.S. Dollars, as well as a variety of international currencies. Membership terms are Annual Recurring, and Monthly Recurring. The Annual Recurring subscription is an annual commitment and subscribers will be charged each consecutive billing cycle. Annual Recurring subscriptions can be cancelled after the first billing cycle and within 30-days of the billing date for a full refund. Monthly Recurring subscriptions are ongoing and subscribers will be charged each consecutive monthly billing cycle. Monthly Recurring subscriptions can be cancelled after the first month and within 7 days of the monthly billing cycle for a full refund.

12. PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION

Payment for the services provided to you in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive may be made by automatic credit card, debit card, direct debit, bankwire or Paypal and other approved payment means offered in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive, and you hereby authorize HotelExecutive and its agents to transact such payments on your behalf.

You hereby authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card to pay for your membership to HotelExecutive. You further authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card for any and all purchases of products, services in association with HotelExecutive. You agree to be personally liable for all charges incurred by you in association with your access or other use of any content provided by HotelExecutive or any third party in association with HotelExecutive. You acknowledge and agree that your liability for all such charges shall continue after termination of your access or any type of membership arrangement with HotelExecutive.

In the event that you have chosen to have your membership automatically rebilled, unless and until you notify HotelExecutive that you wish to cancel or terminate your membership to HotelExecutive, you hereby agree and authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to automatically renew your membership to HotelExecutive on a continuing basis and to charge your credit card (or other payment means you have selected) to pay for the ongoing cost of your membership. You hereby further authorize HotelExecutive's Internet Payment Service Provider to charge your credit card (or other approved payment means you have selected) for any and all purchases of products, services and entertainment provided to in, at, through or in association with HotelExecutive.

13. PRIVACY POLICY

The following is the Privacy Policy for HotelExecutive

We can be reached via telephone, email, or online at our contact page. When you visit our site we do not log any information regarding your domain or email address. Information Sharing: We do not share user information with any third parties other than via press release distribution as described below.

Hotel Newswire is a newswire service that distributes press releases on behalf of our users. If you decide to submit a press release for distribution through our system we will transmit your entire press release including any personal information therein contained to our media contacts and online distribution points including search engines. This is the only redistribution of your information that we engage in. Your submission of press releases through our system indicates consent with this policy. The information we collect during your registration process is used to notify users about updates to our service and inform users of any special events hosted by Hotel Newswire. This information is not shared with other organizations for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

Cookies: Our system requires the use of cookies to enable the user to log back into our website to access information from the newswire, without having to log in each time using the required username and password.

If you do not want to receive email from us in the future, please let us know by following instructions included in our communication with you. Users who supply us with telephone numbers online may receive telephone contact from us regarding their account, or informing them of new products and services available on the HotelExecutive website. If you do not wish to receive such telephone calls, please edit your account and remove your phone number from your account profile. This can be done from your user account menu.

Ad Servers: We do not partner with or have any relationship with any ad server companies. From time to time, we may use customer information for new uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice. If our information practices change at any time, we will post the policy changes to our website to notify you of these changes and provide you with the ability to opt out of these new uses. If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check back at our website periodically.

Upon request we provide site visitors with access to all information (including proprietary information) that we maintain about them. Users can access this information by logging in to their account.

Security: We always use industry-standard encryption technologies while transferring and receiving user data exchanged with our site. We have appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of information that we have collected from you on our site. We do not store credit card information in our systems.

If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us.

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